Hunter Dickinson says Kansas workouts are more difficult than at Michigan

Former Michigan forward Hunter Dickinson isn’t holding back. Now with the Kansas Jayhawks, the 7-foot-1 All-American discussed the differences between the two programs’ practices.

“They’re definitely a little bit harder than I expected.,” Dickinson said on the “Rock Chalk Unplugged” Podcast. “[The Kansas practices] were definitely harder than Michigan, especially at this point. I mean, Michigan wouldn’t even get to campus until like July 1. So, we have way more of a head start here.”

That one’s gotta hurt, Michigan fans. The star big man entered the transfer portal on March 31, just 13 days after the Wolverines fell to Vanderbilt in the NIT. After a month of intense recruiting, Kansas became Dickinson’s top destination.

The Virginia native was a massive pickup for the Jayhawks. Dickinson led Michigan in scoring and rebounding each of the last three seasons, including 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game in 2022-23. For his efforts, Dickinson was a three-time All-Big Ten selection, including first-team honors in 2021 and 2023.

“I remember the first couple of practices, I was so out of shape and I felt like coming in, I was in pretty solid shape, but I was I needed a lot more growth in that area,” Dickinson said. “I’m super excited to be in the best shape of my life. And that’s something that I really, really embracing and is trying to get better at each and every day.”

Although Dickinson admitted head coach Bill Self’s practices aren’t easy, he also admitted they’re a lot of fun.

“We got a really good coach,” Dickinson said. “The biggest difference is, he really lets us play a lot. Like there’s some some shooting drills and stuff like that, but most of the practice is centered around trying to just get the ball movement, getting the ball to the third side, stuff like that, and just really trying to get to get to know each other.”

With Gradey Dick and Jalen Wilson gone to the NBA, three incoming four-star freshmen and three other incoming transfers, Dickinson has a lot of people to get to know. Kansas is a new-look squad this season and Dickinson is spearheading the group of fresh faces.

No matter how long it takes for Dickinson to adjust, Self is thrilled to have him on the team.

“We’re excited. We’ve recruited some really good players over time, but we’ve never recruited anybody who has averaged 17 points a game over three seasons at a Big Ten school like the University of Michigan,” Self said in a press release. “He obviously the most-ready made player to step in and put up All-American-type numbers right off the bat than we have ever recruited.”