Bill Self and the Kansas Jayhawks have been busy in the transfer portal this offseason, but arguably the biggest get so far comes from last year’s biggest portal name. Hunter Dickinson announced Friday he will return to Kansas for his second season in Lawrence and fifth season in college overall (utilizing his extra COVID year of eligibility).
Dickinson lived up to the hype in his first year with the program, averaging 17.9 points and a career-high 10.9 rebounds per game on his way to being named a second-team All-American. The 7-footer recorded 17 double-doubles in 33 games, including four games with at least 15 points and 20 rebounds. Dickinson received the majority of the attention from opposing defenses once Kevin McCullar was sidelined with a knee injury, and then Dickinson suffered his own shoulder injury in the final game of the regular season at Houston that kept him banged up through March.
The biggest gripe among fans and analysts last year was Kansas’ inability to spread the floor with shooters and give Dickinson more space to work. That won’t be a problem next year, as big-time shooters (and playmakers with the ball in their hands) Zeke Mayo, AJ Storr, and Rylan Griffin should keep defenses stretched, making Dickinson even more dangerous. He’ll also have a highly touted freshman, and Mr. Basketball in Indiana, Flory Bidunga as his backup, who should be able to provide minutes and serviceable production when Dickinson is on the bench.
When Dickinson first committed to Kansas last offseason, many believed it would be a one-year stint. Now KU gets one of the most dominant offensive centers in college for a second year to make a strong run at a Final Four. Dickinson eclipsed 2,000 career points this year and needs just 792 points to reach 3,000. He also enters his final season with 1,148 rebounds.
