Michigan star Hunter Dickinson announces transfer to Kansas
Hunter Dickinson, the most coveted transfer in college basketball, has made a decision.
Dickinson, a 7-foot-1 center who spent the past three seasons at Michigan, announced Thursday that he is headed to Kansas. Dickinson also visited Maryland, Georgetown, Kentucky and Villanova after entering the transfer portal but ultimately chose to play for Bill Self and the Jayhawks next season.
— Hunter Dickinson (@H_Dickinson24) May 4, 2023
Dickinson has been a star for three seasons in the Big Ten. He helped Michigan reach the Elite Eight as a freshman and the Sweet 16 as a sophomore but decided to pursue another opportunity after the Wolverines missed out on the NCAA tournament last season.
After his sophomore season, Dickinson declared for the NBA Draft but decided to return to Ann Arbor. The Wolverines had a disappointing year last season, finishing 18-16 overall and losing in the NIT despite having Dickinson and expected NBA draft picks Kobe Bufkin and Jett Howard in the starting lineup.
Dickinson said Wednesday that leaving Michigan was "the hardest decision" he's ever made and "extraordinarily difficult to process." Dickinson plans to graduate from Michigan this summer before beginning his journey at Kansas.
For his career, Dickinson has averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game while shooting 57% from the field. He has also progressed into a reliable 3-point shooter. This past season, Dickinson shot 42.1% from deep on nearly two attempts per game.
Dickinson is the third transfer to join the Kansas program this offseason, joining high-scoring guard Nick Timberlake from Towson and Arterio Morris, a former five-star recruit who spent his freshman season at Texas.
The addition of Dickinson is the biggest of the three and turns the Jayhawks into a national championship contender yet again. Kansas won the title in 2022 and was again a No. 1 seed in last year's NCAA tournament, only to get upset by Arkansas in the second round.
The Jayhawks are losing Big 12 player of the year Jalen Wilson and star freshman Gradey Dick to the NBA Draft, but returns point guard Dejuan Harris Jr. and forward K.J. Adams. Kevin McCullar is testing the NBA Draft waters but has maintained his college eligibility. Kansas will also welcome a four-man freshman class to campus. All four prospects are rated as four-star recruits by Rivals.com with guards Elmarko Jackson (No. 23 overall) and Chris Johnson (No. 38) as the headliners.
