Wichita’s Gradey Dick, highly ranked 2022 basketball recruit, picks Kansas Jayhawks
Gradey Dick, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound junior small forward from Sunrise Christian Academy in Bel Aire, Kansas, announced Wednesday night he will play basketball for the KU Jayhawks.
Dick — ranked No. 21 in the recruiting Class of 2022 according to ESPN.com and No. 33 by Rivals.com, chose Kansas over Baylor, Illinois, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech, Florida, Purdue and Alabama.
He made the announcement in his high school gym in a ceremony streamed on Instagram. His parents and other family members attended along with his Sunrise teammates and coaches.
“It’s been great. It’s been a blessing,” Dick said of his recruitment. “I have been recruited starting in the summer going into my sophomore year. I wouldn’t say it’s been a long journey since I’m only a junior. (But) it’s been a little hectic since then. I just know where I want to go in my gut so that’s why I’m making my decision so early.”
Dick at one time had Kansas State and Wichita State on his list as well as Creighton, Oklahoma, Colorado, Iowa State, Marquette, Nebraska, Northwestern, Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Xavier, Wisconsin and others.
Dick, who played two years at Wichita Collegiate before transferring to Sunrise Christian, has a brother and sister who graduated from KU and a brother who is currently a KU student. Dick’s dad, Bart, played football and baseball at Fort Hays State. His mother, Carmen, played basketball for Iowa State and professionally in Japan.
“Growing up here I kind of followed them (Jayhawks). Obviously with my siblings coming here (KU), I had an early connection with that,” Dick said. “I kind of kept that in the back of my mind as I went through my recruiting. I tried to have a mature outlook on everything. I just kind of realized the past couple of months it’s still going to be my home and that’s where I’m going to be.”
Dick was offered a scholarship by KU on June 23, 2019.
Of what he’ll bring to KU on the court, Dick said: “I feel I bring kind of an overall sense of versatility with my game, just kind of helping out at the wing spot, playing all around, guarding multiple positions. Coming in you can see how Kansas can transform me on the wing, how they play their offense. I feel I can come in there and kind of make an impact early.”
The Jayhawks have corralled three players thus far in the Class of 2021 and two in the Class of 2022.
KU has signed Zach Clemence, a 6-10, 215-pound senior forward, who is a teammate of Dick at Sunrise, and K.J. Adams, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound senior power forward from Westlake High School in Austin, Texas. Clemence is ranked No. 35 and Adams No. 73 in the Class of 2021 by Rivals.com. The Jayhawks have also received a commitment from Sydney Curry, a 6-8 sophomore forward from Logan Community College, in Carterville, Illinois.
In the Class of 2022, KU has received a commitment from Dick, plus Kyle Cuffe, a 6-2 junior combo guard from Blair Academy in Blairstown, New Jersey. He is ranked No. 56 in the Class of 2022 by Rivals.com.
Dick said he’s pleased he will join Clemence at KU.
“I’ve got Zach going there. There’s a lot of connections,” Dick said. “The fact I have another year here (at Sunrise) ... this is a big advantage, to get another year to help my game get better.”
This story was originally published March 3, 2021 at 7:16 PM.
