Hunter Dickinson mentioned role of NIL in transfer to KU. How does Bill Self view it?
Hunter Dickinson, the newest Kansas Jayhawk and star transfer from Michigan, doesn’t care if you think he’s selfish.
He just wants to be paid what he thinks he’s worth.
The former Michigan Wolverines center didn’t shy away from talking about NIL (Name, Image, Likeness) being a significant factor in why he chose Kansas as the next stop in his men’s basketball career. On the Barstool Sports Roundball Podcast, Dickinson spoke about how much money he received at Michigan.
“The people hating on me would leave their job right now for a $10,000 increase,” Dickinson said. “I got, at Michigan, less than six figures. I got less than six figures at Michigan for the year.”
Dickinson reiterated his love for Michigan but said he ultimately had to put himself first.
“I feel like people don’t realize how much courage it took — for a guy who was there for three years, was an All-American for the team,” Dickinson said. “I did have a legacy there, and I basically gave that up to try to be selfish and do what’s best for me and my career, not what’s best for anybody else’s career.”
Dickinson averaged 18.5 points and nine rebounds per contest, but he knows he must work on his game if he wants a long career in the NBA. He believes Kansas is the best spot to do that.
NIL rules enable the the top-ranked transfer-portal target to take advantage of his college basketball stardom to earn life-changing money, whether or not his NBA dreams come to fruition.
Still, Dickinson’s comments have re-energized the seemingly never-ending debate about NIL and college sports.
NIL and the collective
Mass Strategies (an NIL collective) represents Kansas’ student-athletes. How good is KU’s resident NIL collective? Well, it depends on who you ask.
With Dickinson likely to eat up the Jayhawks’ big-man minutes, KU center Zuby Ejiofor entered the transfer portal last week. But the freshman who averaged just 1.2 points in 5.2 minutes per game enjoyed the full benefits of NIL during his season at KU.
“The first thing I got was a car (Dodge Charger) on campus,” Ejiofor told The Star in March. “That just (shows) what NIL brings nowadays. I was granted the opportunity to get a brand new car and some money elsewhere, as well.”
How exactly did Ejiofor end up with his white Dodge Charger?
“Social media posts, making an appearance at any events and stuff like that,” he said. “Really chill. A couple of hours you get (a lot of) bread or a brand new car.”
Ejiofor also raved about Mass Strategies.
“It’s been really nice — we did a couple of tailgates at football games early on,” he said, “and the experience with all these fans popping out, showing their support and love while wearing the Mass Street brand, is just amazing.
“They’ve been getting a lot of deals — as far as money being involved. We were able to go to the animal shelter and meet a couple of animals, as well. It’s been a cool experience.”
KU coach Bill Self on NIL
In March, KU coach Bill Self spoke about how the Jayhawks had gotten better at NIL but still had ways to go.
NIL is constantly evolving in college sports — something with which Self is grappling.
“The thing about NIL ... it can be frustrating because whenever a rule is made legal, you want maximize that rule immediately,” Self said. “NIL is not one of those things. At least it’s not with us. I don’t believe it is anywhere in the country.
“I think people are still trying to get their arms around it. I think it’s like a cloud of people trying to put your arms around a cloud and (it) changes shapes and sizes all the time.”
In December, Self outlined his NIL gripes with former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski on an episode of Basketball & Beyond with Coach K.
“I think in theory it’s good,” Self said. “Kids’ families shouldn’t have ... financial difficulty to support their own child (with) that child hopefully being in a position to make a lot of revenue for a school.
“You’re at Kansas and you’ve got a kid from Florida, and they’re coming to 10 trips a year, bringing four people, staying in hotels, renting cars, paying for food, and then you’ve got two or three weekends in the NCAA Tournament over four years, that’s into the $150,000-$200,000 range.”
Self continued: “So I do think it’s good in theory, ... and I know you can’t cap it. But now it’s a situation where, you know, (it’s) legalized cheating.”
Despite his quibbles, Self understands how important NIL is to his players — after all, two members of last season’s Jayhawks team emerged as the faces of NIL for Kansas student-athletes.
Those players: forward Jalen Wilson and guard Gradey Dick.
Gradey Dick, Jalen Wilson and NIL
According to his Instagram page, Dick had NIL deals with Bose, Adidas, Tommy’s Express Car Wash and more.
Wilson was one of the five KU student-athletes (Caroline Bien, Dajuan Harris, Jalon Daniels and Holly Kersgieter being the others) who signed with Wendy’s.
Still, Self thinks the Jayhawks need to solidify their NIL program.
“I personally, this is my opinion, think it’d be hard to sustain NIL if you don’t have a program,” Self said. “I don’t think you can go year to year and say, ‘Give me this,’ or ‘Can I have this or that?’ There needs to be a program in place … that is stable and doesn’t vary from year to year. “
So how close is KU to having a solid, stable NIL program?
“I think we’re at the point where those things can start happening,” Self said. “So, I am pleased with and happy that youngsters have an opportunity to make money.”
