Former Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson adjusting to life with KU basketball
After spending his first three years of college at the University of Michigan, Hunter Dickinson is slowly but surely becoming accustomed to life in Kansas.
“I still don’t feel it yet,” Dickinson, KU’s 7-foot-2, 260-pound senior transfer center from Alexandria, Virginia, said Wednesday at an NIL event at Parsons Xtreme Golf in Overland Park, asked if he considers himself a full-fledged Kansas Jayhawk. “I think my first game in Allen Fieldhouse is probably when it’ll hit me. I still feel surreal. It’s super exciting. It feels really good to me.
Dickinson — he averaged 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds in earning first-team All-Big Ten honors at Michigan last season — averaged 19.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.0 steals in three games for KU during the Jayhawks’ early-August exhibition trip to Puerto Rico.
He’ll be making his first appearance in Allen Fieldhouse at Friday’s Late Night in the Phog, which is set for a 6:30 p.m. start. The KU women’s intrasquad scrimmage, will start approximately 7:20 p.m. and men’s scrimmage at approximately 8:20 p.m. Both will be shown on ESPN+ and at KUathletics.com.
“I can’t wait. I actually worked out in there yesterday with coach Dooley (Joe, KU assistant). Having everything set up was super cool. It’ll be super exciting,” Dickinson said.
“Obviously the guys have told me about it. I’m interested in their experiences but can’t wait to experience it myself. It’ll be a real fun night. ... There’s some things in the works, for sure.”
Dickinson recently was praised by coach Bill Self, who told The Star the versatile big man “killed it” during a week’s worth of early-morning Boot Camp conditioning workouts in September.
“I don’t think you can really kill Boot Camp. I think Boot Camp more kills you in a sense,” Dickinson said. “I think I did better than I expected. A lot of it is mental. A lot of it is pushing through pain because you could be in the best shape of your life, but it’s still going to be a pain in the butt. As long as you go in there and are giving it your all, I think that’s all (Self) really wants out of the guys.”
Dickinson said he truly feels he’s “in the best shape I’ve ever been. I felt it in Puerto Rico. I feel by the end of training camp we’ve had, by the start of the season, it’ll definitely be the best shape I’ve ever been in.”
Dickinson grinned Wednesday when asked by a media member in the golf equipment and apparel store if he’s been given the “green light” offensively by Self entering his fourth season of college ball.
“He definitely wants me to score the ball that’s for sure,” Dickinson said.
Asked if he’ll be welcome to shoot 3s when open, Dickinson said: “Yeah, yeah, we’ve talked about that. I shot 42% last year (24-of-57 from beyond the arc). I don’t think it’s a crazy thing for me to shoot a couple threes.”
Dickinson signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans Wednesday after entertaining questions from media for about 10 minutes.
He was comfortable checking out all the golf equipment.
“I’m an avid golfer,” Dickinson said. “I like to golf but didn’t have any clubs that fit.”
Asked his best round of golf, he said: “I am not good enough to keep my score yet. I keep my score the first three holes, then kind of forget.”
Surely someday, maybe after his eligibility is up, he’ll play a round of golf with Self and his assistants, who also are avid golfers.
He’s getting used to Self on the basketball court.
“It’s very unique,” he said of playing for Self. “Coach Self is obviously a legendary coach. I always say that he’s a little crazy, but I feel he’s only going to get on you because he expects a lot out of you. He can see more than you think you have in yourself. He wants to put you in pressure situations so that if you are down two with three minutes left, down four with three minutes left on the road, something like that, he wants you ready for the moment so the pressure wont get to you,”
