Hunter Dickinson set to visit KU next week.
"Michigan junior big man Hunter Dickinson, a 7-foot-1, 260-pound two-time first-team All-Big Ten selection, referred to by mlive.com as the “most accomplished player ever to enter college basketball’s transfer portal,” is slated to make a recruiting visit to Kansas next Thursday through Saturday, according to jayhawkslant.com."
As someone who lives 20 minutes from Lawrence, I didn't think I could add another reason to hate KU, but this would do it.
https://news.yahoo.com/no-1-ncaa-transfer-portal-110000996.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall
April 14th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
I would feel the same way if he went to UK since I live here in the Lexington, KY area. These fans are already unbearable, haha.
This reminds me when the girl you have a crush on in high school is about to meet up with the popular guy that all the girls like. You already know how it is going to turn out but can't do anything to stop it.
Note - I was on the wrong end of that dynamic in high school... LOL
April 14th, 2023 at 12:23 PM ^
Good luck to Hunter but as long as he doesn't end up in the B1G, personally, I could care less where he lands. Also, OP username checks out!
April 14th, 2023 at 12:30 PM ^
How much less could you care?
Probably 5 shits less?
There are two uses:
- "I couldn't care less" -> direct meaning, you cannot care any less, i.e., you care very little or zero about this
- "I could care less" -> assume this is sarcastic; as such, it means the same as above
In either case, because the meaning is obvious, the grammar patrol need not be called.
I have this debate with my dad all the time. He errs on the side of "proper grammar" and I err on the side of effective communication. Though, I do agree that in certain environments and communications, "proper grammar" is a part of effective communication and there are very few places in which "proper grammar" hurts effective communication so in most cases, it is best to err on the side of "proper grammar". The on thing he struggles with is "proper grammar" is always evolving and things like athleticism bothers him and he thinks it should always be athletic ability. I argue that is has evolved and athleticism is now "proper grammar".
Except it's not sarcastic, it's a mistake. Just like 'for all intensive purposes' does not mean 'for all intents and purposes,' it's a mistake. Just like 'dominate' is still not the adjective 'dominant.'
The beatings will continue until morale improves. Err, I mean, I will always correct people until they fix it, if nothing else so they don't look like idiots in situations that are more important.
In other news, 'begs the question' still doesn't mean 'raises the question.'
Irregardless, there is no point in talking about this person's half hazard use of english at nauseam. like some kind of pre-madonna.
I've been out of town all week for work meetings.
Must have heard "irregardless" a dozen times.
FFS and :facepalm:
It bottles the mind to think people actually speak like that.
Do to the fact that you pointed out this egregious use of "for all intensive purposes," I consider you a gentleman and a scholar.
(sic) in case anyone misses the joke
Oh, thank you for "begs the question." Increasingly I even see educated people who should know better.
Sigh. It's a losing battle, I know. Or is that a "loosing" battle. :(
April 14th, 2023 at 12:31 PM ^
You COULD care less (but choose not to)?
Literally does not care enough to even try caring less.
April 14th, 2023 at 12:37 PM ^
Do we hate Hunter now?
I appreciate what he did here and appreciate his effort. Maybe because I don't think it's nearly as big a loss as it would seem on the surface, I'm more ambivalent about him leaving.
I'm curious to see how he'll impact another team. He was atrocious on defense. There is a reason he's not on NBA radars despite being a really good offensive player. I don't think he's going to help another team as much as one would expect from "the most accomplished player ever in the transfer portal" (which I wouldn't argue with, per se), so I'm interested in seeing that hypothesis tested.
Would I welcome him back? Sure, he's a net positive player. Am I kind of ready for the post Hunter era? Also yes.
April 14th, 2023 at 12:40 PM ^
I don't think anyone should hate Hunter. He's always been a bit of a tool. If he'd like to be a tool in Ann Arbor that's good with me, but if he wants to go then whatever. He put in 3 solid years here and I won't fault him for looking for a better team / negotiating for better compensation
April 14th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
Do we hate Hunter now?
Yes
April 14th, 2023 at 12:46 PM ^
Got it, just wanted to make sure I'm doing it right.
Honestly, I kind of already didn't like him so now I don't also have to root for him to play well. I think I've heard other similar sentiments. Like ok, now I don't have to feel conflicted about Hunter Dickinson.
You are still in dark mode I see.
April 14th, 2023 at 12:51 PM ^
I think the OP was saying he hated the University of Kansas. Not dogging Hunter for doing whatever he thinks is best for him. And honestly, KU is probably not a bad spot for a player who lights it up on offense and isn't much of a factor on the other end of the floor. Sounds kind of appropriate. But speaking as another northeast Kansas resident, I don't like to see my Wolverines turn into Jayhawks.
You're correct Ruth. I don't hate Hunter, and I wouldn't hate him if he went to KU. I hate KU. I didn't really have much of an opinion about the school until I moved here, but as you know well, it's their fans that are the problem. I winced every time I saw Jalen Wilson in a KU uniform...as if it wasn't heartbreaking enough to lose Beilein as a our coach, that made it even worse.
OP said he (or she) hated Kansas and this would give them another reason to hate them. Seems like you'd have to dislike Hunter to hate them more with him on their team. Net hate added.
Because on flip side if one liked Hunter, one might view an addition of Hunter as decreasing ones hate for the team that added him (the Astros adding Verlander, for example).
So yeah, I guess I don't know why we'd hate Kansas more for adding Hunter if we don't hate Hunter. Maybe just jealousy? Like, we're hoping to get him back but damn Kansas for making a run at him? I guess I can see that. I just view his departure as a done deal so I don't begrudge anyone for getting him.
And in the case of Kansas, I almost feel like if they get him it'll be a little bit of a haha, good luck with that frustration (although he would be best off on an elite team that can protect his weaknesses, like Michigan was able to do his freshman season by surrounding him with NBA wings).
If he played somewhere else for a year and portaled here for a season, would that be different? Three years is three years in my opinion. It doesn't change how I feel about him. He chose to be at Michigan for three seasons, when he could've went a lot of other places to play basketball in each of those years. And if he believes that both he and the team could use a reset, I agree with him.
What do you mean that be different? In what respect?
In the NBA, a guy like Dirk Nowitski (pretty much every modern day center now) would bury threes on him all day. Right as soon as Hunter would guard the 3, he would get blown by. Lumbering centers are extinct.
Yes, and they also get smoked in college as he does.
Do we hate Hunter now?
Yes, unless he withdraws from the portal and coms back to Michigan. Then we love him again.
April 14th, 2023 at 12:42 PM ^
You can hate the likes of KU, UNC, UK all you want but any player who has a chance to play for those blue bloods while getting paid NIL money is most likely gonna do it.
I'll hate him if he leaves. I'm not going to lie. I also imagine he'll be persona non grata in A2 and an afterthought (historically) at any school that he spends one season playing for.
He may or may not get a bigger bag from another school. We have no idea. But if he stayed he would be part of the Wolverines basketball pantheon and have access to whatever benefits that affords a former star player. Choose wisely young man. He's about to burn a bridge
I'm full on board with your second paragraph. Players that leave early or transfer lose out on a very non-tangible benefit of being beloved by Michigan fans the rest of their lives. Returning to Ann Abor for games with a heroes welcome from current/former players, advertising opportunities, etc. Hard to move the needle for a 20 year old when comparing it against piles of money and NBA/NFL.
I don't think players that leave early for the pros - especially when they've made a good decision - lose out. Trey Burke, Moe Wagner, etc etc will always be beloved in Ann Arbor and could come back to heroes welcomes and be as involved as they wanted to be even though they left early.
But yeah, if you're just gonna go play for another school...that's more of a bridge burned.
So a player who plays 3-4 years at Michigan and leaves to play one year somewhere else has burned a bridge.
But a player who plays 4 years somewhere else and one at Michigan can be beloved?
...y'all are, weird. Make it make sense.
We don't like Chuck Filiaga, but love Chaundee Brown or Olu Oluwatimi?
If you leave Michigan in good standing, I'm a fan. If you transfer to Michigan, I'm immediately a fan until you give me a reason to be...and leaving isn't a good enough reason for me.
Frankie Collins talked shit on his way out...Brandon Johns left with a degree and giving Michigan his very best before making a personal decision.
Why would Brandon Johns have burned a bridge in Ann Arbor? Or DeJulius? Or Bajema? Or Taylor Upshaw? Or Julius Welschof?
...What did Dan Villari ever do to you all to say he's burned a bridge? Shoutout Michael Dwumfour and Tru Wilson.
A bridge with you. Because you take things personally that aren't actually personal to you. But that's okay, a lot of people do the same.
However that does not mean the entire fanbase is going to turn on him.
He was a STAR at Michigan, this isn't a Cade McNamara situation.
April 14th, 2023 at 12:47 PM ^
Little bit of a dead horse here, but I'll bet KU's NIL $ for basketball is first-rate. They've been cheating with the best of them for years so they probably had a nice framework in place.
That aside, if I'm Hunter I can see it being a fun place to hang out for a year or two.
I think KU was one the leading schools / programs in BB techniques. No, not BasketBall.. Brown Bagging. Now that NIL is in place, I’m quite sure their hoops boosters are all over it.
There is probably a ton of booster money getting pumped into KU basketball
- It's their #1 sport so that's probably what alums are throwing money at the most
- And you only need to pitch money at like 10-15 guys vs. an entire football roster
so I am quite sure Kansas players are well compensated whether over or under the table
April 14th, 2023 at 12:49 PM ^
KU has always been my second team (I was born in Lawrence, both my parents are alumni, and I went there my freshman year before transferring to U of M), so this makes me happy. I don't know if he'd be a good fit, honestly -- the Jayhawks tend to be a fairly athletic team, and I'm not sure how Dickinson would fit into that -- but he could do a lot worse.
By the way, I think it's funny how we talk about Dickinson being a villain in the Big Ten. I mean, he definitely enjoys playing up the role, but I've never seen anything at all in the form of dirty play from him. I have no doubt other Big Ten teams can point to isolated plays here and there over the years, but he doesn't make a point of swinging elbows, or stomping on people, or anything like that. He's actually a fairly solid, focused, effective player.
I wish he'd calm down the pantomime-villain stuff -- I don't think it helps him, and it sometimes makes him look a bit foolish -- but eh. Compared to some of the guys Wisconsin has had over the years, for instance ... he's pretty unobjectionable on the court.
April 14th, 2023 at 12:55 PM ^
I have the impression that the KU roster is (relatively) bare for next year, so it's not like it would be that difficult to tweak the offense if they landed a player of Dickinson's caliber. And like in Hunter's freshman year having great athletes around him mitigates a lot of his defensive issues.
Easy call for essentially any team in Division 1 to add Hunter if he's willing to say yes.
Talented but a bit of a blank slate. They do have a senior PG to build around.
Yeah, losing Gradey Dick was a gut-punch. Man, would I love for Michigan to have a player like him some day.
He was a one and done...Michigan fans would go nuts and blame Juwan for not getting him back for a sophomore year.
Wisconsin fans were upset but what sure did look like a stomp this year: https://twitter.com/Outkick/status/1630915794652782593?s=20
And there bad been a few instances of elbows as well.
So yeah, he is viewed as a dirty player (although these are IMO minor, but he's def viewed that way) in addition to the trash talk and ski masks and stuff.
I think you can find isolated clips of almost anyone doing stuff like that. But people suggesting Dickinson does that as a regular matter of business are ... reaching.
April 14th, 2023 at 12:50 PM ^
I find it very easy to picture Hunter in a Kansas uniform. It seems inevitable and I doubt anyone is going to outbid Kansas for him on the NIL front.
This is just a sign of the times.
I recommend the Round Table conversion from WTKA yesterday. Summary - Hunter is going to look around and consider his options. He is still considering staying. NIL will play a role since he may not have an NBA future.
I don’t blame him here. It’s just how this works these days. If he goes, I’ll thank him and wish him luck. I’ll also hope Juwan can bring in a replacement.
If Papa Kante ends up enrolling, I highly doubt we add another center. Hunter's replacement is sophomore Tarris Reed and the backup will likely just be some combo of Tray Jackson and Kante. Which should be fine as long as Reed can stay out of foul trouble enough to play 30 min a game.
I think Hunter is looking at three factors:
- Money
- Roster strength
- Comfort level
Michigan has done a great job shoring up #2 but we're still below Kansas (and potentially Maryland) there. Michigan is probably up there with Maryland and Georgetown in terms of comfort level.
The money could be the key. If we're not able to be competitive there, it hard to see him coming back. My guess is he is currently leaning Maryland, while giving Michigan the chance to show him the money and Kansas the chance to gauge the comfort level there.
I've got a few Michigan sports text groups.
In one of them, one of the guys has constantly referred to Hunter as "the worst 7-footer ever."
Typically, I've defended Hunter. The stats and the eye test say that he's clearly not "the worst 7-footer ever."
That being said, I'm sort of ready to move on from Hunter. His skill set does dictate a particular playing style...and he probably is at his best when he's surrounded by a bunch of guys who can shoot 35%+ from 3.