Hunter Dickinson addresses narrative of him 'dragging out' transfer process

As soon as former Michigan big man Hunter Dickinson entered the transfer portal, he became one of the most coveted prospects in the country. And last Thursday he announced his commitment to Kansas, joining a Big 12 powerhouse poised for a big season.

Still, there were some that felt Dickinson dragged out or prolonged his decision once he entered the transfer portal, a narrative he was quick to dispel on the latest episode of the ‘Barstool Roundball Podcast‘.

“I don’t understand how the narrative of me dragging this out came about,” Dickinson said. “I literally got in the portal when it was March 31st and I committed on May 4th. That’s like a month, a month and three days, I don’t understand how a month and three days is dragging this out. Like I know people are accustomed to people getting in the portal and committing like the next day but.”

Some reported that Dickinson would announce his recruitment on the Tuesday a few days prior to when he actually committed, which he believes stemmed from false, inaccurate reporting.

“Well I mean everybody was mad at me, so everybody was like, ‘Oh Hunter, he’s trying to make it like a game, he’s all about himself, he’s being so selfish’. You guys are mad at me for your inside sources being wrong about when he’s committing, what he’s doing, and all this,” Dickinson explained. “Don’t be mad at me because the people you listen to have no idea what’s going on in this recruiting. So it was like no, I haven’t said anything.”

The narrative surrounding Dickinson could have also played a factor. Dickinson is a NIL mainstay and has been notoriously vocal throughout his collegiate career. He appears regularly on the Roundball Podcast, and a normal, run of the mill show appearance very likely could have been mistaken for some sort of commitment announcement.

“Like you said, that podcast was already scheduled like a week in advance because we gotta put out the content for something. So I was giving you guys an update, I don’t know why everybody said I was committing that one day, I never told one coach,” Dickinson said. “Everybody thought I was gonna commit on the Tuesday and I’m like I never told anybody I was commiting on that Tuesday, that’s literally just your reporters making up some BS that they heard. So I was like okay yeah you’re getting mad at me for your people being wrong.”

There may have been some confusion surrounding his commitment, but there’s no confusion about what he’s bringing to the table for the Jayhawks. For the past few seasons, Dickinson has established himself as one of the best centers in the country, averaging 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game last season. He was the former Big Ten Freshman of the Year winner and a two time All-Big Ten first team selection, and a player that will make an instant impact when he steps foot in Lawrence.