If Hunter Dickinson's recruitment comes down to NIL, Kentucky won't budge

Hunter Dickinson might not be a Wildcat after all.

The Michigan transfer is looking for a set amount of cash for his services, and Kentucky might not be willing to pay what other schools are one for the No. 1 transfer in this year’s cycle, according to Kentucky Sports Radio’s Matt Jones.

Kentucky is not “guaranteeing” any NIL money like other schools have during his recruiting process. Instead, UK is trying to show Dickinson what other players at Kentucky have made in the past. According to Jones, Dickinson might lean toward the guaranteed money.

Still, Kentucky has a 54.7% chance of gaining Dickinson’s commitment, per the On3 recruiting prediction machine.

“Every school and collective has taken a different approach in the last 22 months to how they would like to deploy NIL cash in recruiting, whether that be in the portal or at the high school level,” On3’s NIL expert Pete Nakos said. “The NCAA has made it clear time and again that pay-for-play is prohibited. But until the governing body comes down and truly makes an example of a school, every collective and donor is going to run on their own prerogative.

“In the case of Hunter Dickinson, we’re seeing all sides of NIL. Kentucky is making it clear the dollars will flow after his commitment. Other schools are opting to possibly go the route of drafting contracts before he actually shows up on campus. Screw the ‘Wild West’ moniker, this is the norm in college sports in 2023.”

The report comes just a day after Dickinson’s highly anticipated RoundBall Podcast was dropped that was teased as being a ‘big announcement.’ Nothing was said in regard to an actual commitment, but the amount of fanfare that was gained from his tease alone proves how marketable he can be wherever he goes.

Still, whoever lands his services will be getting an elite college big man. At Michigan, Dickinson averaged 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game as a true freshman. He followed that up the next two years by averaging over 18 points per game and over eight rebounds per game in each of the next two seasons.

The former Wolverine standout ended his three years in Ann Arbor by averaging 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. His play on the floor earned him All-Big Ten honors every year, including two First Team selections, the Big Ten Freshman of the Year honor and a consensus Second Team All-American in 2021.