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Gradey Dick has been one of the most controversial prospects in this college basketball season.
There’s no doubt that the 6’8 wing was a godsend for Head Coach Bill Self, the rest of his staff, and the Kansas basketball program as a whole.
The discourse has come from those evaluating him as a future pro in the NBA.
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In one season as a Jayhawk, Dick averaged 14.1 points on 44 percent shooting, including over 40 percent from behind the arc.
He also showcased his versatility at Kansas, adding in 1.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.4 steals per game. He was a diverse offensive weapon under Self’s system, used as a movement shooter and secondary playmaker.
He elevated his play in the first round of March Madness, putting up 19 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists to help knock off the 16th-seed Howard.
Season Highs | |
| Points | 26 |
| Minutes | 41 |
| Field Goals Made | 10 |
| Field Goal Attempts | 18 |
| 3-Point Field Goals Made | 6 |
| 3-Point Field Goal Attempts | 12 |
He had an underwhelming outing in the round of 32, however, leading to an upset defeat for Kansas at the hands of the Arkansas Razorbacks. Elite defensive prospects such as Anthony Black and Jordan Walsh did their part in slowing Dick down, holding him to just seven points on 3-9 shooting.
While his freshman season didn’t end the way he had hoped, Dick is all but guaranteed to declare for the NBA Draft.
The 6’8 wing out of Kansas is a consensus first-round prospect, meaning that Dick will only be jeopardizing his draft position and future financial security if he were to return to college.
Recent boards, such as the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor’s, have him pegged as a lottery talent. KOC currently has him ninth on his big board and mocked to the New Orleans Pelicans with the 12th-overall pick in the upcoming draft. BleacherReport recent had him going as high as ninth.
He is an athletic finisher around the rim who often can showcase his bounce in-game:
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The variance in Dick’s draft projection is due to his seemingly capped ceiling. As he’s not an elite athlete, there are concerns as to how much further he can grow his game.
Those picking high in the lottery would most likely try to acquire a future building block whereas most people predict that Dick will be a high-level role player or a tertiary option on a title team at best.
While he doesn’t have the ceiling to compete for one of the top seven spots in this year’s draft, his high-volume shooting numbers, especially from deep, point to him being a safe pick for a high-level contributor at the next level.
"I hope we have a deep enough run that we're talking about the Legend of Gradey Dick."
As @KUHoops looks to win back-to-back titles, read about why the story of the "cheat code" shooter for the Jayhawks is only just beginning 🔥 @gradey_dick https://t.co/KWH38Mxgct
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) March 14, 2023
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| Title: Is Kansas Jayhawk Gradey Dick an Elite NBA prospect?
| Author: Andy Quach
| Date: Mar 22, 2023
