Kansas wing Gradey Dick is declaring for the NBA Draft following a standout freshman season in which he earned Second Team All-Big 12 honors, he told ESPN Friday. The 6-foot-8 sharpshooter stood out as one of the top perimeter threats in the nation while helping guide the Jayhawks to a Big 12 title and No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Dick entered KU as a five-star prospect and the No. 21 overall recruit in the 2022 class, according to 247Sports, and he immediately stepped into a key role for a Kansas team replacing several key contributors from a national title-winning squad. He finished second on the team with 14.1 points per game while hitting 40.3% of his 3-pointers on 5.7 attempts per game.
The Kansas native made at least one 3-pointer in 33 of 36 games but also proved to be a complete player, ranking as the Jayhawks' No. 2 defender and their overall most efficient player, according to evanmiya.com. He also pulled down 5.1 rebounds per game and collected 1.4 steals while standing out as the top player in KU's No. 5 ranked recruiting class.
Gradey Dick's NBA Draft projection
Dick's 3-point shooting touch is his top skill and the primary justification for his status as a potential first-round pick. However, he proved to be far more than a one-dimensional player and should be considered a legitimate two-way prospect at the next level. With good positional size and athleticism, Dick can defend multiple positions and make opponents pay for closing out hard on him.
At No. 17 in CBS Sports' 2023 NBA Draft Prospect Rankings, Dick could be considered a fringe-lottery prospect. He went No. 15 in a recent mock draft from Kyle Boone and landed at No. 10 in Gary Parrish's most recent mock draft.
"Killer shooter, quick release, big frame and plays with that to his advantage as a glass-crasher," Boone wrote. "Does a little of everything and a fiery competitor who plays with an edge."
Impact on Kansas
Dick scored fewer than eight points just six times during his freshman season, and Kansas lost five of those games. His contributions were vitally important, and won't be easily replaced. However, his departure will be mitigated by the arrival of the nation's No. 6 ranked recruiting class. The group features four perimeter players who are either four or five-star prospects. But Kansas coach Bill Self will likely need to pluck a couple players from the transfer portal to avoid becoming overly reliant on freshmen in the 2023-24 season.
