Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson answers questions from the media at the Big 12 Men's Basketball Tipoff
Category
🥇
SportsTranscript
00:00 >> Do you have a good number you're gonna get?
00:02 >> I mean, I think three would be a good number for me if I can do that.
00:06 >> Okay, of the guys that are playing- >> It's not gonna be to the death for
00:09 me, but obviously it's gonna be within the offense.
00:13 But I feel like I've worked on that part of my game enough and
00:16 I've shown it in college football.
00:19 I wanna be a crazy pitcher.
00:22 >> And you talked about how break the rim, right?
00:25 In conference, what is it like in an offense game?
00:28 Is it one place that you love to go to no matter what?
00:30 >> It's hard because he literally does everything.
00:32 He does a little bit of everything.
00:34 Yeah, I've called him before, but it's just like,
00:38 you can't pigeonhole him in any specific thing.
00:41 Because is he a four, is he a three, is he a one sometimes where he just goes with it?
00:47 It's really hard to pigeonhole him into a certain-
00:50 >> I mean, it's fun playing there cuz you know, right?
00:52 >> If I had to give him a role, I'd just say a basketball player.
00:55 Just a basketball player guy who does everything.
00:58 He does all the little things that a lot of guys don't wanna do.
01:01 And that's just so invaluable to his game.
01:02 >> You can throw offs to Hunter and KJ and everything.
01:04 D-Mac is a winner, preseason Big 12 player of the year, preseason income earner of the year.
01:08 Do you kinda relish those expectations or is it something you're not really thinking about?
01:12 >> I mean, whoever says they don't think about is lying to you.
01:15 They just wanna give you the right answer, what they should say.
01:18 But for me, it's like- >> Wilder, he's actually one of the most
01:22 athletic players in our team.
01:23 As long as we buy into what Coach is saying and what, as long as I'm playing hard and
01:28 playing with intensity, things should just fall into place.
01:30 I don't have to force a lot of things nowadays.
01:33 I have the best boy in college country.
01:35 I have a coach who has put, I don't even know how many big men in the league.
01:39 He's in the Hall of Fame.
01:40 He knows how to give you the ball.
01:42 I don't have to really force anything.
01:43 And so I'm not really worried about the expectations because I don't have to do as
01:47 much as I've had to do in the past.
01:49 I can walk around and mess around and score some points and get some rebounds.
01:54 As long as I'm playing hard and playing with intensity,
01:56 everything has to fall into place.
01:58 >> You are one of the new faces on the team, but obviously you play college basketball.
02:02 How do you kind of manage being a leader, but
02:04 also learning about the Kansas Bulls?
02:06 You said you're one of the best players in the league.
02:08 >> Yeah, I think you gotta trade Drake for working in the league.
02:13 Where it's like, you're still, I'm a senior.
02:18 I feel so old, I feel even older, but I'm new to this environment.
02:22 I'm still learning the terminology because there's some terminology where it's
02:26 like being in the gap.
02:28 Everybody knows that, being in denial, everybody knows that.
02:32 But there's some terminology that's different.
02:35 I'm still learning that stuff.
02:37 I caught on to the third side pretty quickly because that's just the coach's
02:42 style of play.
02:43 So I'm still trying to learn under coach's style because there's some things that
02:47 I'm still trying to get through and process.
02:50 But it's been an adjustment period, but it's been a lot of fun so far.
02:55 I feel like a freshman all over again with this, and it's been a ton of fun.
02:59 >> You settled in Lawrence?
03:01 >> Yeah, it's just different than what I'm used to, but I like it.
03:06 It's a great life experience for me.
03:09 The people are amazing, so nice.
03:12 It's a great spot to be.
03:16 I'm still trying to learn some more food spots.
03:18 I'm still trying to get around because I'm a foodie.
03:21 So I'm trying to find all the little holes in the wall,
03:24 still exploring and stuff.
03:25 But I just went to Jefferson's a week ago and finally got that.
03:30 And the wings were pretty good.
03:32 New bean, having family from Buffalo, knowing the original wings.
03:36 They're pretty good, I like them, they're pretty good.
03:39 >> [INAUDIBLE] >> Tie dyer?
03:41 >> Yeah.
03:42 >> Favorite one spot?
03:43 >> You guys blew it for 85.
03:44 >> 715.
03:45 >> I gotta put a wiggle in the deal there.
03:48 I know the owner, but I haven't asked yet.
03:50 But if I could wiggle in that deal, it would be a real good deal.
03:54 >> Not to make the comparison, but
03:57 you're looking at the balance and seeing the chance of a base,
04:02 the last four hours, what does he mean?
04:04 Among other things, you're looking at the speed guys there.
04:06 >> I mean, it's just like he's one of the faces of basketball.
04:09 >> Yeah. >> And to be able to have him play here,
04:12 but just overall, the amount of, it's not even him, but when I walk into the gym and
04:17 I walk past all those people, they have the picture up.
04:22 It's just, you go through Paul Pierce, [INAUDIBLE]
04:24 >> Yeah.
04:25 >> Cole Aldridge, Marcus Morris,
04:28 Devontae Graham, Von Doxen, Joe Gazzabuche, Dave McCormick.
04:34 And then even more, maybe even Greg Gurley, shout out Greg Gurley.
04:38 >> [LAUGH] >> I'd say he'll be happy to hear that.
04:41 >> He'll be happy to hear that, that's my guy.
04:43 But the standard of excellence of, you can be a first team All-American,
04:47 you can be a player of the year, and you're just one of them.
04:51 You're just one of the guys.
04:52 And so it's like, does it kind of hurt your legacy?
04:58 Maybe, but I wanna be, I wanna add to that.
05:03 I wanna be able to add to the standard of excellence that Kansas has had.
05:07 Because you never want it to dip.
05:08 You never want something as good as Kansas basketball to get worse.
05:12 And so I think Coach has said it to us, we're trying to raise the roof.
05:16 We're trying to raise expectations.
05:17 We're trying to somehow take the wingers program of all time,
05:21 a program that has six and a half championships, and make it even better.
05:23 And so that's something that I've tried to,
05:26 that's something that I'm actively trying to do with my teammates.
05:29 >> He was right here a few minutes ago, and
05:30 we just asked him about getting over the NCAA stuff.
05:34 Not that, it's just over.
05:36 But he offered this up, he said it's time to go for it.
05:38 >> Then you know you watch film.
05:39 >> Where do you take that from me?
05:41 >> No, he's actually said that to us.
05:42 >> Yeah, I'm not gonna pressure you or anything.
05:46 It's just a lot to it.
05:48 Film basically.
05:48 >> I mean, we're the number one team in the country.
05:50 And so people are gonna come for us.
05:52 >> Who's the roommate this year?
05:53 >> I think it's gonna be really important to step on people's throats.
05:57 >> All right, tell us something about each of us.
05:58 >> Some people here who think they have a chance to compete with us on a nightly
06:01 basis.
06:01 You just gotta come out there and you gotta step on their throats.
06:03 You gotta show them the reason why you're the number one team in the country and
06:08 go out there and improve to them daily.
06:09 And so I think that would be a good motto for us.
06:13 >> Do you like being one of the oldest guys on the team now?
06:15 >> When you came, did you have any questions about that?
06:18 >> I would appreciate it, man.
06:19 Thanks so much.
06:19 >> The NCA stuff.
06:21 I mean, it had to end at some point.
06:23 >> No, I didn't even know about it, honestly.
06:25 Well, I knew about it, but I forgot about it, and
06:27 it wasn't even mentioned in our talks.
06:30 >> Okay, that's fine.
06:31 Thanks, man.
06:32 >> Hunter, what was it specifically about what you could do on the court here at
06:35 Kansas that really kind of drew you in?
06:37 >> I knew I was really skilled offensively,
06:39 just from previous years at Michigan.
06:42 I don't think that's crazy to say, but being able to play for
06:46 a guy like Bill Self, who has done a lot with big men who he says were a lot less
06:53 skilled than me, and so I'm just excited to play for him, excited to kind of show
06:58 the world kind of how skilled I am.
06:59 I feel like people still don't give me enough credit for how good I am.
07:03 But me and Coach Self, we're gonna do some good things here at Lawrence.
07:08 >> And then your experience playing for Michigan, playing up in the Big Ten,
07:12 how has that prepared you to be able to play in the gauntlet that is the Big 12?
07:15 >> Being in the Big Ten, we were really prideful in saying that we were the best
07:18 conference in the country.
07:20 It was hard last year, because I don't think we were as deep as maybe the Big 12.
07:25 But previous years, we might have been better than Big 12.
07:28 But I think just the physicality and
07:32 the level of not only talent on the court, but coaching.
07:37 I'm a little biased, I feel like the Big Ten has some amazing coaches.
07:42 But I mean, obviously, here in the Big 12, being at media day and
07:44 stuff like that, seeing some legendary coaches,
07:47 some coaches that have won a lot of games.
07:49 I think it'll be pretty similar to Big Ten,
07:51 where there's talent on the court, but also coaching them as well, so.
07:55 >> Awesome, thank you.