By ADAM ZAGORIA
Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson has the option of returning for a fifth season next year, and ESPN’s Fran Fraschilla thinks he should do it.
“If I were Hunter Dickinson I’d rather play at Kansas than in the G league,” Fraschilla said during the Kansas-Oklahoma broadcast Saturday on ESPN.
The 7-foot-2, 260-pound Dickinson was the No. 1 player in the transfer portal last year out of Michigan and chose Kansas over Kentucky, Villanova, Maryland and others. He received about $800,000 in NIL money, one industry source said.
He’s averaging 18.2 points and 10.8 rebounds for the No. 6 Jayhawks, and went for 20 points and 16 boards in Saturday’s 67-57 victory.
we love a good @H_Dickinson24 dunk
pic.twitter.com/xD8AOwLRUk
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 17, 2024
Fraschilla also said Kansas freshman guard Jonny Furphy should stay another year, too. The 6-9 Furphy is averaging 8.6 points while shooting 38% from deep.
“If I were Jonny Furphy and I didn’t need the money — which, we all need money — I would stay at Kansas one more year,” he said. “He can go in the mid-to-late first round and he’ll spend a lot of time, like Gradey Dick, in the G League.
“But once Jonny Furphy gets a little physically more mature, you’re going to see him really take off.”
Fraschilla also pointed out that Purdue big man Zach Edey has the option of returning for a fifth season, but Edey is a projected lottery pick by ESPN.com one year after he was told by NBA personnel he needed another year of college.
“Zach Edey, no,” Fraschilla said. “I’ve seen him, he’ll be in the first round because he’s like Yao Ming.”
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