NCAA Basketball: Ranking final 6 teams for Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson

No. 4 Hunter Dickinson transfer option – Kentucky Wildcats

By his standards, it’s been a quiet offseason for head coach John Calipari when it comes to making a splash. But he’s been out there hard after Dickinson, who would be the veteran and post-presence needed for the young Wildcats next year.

Of course, this depends on whether or not former National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe returns from the NBA Draft process. There’s an argument that can be made that Dickinson is either a better player or a better fit than Tshiebwe for next season’s roster but one thing is clear, Kentucky plans on having a dominant big man at center no matter who.

There are many obvious selling points including potential NIL (if it’s close to what Tshiebwe was reportedly getting) and being part of a nationally recognized program that gets more attention than even Michigan. And if Coach Calipari can turn Tshiebwe into the Player of the Year, what can he do with Dickinson?

The problem here is that it’s not a guarantee that the big man is the focal point of the offense. The Wildcats have four 5-star freshmen joining the team, including a pair of ball-dominant guards (DJ Wagner and Robert Dillingham), a 7’0 big man in Aaron Bradshaw that isn’t a great fit on paper with Dickinson, and a top-5 wing prospect in Justin Edwards that might be the best overall player on the roster.

There are just too many questions about how this will work out that gives Kentucky a lower floor than the other options. But it’s understandable if Dickinson is willing to risk how it’ll come together.