“A phenomenal career. Thank you, Hunter Dickinson.” That was the message from the official March Madness account on X after Kansas’ shocking first-round exit from the NCAA Tournament. But for the star center, that message might have stung. This wasn’t the ending he wanted. His college career had just ended in a 79-72 loss to No. 10 seed Arkansas. He struggled, scoring just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting. Kansas, the preseason No. 1 team, had one of the most disappointing seasons in college basketball, and Dickinson’s move to Lawrence hadn’t gone as planned. But did he dwell on it?
The 7-foot-2 center was the first real star of college basketball’s transfer portal era. After three strong years at Michigan, where he averaged 17.2 points and 8.4 rebounds, Dickinson transferred to Kansas with big goals, eyes on the championship. But 2 years later, here he was, saying, “I know it’s my last one, so I’m going to try to leave it all out on the floor, no regrets.” Even if it pricked to know the final results, the 3-time consensus All-American did not show. He directed himself towards something better instead.
Days after the tourney exit, Dickinson was back at the CBS studio, providing commentary for the Texas-Florida Elite Eight preview. It was the continuation of his deal with CBS Sports HQ for a weekly show on ‘all things college basketball.’ And this isn’t his first rodeo, either.
Before announcing this new role in December last year, the Kansas star had garnered some media experience through multiple appearances on the Barstool Roundball Podcast in 2023 and a few others. CBS, however, has given him some real opportunities. He debuted breaking down the UCLA-UNC matchup ahead of the Sports Classic when things were going well for Kansas (8-2). Now, he was back to analyse the postseason.
Looks like Reddit’s favorite player has found a new gig already
byu/Esteblade inCollegeBasketball
However, it was a rare sight for the fans as users made clear on Reddit. It is not uncommon for an athlete to have assumed a broadcasting role early. Aliyah Boston joined the Final Four panel too, one year out of college. But Dickinson hasn’t had a very good reputation among college hoops community, and watching him preview not just Florida-Texas but Auburn-Michigan too, fans were left curious.
This was a man with an uncertain future in the NBA. Yes, he is one of the bigger stars in college, in conversation for Player of the Year after Zach Edey left. But his lack of athleticism and defensive versatility has him down as a second-round pick in the mock drafts; a few others have excluded his name completely. “Some team with a need at backup center might take Dickinson late in the second round. More likely, he will go undrafted,” Sporting News’ Stephen Noh pointed out.
So, if the basketball path doesn’t unfold as desired, would broadcast be the right path for him? What do spectators’ comments suggest?
From the Court to the Mic: Fans React to Hunter Dickinson’s Next Move
To put it plainly, some see him as a natural fit, while others aren’t so sure.
One user wrote: “Part of me thinks he’d make at least a compelling if not good tv personality.” Dickinson was always a loud personality, often making headlines for his comments on podcasts. His appearance on “Rock Chalk Unplugged” last year, however, had some positive reviews about just speaking his mind. No pretense. So it would be an interesting sight.
Another opined, “He’s played in roughly 300 college games so he should know his stuff.” Well, no lie there, a little exaggeration maybe. The Kansas center played a total of 156 games throughout his collegiate career and under the guidance of a coach like Bill Self for 2 years. The Hall-of-Famer even thought it an excellent opportunity to work his offensive ideas around Dickinson. So one could expect some good insights around college basketball, unlike from a few recent analysts.
“Hate him, but he didn’t do bad for his first time, probably could have a career out of this if he chooses to,” came another comment. After breaking down Texas Tech – Arkansas, Dickinson got around to discussing how the Red Raiders could next beat Florida. Dickinson spoke from experience– tactics like 3-point shooting that had worked against his team could be the recipe against Florida’s talent and depth. If you ask the fans on twitter, they’ll take this because Jalen Rose, Steve Lappas, or Stephen A. Smith haven’t been working out for them. Actual insights coming from college basketball is what they are looking for.
However, of course, not everything was positive. Dickinson has built a reputation for being aggressive, pulling his team’s performance down, or at times making disagreeable comments. After 5 years of college basketball, users point out they have had enough of him. “Read the f—ing room CBS get this bum off our screens,” wrote one of them.
“GET A REAL JOB,” another exclaimed. If his NBA journey does turn out to be true to the predictions, Dickinson could consider playing overseas. Otherwise, as one of the users wrote, as much as they hate to admit, the Kansas star did fare well through his new stint.
The post Hunter Dickinson Instantly Shifts to His Alternative Career After Kansas’ Exit as College Basketball Jury Give Their Verdict appeared first on EssentiallySports.
