Bill Self ‘without hesitation’ lists Gradey Dick as one of top freshmen to play at KU

With his Kansas basketball team coming off a loss, Bill Self obviously had plenty of correctable mistakes to discuss at practice Thursday — the Jayhawks’ first since Tuesday’s 83-82 overtime setback at Kansas State.

Self, KU’s 20th-year coach, didn’t dwell on the negative during his squad’s time on the court. The proof of that was something he relayed to his Jayhawk players regarding freshman guard Gradey Dick.

“I will tell you this without hesitation, and I told our team this today, there have only been two players that I am aware of off the top of my head that have had a freshman year that challenges Gradey’s,” Self said on Thursday night’s Hawk Talk radio show.

“Obviously Wiggs (Andrew Wiggins) and Ben McLemore. You could maybe put Josh in the category with him as well,” Self added of Josh Jackson, who scored 572 points (16.3 average) in 2016-17, his one-and-done season at KU.

Wiggins scored 597 points (17.1 per game) during his one-and-done college season in 2013-14. That’s the most points by a freshman in KU history. McLemore had 589 points (15.9 average) in 2012-13. Danny Manning, the leading scorer in KU history, had 496 points (14.6 average) his freshman season in 1984-85.

Dick, a 6-foot-8, 205-pound native of Wichita who attended Sunrise Christian Academy, has scored 265 points (14.7 average) in 18 games. If the 2022-23 Jayhawks played three games in the Big 12 tournament and six in the NCAAs, there could be as many as 22 games remaining. If Dick averaged 15.0 points per game in that scenario, he’d finish the season with 595 points, challenging Wiggins’ 597.

“Josh also had two other first-team All-Americans on the team to take pressure off him with Devonté (Graham) and Frank (Mason),” Self noted. “This dude (Dick) is having an unbelievable freshman year. He’s having an unbelievable year. It makes it more special that he’s a freshman.

“He’s learning every day,” Self continued. “It’s not easy. Jalen (Wilson, 20.8 points per game average to Dick’s 14.7) takes a lot of the brunt of the blows on the road from a verbal standpoint. Gradey probably takes as much or more than anybody. Jalen … he loves it. I think Gradey loves it, too. He holds his ground. He’s been terrific this year.”

Dick scored 16 points on 4-for-13 shooting (1-for-8 from three; 7-for-8 from the line) and grabbed seven rebounds with four steals in the loss at K-State.

“Even not making shots, I mean rebounds in traffic, keeping balls alive, competing, he’s getting more and more adept learning how to win,” Self said of Dick, who has been face guarded by opposing players determined to prevent him from getting the ball.

“He’s been absolutely a gem to coach, terrific,” Self stated.

Dick — he accompanied Self to be a guest on the Hawk Talk radio show — said he is having “a blast. This is my dream as a kid growing up in Kansas, coming to a school like Kansas (with) shoes I’ve wanted to try to fill. Hopefully I’m going toward that.”

Former Jayhawks to attend upcoming game

Self said he thoroughly enjoyed last weekend’s 125 Years of KU Basketball banquet at the Burge Union on KU’s campus.

There will be an unofficial reunion of sorts for KU’s home game against Baylor on Feb. 18.

“I wish we could have had more,” Self said of last weekend, when about 200 former KU players, coaches and managers were honored at halftime of the KU-Iowa State game. “It’s a hard time to come for a lot of people. We’ll have probably as many of my guys who played in the time I’ve been here for the Baylor game. It’s All-Star weekend (in the NBA where Ochai Agbaji, Udoka Azubuike, Christian Braun, Devon Dotson, Joel Embiid, Devonté Graham, Marcus and Markieff Morris, Svi Mykhailiuk, Kelly Oubre and Wiggins are playing).

“Those guys and their buddies will come back for that one,” Self added, not naming specific names of players who for sure will be back in town. “I wish I could see everybody out on the court.

“That had to be kind of cool seeing everybody out there together. Nobody (in the stands) cared what teams they played for, They cared they played for Kansas.”

Rob Thomson coming to TCU game

Philadelphia Phillies manager Rob Thomson, a former KU catcher whose Phils advanced to the 2022 World Series as the National League representative, will be introduced at Saturday’s game against TCU (noon, Allen Fieldhouse). Thomson was a catcher at KU from 1983-85 and posted the best hitting season in program history in 1984 (.443 batting average).

“He has grinded his way through professional baseball for a really long time,” KU coach Dan Fitzgerald said recently to KUathletics.com “He really epitomizes what a Jayhawk is — a big-time, blue-collar grinder. To play for the ultimate prize in baseball in the World Series is pretty special.”

Thomson was named the interim manager for the Phillies on June 3, 2022, following the dismissal of Joe Girardi. Thomson had the interim tag removed on Oct. 10 and was given a two-year contract extension. He took over the Phillies with a 22-29 record and led the Phillies to an 87-75 regular-season record and a trip to the postseason. Philadelphia lost to the Astros 4-2 in the World Series.