Kansas Jayhawks Basketball

Kansas Jayhawks big man transfer Hunter Dickinson has made it no secret that he's fully embracing his new team's position at the No. 1 spot in the Associated Press' men's basketball preseason poll.

"I like it. I like people knowing it because I want them to know we're better than them," the senior told ESPN's Myron Medcalf during Big 12 media day on Wednesday. "And they're coming in here to try to upset us."

The 7'2" Dickinson is a fantastic addition for the Jayhawks from Michigan, where he just averaged 18.5 points on 56.0 percent shooting and 9.0 rebounds per game. Dickinson also made 42.1 percent of his three-pointers.

Last year's KU team earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament but fell short to No. 8 Arkansas in the second round. This year's squad returns their assist and steals leader (Dajuan Harris Jr.) and their second-leading rebounder (Kevin McCullar Jr.). McCullar, K.J. Adams Jr. and Harris were also the third, fourth and fifth-leading scorers on the team.

Adding Dickinson to the mix certainly makes KU a national championship contender once again, although it won't be easy to win it all with some formidable foes such as Duke, UConn and Houston lurking, among others.

For now, though, it seems Dickinson's confidence is warranted given Kansas' stacked roster. The Jayhawks are also bringing in four 4-star recruits, including Elmarko Jackson, ranked 20th on 247Sports' list of the best class of 2023 players.

KU will kick the season off on Nov. 6 versus North Carolina Central.

Two decades into his career as the head basketball coach at the University of Kansas, Bill Self has had an opportunity to coach a number of elite-level players, including several lottery picks.

However, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer believes that Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson may be among the best of the bunch, telling ESPN's Myron Medcalf that the seven-footer is "the best offensive big man I've ever had."

Dickinson, 22, is joining the Jayhawks after spending the first three seasons of his collegiate career in Ann Arbor, where he quickly became one of the Wolverines' best players. He was twice named a First-Team All-Big 10 selection and also made the All-Defensive team in 2022.

During his final season with Michigan, he averaged 18.5 points per game to go along with nine rebounds on a career-high 42.1 percent shooting from three-point range.

Despite all those accolades, Self's statement still comes as a bit of a shock considering that he coached reigning NBA MVP and former No. 3 overall pick Joel Embiid during the 2013-14 season.

In his lone season with the Jayhawks, Embiid averaged 11.2 points per game to go along with 8.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 2.6 blocks in 23.1 minutes per game. He was named Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Second-team All-Big 12.

Unfortunately, a stress fracture in his back cut his lone collegiate season short and Embiid wasn't able to play in the Big 12 or NCAA Tournament.

So, Dickinson will have plenty to live up to as he attempts to lead Kansas back to another national title.

The final ruling stemming from the FBI's probe into college basketball was handed down, and the Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball team avoided significant penalties.

Pat Forde of Sports Illustrated reported the NCAA's Independent Accountability Review Process (IARP) announced its decision regarding the investigation into the Jayhawks on Wednesday, and there will be no postseason ban for the team or a show-cause penalty for head coach Bill Self.

The IARP downgraded five Level I allegations—which are the most significant—and decided this was a Level II case. Self was charged with a Level III violation and given no additional penalties after he was suspended four games during the 2022-23 campaign, while assistant coach Kurtis Townsend was given no additional penalties beyond his four-game suspension from last season, either.

Kansas didn't escape without any discipline, though, as it was given a three-year probation penalty.

What's more, its 2017-18 wins and Final Four appearance will be vacated:

Forde noted the IARP will now be shuttered, meaning Wednesday's ruling was its last. It was also the final pending investigation from the federal investigation of college basketball corruption, and only Oklahoma State was given a postseason ban of the schools under scrutiny.

Notably, Oklahoma State's case used standard NCAA proceedings and not the IARP.

This is a welcome development for Kansas, as it was initially charged with five Level I violations that included lack of institutional control. A postseason ban for the team as a whole and show-cause penalty for Self was seemingly on the table given the severity of the violations, but the Jayhawks can now move forward without having to worry about those possibilities.

Forde explained there were allegations that Adidas representatives funneled money to recruits in an effort to convince them to attend Kansas. Self and Townsend were also allegedly aware of such impermissible offers from Adidas representatives.

Yet Wednesday's ruling means arguably the top team in the country for the upcoming 2023-24 campaign can chase its second national championship in three years.

Kansas is No. 1 in early Top 25 rankings on both ESPN and CBS Sports thanks in large part to the addition of former Michigan All-American Hunter Dickinson to an already loaded roster. Losing the chance to reach and compete in the NCAA men's tournament for the upcoming season would have been quite the blow for the Jayhawks.

This ruling will likely also help with recruiting, as incoming players no longer have to worry about the possibility that they might miss out on the Big Dance if they choose Kansas because of the pending ruling.

While the Jayhawks were placed on probation, they are likely relieved about the overall news.

The University of Kansas dismissed guard Arterio Morris from its basketball program Friday after he was arrested on a rape charge.

According to Shreyas Laddha of the Kansas City Star, Morris was arrested Friday in Douglas County, Texas. He was charged with one count of rape and had his bond set at $75,000.

Kansas head basketball coach Bill Self announced Morris' dismissal in a statement, saying:

"When we learned of allegations regarding Arterio Morris, he was suspended from the Kansas men's basketball program. We are now aware he has been arrested and charged, and he was dismissed from the program. As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further at this time."

Kansas announced Morris' suspension in mid-September amid an investigation by University of Kansas police into an allegation that he sexually assaulted a woman at an on-campus dorm last month.

Per ESPN's Myron Medcalf, Morris agreed to a plea deal in a separate case earlier this month. Morris was arrested last year after an ex-girlfriend said he assaulted her, and he was charged with misdemeanor assault.

By agreeing to a plea deal, Medcalf avoided having to go to trial in October.

Morris spent his freshman season in 2022-23 with the Texas Longhorns, averaging 4.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 11.7 minutes per game while shooting 41.1 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from beyond the arc.

Born in Memphis, Tennessee, and raised in Dallas during his teenage years, Morris was a 5-star recruit coming out of high school, per 247Sports' composite rankings. He was ranked as the No. 1 point guard and No. 16 overall player in his recruiting class.

Morris was part of a strong transfer group for the Jayhawks, who also landed former Michigan star center Hunter Dickinson on the heels of him averaging 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds per game last season.

Thanks largely to the arrival of Dickinson, Kansas is widely regarded as the No. 1 team in the nation entering the 2023-24 campaign.

The Kansas men's basketball program has suspended Arterio Morris amid an investigation into a rape accusation that was reported to the university's police department, according to Shreyas Laddha of the Kansas City Star.

A Kansas athletics official told Laddha that while Morris was not named in the incident report, he "has been suspended from the program and we have no further comment."

The alleged incident took place on Aug. 26 at Kansas' McCarthy Hall, which houses the men's basketball players, among other male residents, and was reported the next day, according to the incident report.

Morris has not been arrested and a warrant hasn't been issued for his arrest.

"At this time, this case has not been presented to our office for charging consideration," the Douglas County District Attorney's office told Laddha.

Jayhawks men's basketball players Johnny Furphy and Elmarko Jackson were listed on the incident report as witnesses and Nick Timberlake is listed under "other." None of the players listed were involved in the alleged incident and are not under investigation, according to Laddha.

Morris transferred to Kansas this year after one season at Texas.

During his time at Texas, Morris received a misdemeanor assault charge for an alleged confrontation with an ex-girlfriend in June 2022. He was not suspended from the Texas men's basketball program and played the entire year, averaging 4.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 38 games while shooting 41.1 percent from the floor and 33.3 percent from deep.

Kansas men's basketball head coach Bill Self released a statement regarding the incident when he announced the transfer of Morris in May:

We are aware of the charge that Arterio is facing in the State of Texas. In addition to working with our athletic department and campus administrators, we have also spoken at length with Arterio, his family, his former institution's University Student Affairs office and his former institution's Department of Athletics Compliance and Administration.

"Based on these discussions, we are comfortable welcoming Arterio to the University of Kansas and he is well aware of the high standards and expectations that come with being a member of the Kansas Men's Basketball program. We fully expect him to meet those daily.

The victim of the June 2022 incident filed an affidavit of non-prosecution in June of this year, requesting that charges be dismissed, but Denton County District Attorney's Office said it would continue to pursue charges.

The Kansas Jayhawks have made a splash for the Class of 2024.

Flory Bidunga, a five-star recruit and No. 1 center in the Class of 2024 announced that he had committed to play for the Jayhawks.

Bidunga has 16 offers, including schools like Auburn, Michigan and Arizona State, and had made visits to Auburn, Duke and Kansas. He is the Jayhawks first commit of the 2024 cycle.

Bidunga stands at 6'8" and weighs 215 pounds and hails from Kokomo, Indiana. He was named the 2022-23 Indiana Gatorade Player of the Year after averaging 19.8 points, 13.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

He arrived in Kokomo before his sophomore year after growing up in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In just two seasons, he has already eclipsed the 1,000 point mark and holds the state records for single game dunks (11) and consecutive made field goals (32).

His commitment immediately puts the Jayhawks into the Top 20 for recruiting classes in 2024 and they are the only team in the Top 20 with just a single commit on the list. The Jayhawks did not have a center commit out of high school in the Class of 2023 but did snag Michigan's Hunter Dickinson in the transfer portal.

Bidunga was originally expected to be heading to Duke, but the reclassification of Cooper Flagg complicates this. Auburn appeared to be his next target but instead he is heading to Lawrence where he will look to help guide Bill Self's Jayhawks to another NCAA Championship.

Hunter Dickinson's journey to Kansas after transferring from the University of Michigan wasn't strictly about maximizing his name, image and likeness earnings.

Speaking to ESPN's Dan Murphy, Dickinson explained the Jayhawks weren't the "highest bidder" and that other programs said he'd be able to earn more NIL money when he was trying to find a new school.

Dickinson was a surprise entrant into the transfer portal after a successful three-year stint at Michigan. He explained on the Roundball Podcast in May his decision to leave the Wolverines was a selfish one.

"It took a lot of courage," Dickinson said (h/t The Athletic's Austin Meek). "I did have a legacy there, and I basically gave that up to try to be selfish and do what's best for me and my career and not what's best for anybody else's career."

Dickinson also noted he earned "less than six figures" during the 2022-23 season at Michigan, and he expects to earn more than that at Kansas.

Meek noted in February that Michigan was behind other major athletic programs across the country in the NIL race because it didn't launch major collectives that would be able to provide financial support to athletes until the summer of 2022.

According to Meek, one proposed nonprofit foundation that "sought to raise $250 million by targeting the football program's wealthiest boosters" never got off the ground.

While that proposed nonprofit was aimed more at the football program, the basketball program has started to fall behind.

Per 247Sports composite rankings, the Wolverines' incoming class for 2023-24 ranks fourth in the Big Ten with five total commits, including four 4-star prospects.

Michigan has gone 37-31 over the past two seasons and missed the NCAA tournament in 2022-23. Head coach Juwan Howard led the program to the Elite Eight and Sweet 16 in back-to-back years in 2020-21 and 2021-22.

Dickinson led the Wolverines in scoring and rebounding in each of the past three seasons. He will join a Kansas squad that has the fourth-best incoming freshman class in the country, led by 5-star small forward Gradey Dick.

The University of Michigan might need to step up its NIL game.

Hunter Dickinson, an All-American star with the Wolverines basketball team, suggested a lack of NIL money played a factor in his decision to transfer from Michigan to Kansas.

"The people hating on me would leave their job right now for a $10,000 increase," Dickinson said on his podcast. "I got, at Michigan, less than six figures. I got less than six figures at Michigan for the year."

Dickinson did not indicate how much money he'll make in NIL deals at Kansas, but one could easily presume it's well into six figures. Matt Jones of Kentucky Sports Radio reported Dickinson was prioritizing guaranteed NIL money as he negotiated terms of his transfer.

Kentucky reportedly refused to budge on offering guaranteed money, leading to Dickinson's transfer to Kansas.

"I think this is the best place for me," Dickinson said of Kansas. "It checks all the boxes. Worst-case scenario, it still works out fine for me [at Kansas]."

Dickinson averaged 18.5 points and 9.0 rebounds last season, earning first-team All-Big Ten honors for the second time.

Michigan losing him is a major blow for a program that has struggled to make a consistent impact under Juwan Howard.

Sometimes the rich get richer in men's college basketball.

That is exactly what happened for the Kansas Jayhawks on Thursday when Michigan transfer Hunter Dickinson announced he will join the Big 12 program:

Dickinson, who was 247Sports' top-ranked player in the transfer portal, spent the last three seasons with the Wolverines and established himself as one of the best low-post presences in college basketball. He'll bring that interior dominance to one of the sport's blueblood programs in pursuit of a championship.

The big man's resume at Michigan included a Big Ten Freshman of the Year award, three All-Big Ten honors and a consensus second-team All-America selection. He was a consistent double-double threat and helped the Wolverines win the Big Ten regular-season title in 2020-21.

Dickinson averaged 18.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game while shooting 56 percent last season.

He comes to Kansas with NCAA tournament experience and as someone who won a major conference title, so he is accustomed to playing in the bright spotlight the program offers. He is also a veteran who can be a leader for a team with high expectations.

Jayhawks head coach Bill Self did excellent work in the transfer portal this offseason with the additions of Nicolas Timberlake from Towson and Arterio Morris from Texas even before Dickinson.

Already expected to be in the Top 10 of the 2023-24 rankings, Kansas has a new go-to option down low who can battle with the frontcourts of Houston, Baylor, West Virginia and others in what should again be a deep Big 12.

Anything less than a conference crown and deep run in March will be a disappointment.

Bill Self has put any speculation about his future as the head coach of the Kansas Jayhawks to rest.

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Self said he is "100 percent positive" he will be back for the "upcoming season at the University of Kansas and hopefully many beyond that."

Self didn't coach in the Big 12 tournament after undergoing a procedure to treat blocked arteries in his heart. He also missed both of Kansas' NCAA tournament games, and the Jayhawks ultimately lost to Arkansas in the second round.

Self released a statement on March 9, after his procedure, saying he was "very grateful for the overwhelming number of well wishes my family and I have received" and "excited to get back with my team in the very near future."

The school announced on March 12 that Self had been discharged from the hospital.

Speculation about Self's future with the Jayhawks picked up earlier this week when the university announced the coach would be holding a press conference on Wednesday that would be livestreamed on the school's athletics website.

"I missed my job," he told reporters at the press conference. "I love my job. And I want to do my job for as long as possible. I feel good about where I'm at."

Norm Roberts, who has been an assistant at Kansas since 2012, served as acting head coach for the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments with Self unavailable.

The Jayhawks had another stellar season under Self, despite their early tournament exit. They won 16 of their first 17 games, finished 28-8 overall and earned a No. 1 seed for the second successive year.

Self just finished his 20th season at Kansas. He ranks second in school history with 580 career wins and has won two national titles. The 60-year-old has a 787-237 career record in 30 years as a head coach.