$847,000 NIL-valued Hunter Dickinson backs Buffalo Bills' bold message on IG: LOOK

Kansas' Hunter Dickinson led the No. 4 Jayhawks to a 64-61 win over the Baylor Bears, extending their unbeaten home run to 18 games at Allen Fieldhouse.

Away from the court, when Patrick Mahomes led the Kansas City Chiefs to victory in Super Bowl 58, the $847,000 NIL-valued Dickinson reposted a defiant post from the NFL's Buffalo Bills, saying that the 2024 season had begun.

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Dickinson scored 15 points, seven rebounds and two assists to help the Jayhawks win after coming off an unexpected overtime 75-70 loss to the unranked Kansas State Wildcats last week.

Why did Hunter Dickinson choose Kansas?

As one of the Big Ten's most dominant players and Michigan's best prospect, it was a huge surprise for fans when Hunter Dickinson entered the transfer portal last year.

He had offers from several programs, including Villanova, Maryland, Kansas and Kentucky. During an interview on Barstool's "Roundball Podcast," he explained the criteria he used to choose the right program to join.

Dickinson's attraction to Kentucky was due to their head coach, John Calipari and a possible future in the NBA.

"I was close to going to every one of the four schools," Dickinson said. "After every visit I was like, 'Yeah, this is where I want to go' ... I was like, 'Damn, I really could go to Kentucky,' from a standpoint it would be a really big risk, but [coach John Calipari] has a really good record of getting guys to the NBA."

He highlighted the familial ties and enthusiasm of Villanova and Maryland as enticing factors during their recruitment pitches.

"Then I was like, 'On the other hand, Maryland, it's home, I could have a hometown legacy. That head coach who's there, I really like [coach Kevin Willard], Jahmir [Young]'s there. I always wanted to go to Maryland," he said.

"Villanova, I was like, 'They have everything I want to do from a playing perspective.' Justin [Moore] being there, I liked the coaching staff, it felt like a real family. Everybody from there was hitting me up. That's why it took so long and was such a hard decision. I really felt like I could have gone anywhere."

Hunter Dickinson dispelled the speculation that has surrounded his move to the Jayhawks to play for coach Bill Self putting it down to purely NIL money.

"If I wanted to just go to the highest bidder," he said, "then it wouldn't be Kansas."

If the Kansas Jayhawks end up winning another national championship under coach Bill Self with Hunter Dickinson leading the charge, the talented center's choice will be vindicated.