Kansas Jayhawks guard Gradey Dick declares for NBA Draft

LAWRENCE, KANSAS – DECEMBER 22: Gradey Dick #4 of the Kansas Jayhawks celebrates a basket against the Harvard Crimson in the second half at Allen Fieldhouse on December 22, 2022 in Lawrence, Kansas. (Photo by Ed Zurga/Getty Images)

by: Heidi Schmidt

Posted: Mar 31, 2023 / 03:16 PM CDT

Updated: Mar 31, 2023 / 03:16 PM CDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas freshman guard Gradey Dick declared for the NBA Draft.

He made the announcement during a live appearance on ESPN’s NBA Today.

“I’m excited to announce that I’ll be declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft,” Dick said on the show.

Before announcing his decision, Dick had a special message for his close friends and the other people who have been with him during high school and his single season at the University of Kansas.

“My family and God. my three siblings, Brodey, Kelsey, and Riley. My mom and my dad been with me every step of the way and really made me the person I am today and the player I am today. With God anything’s possible. My goal is to just glorify him in everything I do,” Dick said.

Gradey Dick declares for the NBA Draft on ESPN’s NBA Today #kubball
— Harold R. Kuntz (@HaroldRKuntz3) March 31, 2023

He also had a message for fans of the Jayhawks who supported him from Allen Fieldhouse to the NCAA Tournament.

“As a kid from Kansas, I have fulfilled my goal of praying at my dream college. I cannot thank Jayhawk Nation enough for the love and support you have shown to me and my family. I will always have Kansas in my heart but I now have to chase the ultimate dream that I have had since I first started playing ball,” Dick said in a statement on social media.

Dick came to Kansas as a five-star recruit and ranked as number14 in ESPN’s top 100.

During his one season in a Jayhawk’s uniform, Dick averaged 14.1 points per game and hit 83 3-pointers. He also recorded his first double-double as a Jayhawk in the NCAA Tournament game against Howard. It was the first double-double by a Kansas freshman in the NCAA Tournament since Josh Jackson scored 10 points and grabbed 12 rebounds against Oregon in 2017.