Ranking the Contenders: Four-star Gradey Dick
The No. 33 player in the class of 2022, Gradey Dick has cut his list to include just eight programs and plans to announce his commitment on March 3. Officially, the four-star forward’s final eight consists of Kansas, Baylor, Illinois, Purdue, Florida, Alabama, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
Not every program on that list has a real shot, however, so Rivals.com has cut through the noise and ranked the real contenders to land his National Letter of Intent.
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2021 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2022 Rankings: Rivals150 | Team | Position
2023 Rankings: Top 30
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1. KANSAS
The Jayhawks have been seen as the front-runner for some time and still remain in the top spot despite a looming NCAA investigation. In a year where visits are at a premium, the fact that Dick has attended multiple games at Allen Fieldhouse is important to note. The four-star prospect feels comfortable in Lawrence and the allure of the home state school is strong.
Add in the fact that Dick has had multiple siblings attend Kansas, and it’s easy to see why the Sunrise Christian star has long been high on Jayhawks. In a recent interview, Dick acknowledged and laughed off a question about everyone assuming he’d land in Lawrence. Sometimes widespread perceptions take hold for a reason, however, and that seems to be the case here.
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2. ILLINOIS
Dick has a solid relationship with head coach Brad Underwood, and the Illini seem to be the hard-charging team down the stretch. Whether or not Underwood and company have done enough to beat out Kansas is unclear, however.
Assistant coach Stephen Gentry is handling Illinois' pursuit of the 6-foot-7 forward, who has long noted that he likes the way the Illini play in transition and thinks he’d fit in well with the style of play in Champaign. The fact that he is yet to visit makes knocking off Kansas a tall task.
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3. BAYLOR
Dick probably won’t sign with Baylor, but the Bears have to be placed high on this list based on the fact that they got the four-star wing on campus before the pandemic took hold. The fact that Baylor is amid a dominant season and seems to have multi-year staying power in the national conversation also adds to allure.
KU is the clear favorite, sure, but it’s easy to see how choosing Scott Drew’s juggernaut would be tempting.
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4. OKLAHOMA STATE
The Pokes are a somewhat feasible option, but the fact that they never got him on campus might be damning in the end. Dick has noted his relationship with OSU assistant Erik Pastrana in recent interviews and also likes to discuss the way Cade Cunningham has thrived in Stillwater. In a normal year, Oklahoma State might have been able to sway Dick with an official visit. This, however, is no normal year.
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5. PURDUE
Dick’s brother works in the area and has ties to West Lafayette. How much that matters is debatable, but the Kansas-based star has long been interested in the program. Head coach Matt Painter has personally recruited Dick, which seems to have made an impact in the process. Dick choosing Purdue would be a shock, but it felt prudent to include the Boilermakers on this list nevertheless.