Former Kansas Jayhawks guard and current Toronto Raptors NBA player Gradey Dick has paid close attention to this season’s KU basketball squad.
KU’s 2024-25 campaign hasn’t exactly gone to plan, of course, and Dick knows it’s been a difficult season in Lawrence. Ranked No. 1 nationally in the preesason, the Jayhawks have not met anyone’s expectations—including his.
Still, as the No. 7-seeded Jayhawks (21-12) prepare for Thursday’s first-round NCAA Tournament matchup against No. 10 Arkansas (20-13) in Providence, Rhode Island, Dick still believes in Kansas.
“Obviously, it’s been a tough season through these games, but it’s March Madness,” the Wichita native told The Star. “Anything can change in the blink of an eye, but at the end of the day, it’s the Kansas Jayhawks. I mean, we’re used to that. We’re used to kind of being at this platform. We’re not really used to losing like this, but at the same time, it’s going to show in their character (in) how they bounce back.
“Crazy stuff happens around this time. It just takes a couple of games being put together to really just change how everyone thinks of this season.”
Another former KU guard and current teammate of Dick’s, Kansas City native Ochai Agbaji, also shared his take on this season’s Jayhawks team. Agbaji was part of the KU squad that won the 2022 national championship.
He believes it all starts with the Jayhawks beating Arkansas on Thursday. Do that and build from there.
“There’s been struggles this year, but I feel like I’ve been on a team where we struggled and not lived up to the expectations of Kansas necessarily — I kind of know how that feels,” Agbaji said. “I feel for what they are going through and where they are at right now, but at the same time, I know they are just trying to win (and) succeed in the tournament.
“That’s where their eyes are. When you are at Kansas, you are really in the present moment. Can’t really think too far ahead. It’s about keeping that mindset.”
The Jayhawks have an 8-6 all-time record against Arkansas, including a 1-1 mark in NCAA Tournament showdowns. The Razorbacks won the most recent postseason matchup, 72-71, in the second round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
Dick, a one-and-done college player at Kansas, was part of that 2023 squad, as were a couple of current Jayhawks: Dajuan Harris, KJ Adams and Zach Clemence.
When Dick looks back on that loss, he touches on Agbaji’s point about the importance of staying in the moment.
“When I think about it, it was just so quick,” Dick said. “It’s funny thinking about how fast seasons go now (in the NBA) because of how many games we play. And in college, if you win or lose, you got a whole week to think about what happens. … In college, it feels like a really long season and then you get to that time in March. I feel like the losses are super abrupt and then it (ends) just like that.”
If the Jayhawks beat Arkansas, KU will likely be an underdog the rest of the way.
Agbaji had a piece of advice for Kansas players seeking the glory he once achieved.
“Going in, it’s obviously tough,” he said. “You don’t know what teams you are going to be playing and there’s a lot of uncertainty.
“Living in the present moment, working hard everyday and just showing up trying to get better will help with that.”