College basketball fans enjoyed an amazing 2023 NCAA Tournament, but it has now come and gone. The UConn Huskies claimed their fifth title in school history, capping off a dominant tournament run with a 76-59 victory over the San Diego State Aztecs in the National Championship Game. Now that we have a champion, the offseason is in full swing.
What most fans will likely be watching in the early part of the offseason is how the transfer portal shakes out. Many star players have already entered the portal, and now that the season is officially over, many more will follow. Of those star players already in the portal, former Michigan star Hunter Dickinson might be the best of them.
Dickinson, a 7-foot-1 center from Virginia, has been the face of Wolverines basketball recently. He has appeared in 94 games over the last three seasons, starting 89 of them, including all 66 in the past two seasons. Despite Michigan's struggles this season, Dickinson still had a great individual campaign, averaging 18.5 points and nine rebounds per game.
With his on-court accomplishments, Dickinson will surely be one of the most sought-after players in the portal. This begs the question; what teams would be the best fit for the star center? Without further ado, here are three of the best transfer portal destinations for Dickinson this offseason.
3. Kentucky Wildcats
In terms of history, few college basketball teams can even come close to Kentucky. The Wildcats are a textbook blue blood, with eight national titles and 17 Final Fours in their storied history. Even if they haven't had the most tournament success lately, the allure of playing for a blue blood is still alive and well in Lexington.
Whether or not Kentucky would even pursue Dickinson likely comes down to what happens with star forward Oscar Tshiebwe. The 2022 National Player of the Year already shockingly spurned the NBA Draft last year to return to Kentucky, and his future for next season is still a mystery. If he decides to return again, then there's not much point in going after Dickinson. If he does decide to go pro, though, then there may just be a Dickinson-sized hole on the roster.
Additionally, Tshiebwe's success could be another enticing factor for transfers, as he wasn't much of an impact player at West Virginia, but became a superstar at Kentucky. John Calipari clearly knows how to get the best out of his players, which has to be attractive for a star transfer like Hunter Dickinson.
2. Illinois Fighting Illini
Dickinson joining Illinois would certainly be a twist, and not just because the Wolverines and Illini are Big Ten foes. Back in 2021, Dickinson had some choice words for Illini fans, which included calling them “pretty annoying.” To then join that team would certainly lead to some awkward moments in retrospect.
However, Illinois has reportedly reached out to Dickinson, per Derek Piper of the Illini Inquirer. Illinois players Coleman Hawkins and Sencire Harris have also posted on Twitter about recruiting Dickinson, so apparently the past is in the past.
Hey hunter ☺️ pic.twitter.com/1P9VNICmps
— Coleman Hawkins (@colehawk23) April 1, 2023
On the court, though, this move actually makes some sense. Dickinson and Hawkins would form a deadly front-court duo, possibly one of the best in the country. Adding a player of Hunter Dickinson's caliber to a team that has made three straight tournament appearances would only help the Illini, and the storylines would write themselves.
1. Georgetown Hoyas
Georgetown undeniably has some great history, but recent years have not been kind to the Hoyas. They have made just one tournament appearance in the last eight seasons, and that came thanks to an out-of-nowhere Big East tournament run in an otherwise poor 2020-21 season. Hoyas legend Patrick Ewing never quite put it together as head coach, and now Ed Cooley is hoping to rebuild the program back to its former glory.
If Cooley wants to start out his Hoyas tenure with a splash, then landing Dickinson is the way to do it. These two actually do have some history, as Cooley tried to recruit Dickinson to his former team in Providence. Dickinson even included Providence in his list of finalists, so they clearly think highly of each other.
Additionally, Dickinson would get the benefit of playing much closer to home. Georgetown's campus in Washington D.C. is less than 10 miles away from Dickinson's hometown of Alexandria, Virginia. The Hoyas are one of, if not the closest power conference team to home, and that might be very enticing.
The Hoyas are obviously much more of a work in progress than other teams, which may be a downside for the 23-year-old Hunter Dickinson. If he decides that isn't a concern, though, then Georgetown may be the perfect fit for him on the transfer portal.
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