Gradey Dick's Draft Stock Surges Among Fans as Kansas Tops Howard in NCAA Tournament

The Kansas Jayhawks are five wins away from cutting down the nets as national champions for the second straight year.

No. 1 Kansas took its initial step in the 2023 NCAA men's basketball tournament on Thursday with a 96-68 victory over No. 16 Howard in the first round in the West Region. The Big 12 representatives were without head coach Bill Self as he recovers from a heart procedure but still avoided becoming the second No. 1 seed to lose to a No. 16 seed in Big Dance history.

The Jayhawks used a balanced attack to handle the underdogs, but it was Gradey Dick who led the way when the game was still hanging in the balance.

Dick finished with a double-double of 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and three steals behind 7-of-13 shooting from the field and 3-of-5 from downtown. The freshman drew plenty of praise on social media in the process:

It was anything but easy out of the gates for the Jayhawks, as the Bison took the lead on an Ose Okojie basket with fewer than seven minutes remaining in the first half. It seemed like the top seed was playing tight with all the pressure on its shoulders.

And then it didn't.

Kansas controlled the rest of the first half to build a double-digit advantage by intermission with Jalen Wilson (20 points and seven rebounds) finding his spots, Dick hitting from the outside, Dajuan Harris Jr. facilitating and Kevin McCullar Jr. doing a little bit of everything.

It was the type of balanced firepower Howard couldn't match, especially after falling further behind as the game progressed into the second half.

All five Jayhawks starters fittingly reached double digits, Dick continued to crash the glass while leading the way on offense for extended stretches and the game was never in doubt. It was the exact type of performance a No. 1 seed is looking for in the first round and did nothing to put doubt into its championship hopes and expectations.

Things will become more challenging for the Jayhawks in the second round on Saturday when they face the winner of the game between No. 8 Arkansas and No. 9 Illinois.

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