This story appears in SLAM Issue 240. Published on October 26, 2022 at slamonline.com.
Wherever there’s a hoop, you’ll find find Gradey Dick.
“My dad instilled that in me at a young age. If I haven’t found a place, he’s probably already found five,” he tells SLAM with a laugh.
As one of the newest faces on the Kansas Jayhawks roster, Dick has been residing in Lawrence, KS, since mid-May and joins our Friday morning Zoom call from the stairwell of the Forrest and Sally Hoglund Practice Facility. Not a hint of fatigue can be found in his voice despite the team having just wrapped up their morning conditioning workout. After our call, he’ll run to get changed for a 9 a.m. practice, a hint at a schedule rife with constant movement and few breaks. If you’re privy to Kansas’ style of play, you know it’s fitting. Cutting, screening away, initiating dribble-handoffs, there’s never a stagnant body on the court.
“It’s a lot of stuff you gotta actually be in shape for from day one,” Gradey says.
Over the dog days of summer, the 18-year-old’s typical schedule on The Hill consisted of an hour and a half of lift followed by practice, then immediately transitioning to getting his allotted amount of makes for the day.
But, Gradey’s father, Bart, adds over Zoom: “I think Monday morning got real.” (READ THE FULL STORY HERE.)