Hunter Dickinson has put on a stellar show for Kansas Jayhawks this season. Much of his marvellous court displays are being attributed to his remarkable roots. He’s one of those next generation of college superstars thriving on the rich family sports legacy. And that’s why pundits pat his parents for grooming the gem of the game.

Dickinson has been performing with super stats. While coaching remains one of the factors behind his basketball brand, his family is equally part of the performance. They’ve shaped an athlete who’s not only playing with style but also takes the onus of his team and helps them win matches.

Who are Hunter’s parents?

Hunter was born to Kathy Ryan and Tim Dickinson. Ryan was a multi-sport athlete at the Immaculata Academy. She played volleyball at the Niagara University whereas Hunter’s father was no less of an athlete. Tim used to ply his trade as a baseball player at Hilbert and Buffalo State. He completed his education at the Frontier. 

Dickinson attended a school in Maryland but was born in Alexandria, Virginia. His family’s roots in Alexandria date back to 1987. He was raised along with his brothers Ben and Grant. Dickinson’s father is a former police captain and now uses his knowledge to teach criminal justice at the Northern Virginia Community College. Kathy and Tim’s support to Hunter both in his education and on the court in sports just demonstrates the high regard the family has for exceptional results in both spheres.

Meanwhile, Kathy not only pursued volleyball but was good at it. She played for Niagara University from 1984-85 and was then on the Erie Community College’s nationally ranked team. Hunter’s father on the other hand was an avid baseballer. He put his athletic prowess on hold to start a career in law enforcement. 

Apart from his parents, there are many other sportspersons in Hunter’s family. His father’s cousin and Hunter’s uncle Matt Jarowski used to play football at Colgate and also made his mark in the NFL with the Indianapolis Colts.

Tim’s son Jason Sullivan on the other hand took forward the family’s legacy in the student department. He works as a teacher at the Buffalo Academy of Science Charter School and similarly, Kathy’s brother Phil Ryan proved his mettle in the athletic department. He is a strength coach at the UB and also manages Clark Hall on the South campus.

A Father in Coach

It’s the sports culture that has propelled Dickinson to become one of the major names in the college basketball circuit. Apart from his family, Dickinson has also developed cordial relations in his professional field. As per the Field of 68 interviews, Dickinson had stated that he found “another dad” in Howard. And as per his own admission, it was very difficult to leave Michigan Wolverines for Kansas Jayhawks. Dickinson played for three years for Wolverines before joining Jayhawks.

Going by Jayhawks’ current performance as well as when analyzing their previous seasons, there is no doubt that Dickinson’s hope for getting the glory might had better chances with his new team. Nonetheless, Dickinson was so attached to Howard that he expressed his difficulty in facing Howard and divulging that he wanted to play for a different team. 

Dickinson is also close to his dad. As per Yahoo Sports, it was Tim who had reminded Hunter that he was reaching 2000 points in his college basketball career. Dickinson had accomplished the milestone against Oklahoma State. With such good relations and stupendous abilities, it is sure that Dickinson will be the go-to man for his team. And his family will also be there to support him in his endeavors.

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Meanwhile, there is no denying that Howard will be keen to see Dickinson battle out against the best players of his generation and defeat them to take his squad to a dominant position. Dickinson’s early career with Howard was what has shaped him immensely well as a player. Going forward he will be looking to go ahead with his on-song performances. 

Dickinson’s performances

Dickinson’s years at Wolverines were no less. He smashed 14.1 points per game during his freshman year with them along with 7.4 rebounds per contest. The same was the case during his second year when the 23-year-old smoked 18.6 points per contest along with 8.6 rebounds per match. In his third year too, Dickinson was on his toes as he helps his team with astounding contributions of 18.5 points per game and 9 rebounds per outing. It has been a similar case for Dickinson during his fourth year as he has dropped 18 points per match with 10.8 rebounds per game. Therefore, Dickinson averages a double-double in these games. 

It is this fervor and excitement that has helped Dickinson reach the stage in which he is in, and going forward it wouldn’t be wrong to say that he might also be a contender to the Purdue Boilermakers’ centre Zach Edey in his NPOY awards. 

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Hopefully, for his fans, Dickinson will be able to win all the games that he has been aiming for, and with it script history for Jayhawks as they register their name in the Champions list once again. As for his parents, there would be no better feat than to see their son excelling at something he loves most.