In my previous article on the Big 12 Conference, I discussed how the absorption of the American Athletic Conference and BYU would only add to the existing talent that the Big 12 had before (Houston #2 in this past Monday's poll and BYU #25). Here are some players who have transferred into the conference this past offseason and have already made splashes on their new team.
#1: Hunter Dickinson
The transfer portal world exploded over the offseason when word came out that the 7-foot-2 former Michigan star was leaving Ann Arbor for the University of Kansas. The senior from Alexandria, Virginia, had two top-tier seasons for the Wolverines. He averaged 18.6 points per game and 8.6 rebounds per game in his sophomore season and 18.5 points and 9 rebounds in his junior season. Those numbers have translated quite well into the gritty and competitive Big 12, as he is putting up 18.2 points per game and an astounding 11 rebounds per game in a Jayhawk uniform.
Other than being a dangerous low post presence, Dickinson can also hit from long range, as he hit 42% of his threes last year and 33% this year. In last weekend's game against the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Dickinson put up 20 points and 16 rebounds (56% from the field) to lead the Jayhawks to a 67-57 victory. Dickinson has been the rock to a Jayhawks team that has been struggling to stay in the top 10 this season. He has scored in double digits in 24 out of the 26 games they have placed. If that is not the model of consistency, I don't know what is.
#2: Keshon Gilbert
While Keshon Gilbert may not be anywhere near Hunter Dickinson in the household name department, he has proven to be just as valuable to his team. The 6 foot 4 junior guard from Saint Louis is the key man for the Iowa State University Cyclones, who have been having unprecedented success this season. The Cyclones climbed from #10 to #6 in the past rankings, trailing only Houston as a higher-ranked Big 12 squad. Dickinson has been able to replicate his numbers in a slightly more competitive conference, but Gilbert has actually done better statistically with a huge jump in quality from a conference perspective. In his sophomore season at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) in the Mountain West Conference, Keshon averaged 11.4 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game.
This season in the Big 12 for ISU, he has shown that he is a “stat filler” type guard and has pumped his numbers up to 14.3 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game, which is extremely impressive and well-balanced. Gilbert, who leads the Cyclones in scoring on the season, has been on a tear the past few games. In last weekend's win over Texas Tech, Gilbert had 24 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. This includes shooting 50% from the field and hitting 4 threes as well. This past Monday's loss to Houston was also a solid showing, as he scored 17 points while going 3 out of 4 from deep. The future is bright in Ames, Iowa with Keshon Gilbert at the helm.
#3: RayJ Dennis
RayJ Dennis is an integral part of the high-flying and potent offense of the Baylor University Bears. Dennis is the second-highest scorer of six that averages at least 10 points per game for the Bears, which shows the incredible depth for a Big 12 team. Other than being at the top of the scoring chart (only behind freshman sensation Ja'Kobe Walter) with 13.4 points per game in a committee scoring approach, what makes Dennis impressive is his facilitating abilities.
The 6-foot-2 senior point guard is averaging 6.5 assists per game this season. While that may not sound like a crazy high number, there are two things we need to consider. First, this stat puts Dennis at number 8 in the country for assists. Second, this is Dennis' first year at Baylor. RayJ has been a journeyman of sorts. He spent his first two seasons at Boise State where his scoring went from 4 to 8 ppg. He then transferred to Toledo where he averaged 12.7 and 19.5 ppg respectively in his two seasons there. His scoring has only gone up in his career, but he has given up being the lone wolf to being part of a great system at Waco that has only benefited from his passing abilities.
Image Credit: Kansas Athletics/Iowa State University Athletics/Baylor Bears
