photo by: Photo courtesy of Sunrise Christian Academy

Sunrise Christian Academy junior Gradey Dick, a five-star prospect in the Class of 2022, orally committed to play basketball at the University of Kansas on March 3, 2021.

A handful of big time prep prospects flocked to the KU campus over the weekend to conduct visits with the Kansas men’s basketball program.

Two top 10 targets — Class of 2022 forward and official visitor Chris Livingston (No. 4 overall per Rivals) and Class of 2023 power forward and unofficial visitor Omaha Biliew (No. 6 overall per Rivals) — and 2023 point guard Bryson Warren, who just recently received a KU offer and came to town on an unofficial visit, were some of the bigger names in town.

But one of the most intriguing weekend visitors was Class of 2022 prospect Gradey Dick, who actually came on an official visit as an already-committed future Jayhawk.

Dick, a 6-foot-7, 195-pound five-star wing at Sunrise Christian Academy, committed to KU back on March 3, saying then that the things KU had to offer were simply too tough to beat.

His relationship with the coaching staff and appreciation for what KU coach Bill Self can do for his game and career played a huge part in that. But his connection to a few of the current KU players, most notably Christian Braun, who served as Dick’s host over the weekend, also played a role.

Dick said Monday that his familiarity with the program, some of its roster and his future plans, made his weekend visit much more relaxing than most visits for most prospects around the country.

“Since I was already committed, my visit was a lot less stressful,” Dick told the Journal-World. “It was more about just getting back together with the coaches and team.”

While many of his contemporaries are just now beginning to sort out their recruitments, Dick said the weekend visit allowed him to take the first step toward bonding with his future teammates.

“The best part of the visit was sitting down and eating with the coaches and just chilling with the guys at night,” he said.

Ranked. No. 37 overall in the Rivals 150 for the 2022 class, Dick’s stock has soared in recent weeks. He was one of the top performers at the Pangos All-American Camp in Las Vegas, topping double digits in scoring in four straight games and producing several viral highlights around the rim, as well.

In scoring 24 points in a win over Team Oregon, Dick drained 10 of 15 shots from the floor and also added five rebounds.

The event featured 105 of the country’s best prospects in the 2022, 2023 and 2024 recruiting classes and also included skills workouts, camp games, guest speakers and more.

After playing as more of a role player on a Sunrise squad loaded with Division I talent in the 2021 class, Dick already has shown this offseason that he is ready for a much bigger role during the 2021-22 season as he prepares to make the transition to Kansas.

Asked Monday what part of his game he feels best about right now, Dick pointed to his versatility and also showed that he already understands what Self is looking for from any of his players.

“I can do (several) different things on the court,” he said. “And I feel like I can always improve my defense.”