Wichita’s Gradey Dick, KU basketball signee, wins Gatorade National Player of the Year
Sunrise Christian Academy senior Gradey Dick was awarded the 2022 Gatorade National Boys Basketball Player of the Year award on Tuesday, becoming the first Wichita native to win in the award’s 37-year history.
Dick, a KU basketball signee, has been the best player on the best prep team in the country, as he led the prestigious National Interscholastic Basketball Conference in scoring (17.5) and three-point shooting (3.7 per game on 41.6% accuracy) in its inaugural season.
The award, which also factors in high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the court, distinguishes Dick as the nation’s best high school boys basketball player. Dick carries a 3.66 GPA in the classroom and has volunteered locally at a food pantry and shelter for the homeless in addition to serving as a middle school math tutor twice a week for the past two years.
He was surprised with the news during a Tuesday luncheon at Sunrise, where Boston Celtics star and past award winner Jayson Tatum virtually announced Dick as the winner. The 6-foot-7 wing from Wichita joins an exclusive club of winners that also includes LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
“It was something I’ll never forget,” Dick said.
“The trophy is the biggest and best trophy I’ve ever received and it had all of the names of the past winners on it. My eyes went straight to LeBron. It’s crazy to see my name on the same list as him. It’s mind-blowing.”
Not bad for a Wichita kid who used to be bullied in family basketball games by his two older brothers, Brodey and Riley.
In fact, those backyard beatings are the genesis of Gradey’s pure three-point stroke, at least according to his mother.
“They were a lot bigger than him, so he had to shoot from the outside,” Carmen Dick said laughing. “I think that was the only way for him to survive at the time.”
For Gradey, it felt like a family award.
His three older siblings (he has an older sister, Kelsey) pushed him when he was young; his mother, Carmen, was a former professional basketball player who inspired him; and his father, Bart, spent countless hours in an empty gym rebounding for him over the years.
“My family is the most important thing to me,” Gradey said. “Growing up in a big sports family, I felt like I couldn’t do anything but play basketball.”
Gradey was a three-sport star — he was a quarterback in football and shortstop and pitcher in baseball — growing up, but decided to focus solely on basketball when he entered high school at Wichita Collegiate.
He was instantly a standout at the Class 3A level for Collegiate and even won the first of two (he won this year’s state award as well) Kansas Gatorade Boys Basketball Player of the Year awards as a sophomore.
It became apparent he needed to attend a prep school to reach his potential as a basketball player, as he could train year-round and play a much higher level of competition. That’s when the decision on where he would go next became a monumental decision for his future.
Due to its location and reputation under coach Luke Barnwell, Sunrise was always an option, but Gradey also explored options at IMG Academy and Montverde Academy in Florida. Ultimately, he felt at home at Sunrise.
“I know that was the best decision that I’ve ever made for me personally,” Gradey said. “Sunrise has been the best decision that I’ve made.”
After playing a sharpshooter role on last year’s Sunrise team that was loaded with high-major Division I talent, Gradey knew he was going to have to take a larger role as the only player returning from a team that reached the national championship game.
Gradey’s explosion as one of the best players in the country has correlated with Sunrise’s rise to the top of the national rankings.
“Last year we had a lot of great seniors and they really taught me how to share the court with so much talent,” Gradey said. “I knew coming into this summer talking with coach Luke, he was expecting a way bigger role for me coming in as a leader. I feel like we hit the ground running coming into the season and we built that chemistry early and that’s really helped.”
Gradey had always been a very good player, but he has demonstrated this season that he belongs on the same tier as the great players. Not only has he seamlessly stepped into a larger leadership role for this year’s Sunrise team, but he has also elevated his game to become one of the top offensive forces in high school basketball.
No longer was he just a role player, Gradey has solidified his spot as the guy on the top-ranked team in the country.
“When he came out this year and just started bombing three after three and making them and taking over games, that’s when I was kind of like, ‘OK, he’s got this,’” Carmen Dick said. “That’s when I really knew that he could play at the next level and he’s going to be just fine.”
After watching mostly on phones and laptops last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, his parents have enjoyed being able to travel this year to watch Gradey and Sunrise excel.
“It’s kind of been surreal that this is his last high school year,” Bart Dick said. “We’ve been very blessed to be able to travel a lot this year. This time right now is so special. Even though next year has a chance to be really fun at KU, we’re taking it all in right now because it’s over before you know it. It’s not lost on us how great of ride this has been.”
Gradey is focused on his final postseason run at Sunrise, which has earned the No. 1 overall seed at the upcoming GEICO Nationals, which will be played March 31-April 2 in Fort Myers, Fla. Sunrise plays Prolific Prep on Thursday, March 31 at 5 p.m. with the game broadcast on ESPNU.
But he’s also been keeping tabs on his future team, the Kansas Jayhawks, as they advance in the NCAA tournament. He’s already dreaming of making his own run in the Big Dance next year.
He still has one more postseason run to make at Sunrise, but Gradey said he’s enjoying watching his future team, the Kansas Jayhawks, advance in the NCAA tournament. He’s dreaming of making his own run in March Madness next year already.
“I’ve been staying up with all of the games, talking with the coaches and (Christian Braun) and all of them,” Gradey said. “This March Madness has been crazy, but I think it’s going to be one of the most exciting things to do next year to try to make our run.”
This story was originally published March 22, 2022 at 4:00 PM.
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