Kansas commit Gradey Dick of Sunrise Christian Academy, No. 1 in the SBLive/SI Power 25, named Gatorade National Player of the Year

Boston Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum broke the news to the five-star Dick in a surprise ceremony.

Andy Buhler, SBLive Sports | Mar 22, 2022

Kansas commit Gradey Dick of Sunrise Christian Academy, No. 1 in the SBLive/SI Power 25, named Gatorade National Player of the Year /

Kansas commit Gradey Dick, a consensus five-star, has been named national Gatorade Player of the Year.

Dick has helped lead Sunrise Academy, the top-ranked team in the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball ranking and the No. 1 seed in GEICO Nationals, to a 26-1 record. He was one of three finalists for the award, edging out Oak Hill Academy's Chris Livingston and Montverde Academy's Dariq Whitehead.

The 6-foot-7 senior forward averaged 17.9 points, 5.2 rebounds per game and shot 46.7 percent from 3-point range and 51.3 percent from the field.

Dick attended what he thought was a luncheon on Tuesday, when Boston Celtic all-star forward Jayson Tatum appeared on a screen and broke the news to Dick and his teammates.

He's the No. 8 prospect in the class of 2022, according to ESPN. Recruiting site 247Sports.com has Dick, a consensus five-star, as the No. 24 senior in the country. The Buffaloes play in the opening round of the eight-team GEICO Nationals against Prolific Prep (Calif.) on March 31 at 6 p.m.

Watch Tatum surprise Dick and his Sunrise Christian Academy teammates:

Published Mar 22, 2022

ANDY BUHLER, SBLIVE SPORTS

Andy Buhler is a Regional Editor of Texas and the national breaking news desk. He brings more than five years of experience covering high school sports across the state of Washington and beyond, where he covered the likes of Paolo Banchero and Tari Eason served on state tournament seeding committees. He works on the SBLive/Sports Illustrated Power 25 national boys basketball rankings. He has covered everything from the Final Four, MLS in Atlanta to local velodrome before diving into the world of preps. His bylines can be found in The News Tribune (Tacoma, Washington), The Associated Press, The Columbian (Vancouver, Washington), The Oregonian and more. He holds a degree from Gonzaga and is based out of Portland, Oregon.