The Kansas Jayhawks got back in the win column on senior night thanks to Hunter Dickinson’s dominant performance. After back-to-back losses against ranked clubs, the team faced No. 24 Arizona at the Phog and prevailed by a score of 83-76. Dickinson tied his career-high in points on the final home game of his career and gave Jayhawks fans some reason for hope heading into the postseason.
A Season of Turmoil for Hunter Dickinson and the Kansas Jayhawks
The Kansas Jayhawks are perennially one of college basketball’s top teams, but it has been a period of struggle for the program in recent times. With just a 19-11 record entering Saturday’s regular season finale against the No. 24 Arizona Wildcats, experts have been calling this season, when coupled with last year’s disappointment, “the two worst years in Bill Self’s entire run at KU.”
The Jayhawks’ best player, veteran center Hunter Dickinson, has contributed to the struggles. He is having his worst scoring season since his freshman year at Michigan. His shooting percentage is a career low, with his three-ball at just 21%, and his rebounding and assists are down as well. Dickinson is well-accustomed to seeing double-teams on a consistent basis, but simply put, the big man just hasn’t had his best year in 2024-25.
In Kansas’ last two games, against Big 12 powerhouses Houston and Texas Tech, Dickinson averaged 17.5 points per game but also had 10 total turnovers during that span. He shot below 50% from the field in both games and was unable to tip the scales in the Jayhawks’ favor, as the team lost both games.
Heading into senior night, the final home game of Dickinson’s storied career, the senior was due for a big performance – and boy did he deliver.
Hunter Dickinson Ties His Career-High to Lead Kansas to Statement Win
Dickinson got to work early, scoring or assisting on all of Kansas’ points in the first five minutes of the game. As the team pulled ahead by 14 points in the opening half, Dickinson remained active and impactful on the offensive end, willing his team to a strong start. The Jayhawks were up at halftime.
In the second half, Dickinson was even better. He and point guard Dajuan Harris, another senior, made big plays to keep the Jayhawks in front as Arizona mounted a strong comeback. Dickinson and Harris both made threes in quick succession to keep the home team in front.
Down the stretch, Self went to the Dickinson-Harris two-man game over and over again with good results, and the Jayhawks won by 9. Dickinson totaled 33 points on a hyper-efficient 15-23. He limited his turnovers to just 1 and had 10 rebounds, giving the big man a double-double on his last game at Phog Allen.
Senior Zeke Mayo made 5 triples on the day, contributing 20 points. With KJ Adams, another senior, adding 12 and 9 boards, the Jayhawks overcame a 21-2 bench deficit and earned a critical win over a ranked opponent that will instill confidence into the team during an unsteady back half of the campaign.
Kansas Jayhawks Look Ahead to the Postseason
Coach Bill Self admitted that it wasn’t always pretty for his team, but applauded the way his team battled, particularly to fight off a big comeback from Arizona in the second half. He credited the determination on offense and the continued fight on defense for the victory.
“We can be frustrating to watch at times, but golly did our guys play their asses off today.”
Dickinson earned much of the praise due to tying his career-high, and his stellar day had fans buzzing about the team’s ceiling heading into the Big 12 Tournament and March Madness.
Hunter Dickinson GOES OFF on Senior Night🔥
33 PTS | 15-23 FG | 10 REB pic.twitter.com/bbLHVhCTbe
— B/R Hoops (@brhoops) March 9, 2025
This version of Hunter Dickinson can take Kansas a long, long way. Just need some juice for the guards. Just a little.
— Talkin’ Hawks (@TalkinHawks) March 8, 2025
Hunter Dickinson has been the most valuable player in the Big 12. Through double teams every night, he went out there and averaged 18 and 11 for a team that seriously goes like 6-14 in league games without him. He was outstanding all year, but especially these last couple weeks.
— Rock Chalk Blog (@RockChalkBlog) March 8, 2025
Hunter Dickinson was phenomenal today in Kansas’s win over Arizona, tallying 33 points, 10 boards, with just 1 turnover.
He’s the only Big 12 player to hit those marks in a game in at least 15 years.
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) March 8, 2025
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