Coming off of worst finish under HC Bill Self, why is Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson expected to elevate his game even more this season?
Kansas Jayhawks senior Hunter Dickinson announced in April that he would return for his final season. After another strong statistical year, the two-time Big Ten All-Defensive player expects to be even better than in his previous four seasons.
The Jayhawks survived their worst season under coach Bill Self in more than two decades last year as they finished fifth in the Big 12 with a 10-8 record. Their NCAA Tournament run was also cut short after losing in the second round to Gonzaga.
Why is Hunter Dickinson anticipated to excel this season?
In his first season with Kansas, Dickinson averaged 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. His production was a major factor as the team still made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 7-foot-2 center was the top scorer in most of Kansas' games last year. He scored a season-high 34 points in a nonconference matchup against Yale in December.
Basketball analyst Andy Katz called him the "top super senior" ahead of the new season. He brings a wealth of experience, which will be invaluable for young players.
His consistent performances have set a high bar as he has been a force around the rim on both ends of the floor. He was a consensus All-America second-team selection for two different schools (Michigan and Kansas).
For the upcoming campaign, Self added proven players like Zeke Mayo, Aj Storr and Rylan Griffen from the transfer portal to complement Dickinson's game as the Jayhawks seek redemption after last season's disaster.
Bill Self gave words of advice to Hunter Dickinson to help improve his play
Kansas coach Bill Self was more than happy with Hunter Dickinson's performance and is thrilled to have him back for the last time.
However, there is one part of Dickinson's game the two-time national champion coach wants him to be more consistent on.
"We love Hunter — the one thing I don't think he did last year as well as he can do, he didn't shoot the ball consistently," Self said via KU Sports in May.
"He was on a roll, I don't know if you remember. To start the season he was shooting 70 percent from three over the first half, the first 13 games or whatever. And then after that, he went through a pretty big drought."
Hunter Dickinson made 65 attempts from beyond the arc but only managed to connect on 23 of them (35.4%).