"Never had so many fans supporting me": When Kansas star Hunter Dickinson recalled playing for the first time in Jayhawks' Allen Fieldhouse
Hunter Dickinson once said that he's never had as many people cheering for him as he did the first time he played a home game for Kansas. In an interview with Barstool Sports' Marty Mush in January 2024, the Jayhawks star reflected on his first time playing for the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse while showing Mush around the venue.
"The first time I played here, I was a little nervous. I'm not gonna lie," Dickinson said. "I never had so many fans supporting me."
At the time of the interview, Dickinson was about halfway through his first season at Kansas. The center began his college career with three seasons at Michigan before transferring.
Dickinson quickly emerged as a star at Kansas. He made 33 starts last season and averaged 32.2 minutes. He averaged 17.9 points per game and added a career-high 10.9 rebounds and a career high-tying 2.3 assists.
In the 2023-24 season, Dickinson led the Jayhawks in rebounding as well as blocks, with a 1.4 average. He helped lead his team to a four seed in the NCAA Tournament, but Kansas finished the year out with a Round of 32 loss to Gonzaga.
Hunter Dickinson's 2024-25 season at Kansas
Hunter Dickinson has continued to thrive for Kansas this season. He leads the team in both points, with 17.6, and rebounds, with 10.0. The center is shooting 74.2% from the free-throw line, up from 62.4% last season, but has seen dips in his other shooting.
The senior is shooting 53.6%, down from 54.8% last season. His 26.5% shooting from beyond the arch is a significant decrease from 35.4% last season.
Despite decreases in some stat categories, Dickinson is still a significant contributor to the Jayhawks. He thrives on both sides of the ball, with 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steals and 7.3 defensive rebounds per game.
Kansas entered the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 6 seed and defeated No. 14 seed UCF in overtime. In that game, Dickinson recorded 23 points and shot 75% from 3-point range. The Jayhawks will face No. 3 seed Arizona on Thursday.
Dickinson's squad is expected to be a No. 6 seed in the NCAA Tournament as well and will look to the star to lead the team through March Madness.