Hunter Dickinson Stats Today: How did Kansas star fare vs Michigan State? (Nov 12)
Kansas Jayhawks star Hunter Dickinson starred as he led his side to a 77-69 win over the Michigan State Spartans in the Champions Classic on Tuesday at the State Farm Arena in Georgia.
The former Michigan player did not let go of the rivalry against the Spartans as he racked up 28 points, 12 rebounds and three steals. He converted 13 out of 21 field goal attempts in what turned out to be an important win for the Jayhawks.
Even though he was on the receiving end of boos from the Michigan State crowd, Dickinson was involved early in the offense, scoring the first eight points for the Jayhawks. The 7-foot-2 center was the only reliable scorer on either team, and the Spartans had no chance to stop the towering giant who notched his 50th career double-double.
The performance also cemented Dickinson as the only player to record multiple 25-point, 10-rebound games at Champions Classic games. He is also the first to achieve a 20-point, 20-rebound game in the tournament.
In the final two minutes of the game, Hunter Dickinson showed that this game was personal by stomping his foot on the hardwood, directed towards the Spartans and their fans.
"I was saying they're too small," Dickinson said in the postgame interview via John Fanta. "They can't guard me. This was a very big game for me."
Meanwhile, transfer guard Zeke Mayo from South Dakota State was a key contributor in his 34 minutes on the floor. Despite a six-point output, he tallied 10 rebounds, seven assists and a steal to orchestrate the Jayhawk offense.
Rylan Griffen and Dajuan Harris also scored in double-digits as starters for Kansas, combining for 21 points, nine rebounds and eight assists. Griffen also converted two catch-and-shoot 3-pointers to seal the win for Kansas.
Meanwhile, Frankie Fidler led the scoring for the Spartans, making 15 points and eight rebounds, including a perfect 8-for-8 conversion in the charity stripe.
Bill Self makes history as the winningest coach for Kansas in victory over Michigan State
As much as Dickinson displayed a dominant performance in the game, it was coach Bill Self who scripted a bigger record after the game ended.
With the Jayhawks' eight-point win, Self secured his 591st victory for KU, taking the record away from Hall of Famer Phog Allen.
Self has been coaching Kansas since 2003 and is currently spending his 22nd season with the team. He led them to four Final Four berths and two tournament wins in 2008 and 2022. With his achievements with the Jayhawks, he was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
As Kansas remains unbeaten and arguably the best team in men's college basketball, Self and the Jayhawks are striving to get the program's fifth championship.
Kansas plays back in the Allen Fieldhouse in the next two games, facing Oakland (Saturday, November 16) and UNC Wilmington (Tuesday, November 19). Afterwards, the team clashes with Duke in the Vegas Showdown on Novmber 26.