Kansas basketball's last game of the season might not be the final college game for Hunter Dickinson. Though not yet confirmed, Jeff Ermann reports that “it's not definite, but there's a strong possibility” Dickinson will return to Kansas next year.
The senior big man has an extra year of eligibility due to the pandemic and could use it to take another crack at a national championship with the Jayhawks.
Dickinson is having a fine first season with Kansas and recently earned consensus second-team All-American honors for the second time in his college career. The previous time came in 2021 following a stellar freshman campaign with Michigan.
Dickinson averaged 18 points and 10.8 rebounds in 31 regular season games. He missed the Big 12 Tournament after dislocating his shoulder in Kansas' regular-season finale against Houston on March 9.
Without him and leading scorer Kevin McCullar Jr, the Jayhawks were bounced in the second round of the conference tournament by Cincinnati. It marked the first time since 2017 that Kansas failed to win a game in the Big 12 Tournament.
With that loss, the Jayhawks dropped four of their last five games entering the NCAA Tournament. That is a major concern heading into their March Madness opener against Samford, who is a trendy pick to knock off Kansas in their 4-seed v. 13-seed matchup.
Hunter Dickinson's status for NCAA Tournament
Despite the injury, Dickinson is expected to be a full-go for Kansas on Thursday. Speaking with the media on Wednesday, Dickinson said he is ready to return to the court.
“The shoulder feels good,” Dickinson said, per CBS Sports. “Good enough to be out there with my teammates.”
The Jayhawks desperately need Dickinson at the highest capacity possible, especially after the news that Kevin McCullar Jr. is set to miss the entire NCAA Tournament due to a lingering knee injury. That injury also occurred in the final regular season game against Houston.
Regardless of their banged-up status and recent form, Kansas is still a 6.5-point favorite over Samford according to FanDuel. The Jayhawks have not lost their first-round game in the NCAA Tournament since 2006.
Kansas is not expected to make a deep run in this year's tournament. A potential date with Purdue awaits in the Sweet 16 if the Jayhawks can get past Samford and the winner of Gonzaga-McNeese State, which is also a game that could have an upset watch on it.
Jayhawks on verge of failed expectations
Failing to get to the second weekend would be a huge disappointment for Bill Self's team considering they were the No. 1 team in the country when the season began. Kansas failed to reach the Sweet 16 last year, falling to Arkansas in the second round as a one-seed.
With Hunter Dickinson on the floor, the Jayhawks have a shot to win. His health status may be the biggest storyline throughout Thursday night's contest. With the likelihood that he'll return to Kansas next season, will Dickinson or the coaching staff allow him to take a beating and inflict further damage on his shoulder if the pain returns or gets worse?
The flow of the game and how well Kansas is playing will dictate that, but Dickinson is set to give it 100% and try to battle through a tough matchup against Samford.
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