The No. 1 Kansas basketball program came out with a big 89-84 comeback victory over No. 17 Kentucky on Tuesday in the Champions Classic, and Hunter Dickinson had one of the best games of his career with 27 points and 21 rebounds, making an early statement that Purdue's Zach Edey will have competition for the national player of the year award.

“[Coach Bill Self] was talking about the bright lights of playing in the Championship Classic,” Hunter Dickinson said after the game, via Myron Medcalf of ESPN. “That's something that a lot of people dream of being able to play in. So I feel very fortunate to be able to do that. It helps that I played pretty good — to be able to let [everyone] know that you're playing good.”

Bill Self's Kansas basketball program was down 58-44 with 16:21 to play, but then went on a 45-26 run to win it. Kevin McCullar Jr. put up a triple-double with 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists, with KJ Adams Jr. scoring 16 and Dajuan Harris Jr. putting up 23. However, Dickinson's presence was arguably the biggest part of the comeback.

Dickinson catches some criticism, and Bill Self elaborated on that after the game.

“He catches some crap,” Self said, via Medcalf. “Sometimes with good reason and many times not. He catches some crap, but one thing he does, he doesn't run from it. So I think guys like that give teams confidence.”

Dickinson's decision after transferring from Michigan over the summer got a lot of attention, which brings criticism, warranted or not. He passed his first big test with Kansas against Kentucky.