Hunter Dickinson injury update: Latest on Kansas center's availability ahead of 2024 March Madness

Kansas University's men's basketball team is eagerly awaiting the return of senior center Hunter Dickinson and senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. for the NCAA tournament. Their absence was keenly felt in their recent Big 12 tournament loss to Cincinnati.

Head coach Bill Self was optimistic before the conference tournament, saying the plan was to have both top scorers and rebounders back for the crucial tournament. During a press conference following the announcement of Kansas's NCAA tournament selection, Self provided an optimistic update about Hunter Dickinson.

“‘Hunt’ is doing great. He actually practiced the last two days non-contact," Self said on Sunday.

He mentioned that Dickinson participated in non-contact practice over the last two days and is progressing steadily.

“We’ve done a lot of dry (non-contact) stuff. That way he could be out there. He’ll go contact tomorrow (Monday)," Self added.

He said that Dickinson, along with senior guard McCullar, are likely to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

Dickinson suffered a dislocated right shoulder during the second half of KU’s regular-season finale against Houston, subsequently missing a second-round Big 12 tournament loss to Cincinnati.

Dickinson had a fantastic regular season, earning First Team All-Big 12 honors. He showcased his impressive skills by averaging 18 points and 10.8 rebounds per game.

McCullar Jr. also earned All-Big 12 First Team accolades. The Sterling Jayhawks player topped the conference in points per game with 18.3. His versatility shone bright, hitting 45.4% from the field, including 33.3% from beyond the arc. He snagged 6.0 rebounding and pilfered 1.5 steals in each contest too.

Kansas Jayhawks head into NCAA tournament as No. 4 seed

In the NCAA Tournament, Kansas enters as a No. 4 seed in the West Region, slated to compete in Salt Lake City, Utah. Their first-round match-up against No. 13 seed Samford awaits on Thursday, with a potential face-off against the winner of Gonzaga vs. McNeese State on Saturday.

This marks just the fourth time under Bill Self's tenure that Kansas enters the NCAA Tournament as a No. 4 seed or lower, with previous instances resulting in second-round, first-round, and Elite Eight exits in 2019, 2006, and 2004, respectively.