“Obviously it’s there, the COVID year": Hunter Dickinson opens up on Kansas return rumors as Jayhawks might need their center for one more season

Hunter Dickinson, the senior center for the No. 15 Kansas Jayhawks basketball team, is facing speculation regarding his potential return for another season. Dickinson, who transferred from Michigan, has the option to play an additional year due to the COVID-19 eligibility rule.

Coach Bill Self acknowledged this during Dickinson's senior night speech, and Dickinson himself addressed the situation, saying:

“Obviously it’s there, the COVID year. I definitely won’t have a decision before the end of the year because a lot can change from now until the end.”

Dickinson has impressive stats, including a double-double against Kansas State. He scored 15 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Still, he's not rushing to decide his future until this season wraps up, knowing things can shift.

He averages 18.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. His performance exemplifies the abilities of an All-Big 12 player. Despite his physical prowess and many qualities, Dickinson does not receive as much draft attention as some of the other players do.

The Jayhawks owe much of their 22-8 run to Dickinson. His height, abilities, and promise have been keys to victories.

Hunter Dickinson shines defensively as Jayhawks dominate Wildcats

Hunter Dickinson, the senior center, is usually called out for his defense. But Tuesday night changed everything! He was the top hero for the Jayhawks, with five blocks.

The Jayhawks won big (90-68) against the Kansas State Wildcats. Even though they were losing at first, the Jayhawks took over. They were 11-10 ahead with only 14:42 left in the first half. From then on, they only kept winning.

Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang praised Kansas' defensive strategy, particularly their focus on neutralizing junior guard Cam Carter and fifth-year senior guard Tylor Perry, who were limited to a mere five points combined, a stark contrast to their previous 45-point performance.

"The defense they did...I don't think the attention to Perry was as focused as it was this time," Tang said.

"I definitely felt like I did a little bit more out there today ... defensively, you know, I was doing a pretty good job to help my teammates out there," Hunter Dickinson said on his performance.

Fellow teammate McCullar credited redshirt senior Dajuan Harris for his role in shutting down Perry, emphasizing the collective effort of the team.

"Dajuan did a great job fighting through ball screens. Hunter and KJ showed hard on ball screens, it was a collective effort," McCullar said.

The Jayhawks' final regular-season game against Houston comes before the Big 12 Conference tournament next week. The game is scheduled for 3 p.m. and will be aired on ESPN.