"We are paid to play": Kansas star Hunter Dickinson shoulders blame for intense loss vs Arizona

Kansas’ run in the Big 12 Conference Championship came to a disappointing end as the Jayhawks fell 88-77 to Arizona in the quarterfinals at T-Mobile Center. Henri Veesaar and KJ Lewis each scored 19 points, leading the Wildcats to pull away in the final minutes.

Veesaar shot 7-for-11 from the field, including two 3-pointers, to help the Wildcats (21-11) secure a 45-37 lead at halftime. Meanwhile, Kansas briefly held a 3-2 lead early in the game after Dajuan Harris Jr. hit a 3-pointer, but Arizona quickly regained control and twice extended their advantage to 12 points.

KJ Adams brought the Jayhawks within three points after making two free throws to cut the lead to 40-37, but Veesaar responded with a 3-pointer to keep Arizona ahead.

Kansas star Hunter Dickinson didn’t make any excuses for the loss and took full responsibility for his performance. When asked about fatigue in the post-game press conference, Dickinson rejected the idea outright. (starting 3:05)

“I don’t think you can blame fatigue, in this NIL era, we are paid to play, so we gotta be professionals out there and approach it like professionals. You can’t give that excuse. I think it starts with me. I’ve got to be better for my team and give them more energy. I feel like I let them down especially defensively”, said Dickison.

Zeke Mayo led Kansas in scoring with 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting, including five 3-pointers on 12 attempts. Mayo became the first Kansas player since 1996-97 to hit five or more 3-pointers in three consecutive games.

Dajuan Harris contributed 16 points, two rebounds and three assists, providing consistent offensive support.

What’s next for Kansas?

Kansas’ loss highlighted some recurring issues, particularly on defense. The Jayhawks gave up 88 points and struggled to stop Arizona’s key scorers down the stretch. Bench production was also a concern, with Kansas’ reserves contributing just 13 points compared to Arizona’s deeper rotation.

Dickinson acknowledged the team’s inconsistency when asked about Kansas’ outlook moving forward. (starting 5:55)

“I would say we’re probably one of the more volatile teams in the country,” Dickinson said. “When you look at it, we’ve played with the best in the country and been neck and neck with them and beat some of them and been neck and neck with a lot of average teams… I think it just depends on which Kansas team shows up.”

“The blessing and the curse about these next couple games is you only got to be great for forty minutes and then you get another forty minutes”, he added.

Kansas will now shift its focus to preparing for the upcoming NCAA Tournament. The team will take a few days to regroup and work on defensive adjustments, hoping to make a deep run despite the tough loss to Arizona.