Kansas basketball center Hunter Dickinson: ‘The shoulder feels good’ ahead of Samford game
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Kansas basketball may be without Kevin McCullar Jr. on Thursday, but Hunter Dickinson is still in line to play for the Jayhawks.
Dickinson, a senior center, missed the Big 12 Conference tournament due to a shoulder injury. He had to watch as Kansas (22-10) suffered an early-round upset before it even had the chance to make the quarterfinals. But when the No. 4-seed Jayhawks play No. 13-seed Samford (29-5) in the Midwest region of the NCAA tournament, he’s set to be a part of another potential KU run.
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“The shoulder feels good, good enough to be out there with my teammates,” Dickinson said Wednesday. “I feel like everybody’s dealing with a little injury nowadays, especially toward the end of the season, and so I feel good and ready to get out there with my teammates.”
Dickinson is an All-American who’s scored more points and grabbed more rebounds than any other Kansas player this season. He’s averaging a double-double — 18.0 points and 10.8 rebounds. That’s a presence that, even if he isn’t at 100% health-wise, is incredibly valuable for a game against Samford.
That second round Big 12 tournament loss against Cincinnati was the first and only game Dickinson has missed this season. Although he’s dealt with various issues over the course of the season, and spoke to his rehabilitation process Wednesday as well, he’s routinely been available for the Jayhawks. Especially considering McCullar, a graduate senior guard, won’t be available, it’s important that Dickinson is.
Kansas coach Bill Self acknowledged that Dickinson’s availability doesn’t mean there won’t be a time where Dickinson has to deal with pain, but Self noted Dickinson has no limitations. During practice Wednesday, Dickinson appeared to move around well with a sort of wrap around his right shoulder. Time will tell if he wears that during the game.
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“We need him,” redshirt senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. said about Dickinson. “He knows we need him. So, we’re going to ride him along this whole March run. But he’s one of the best centers in the country, so we’ve just got to follow behind him and make him make plays for us. I’ve got to make plays for me and him, too, so we’ve just got to play together.”
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
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This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: March Madness: Hunter Dickinson is ready to play for Kansas basketball
