Kansas is following the yellow brick road, and it is leading them right to Baylor. The Hunter Dickinson show has been in full effect for the last few games, with the seven-foot-two center dropping 24 and 7 in his last matchup. Kansas is fifth in the Big Twelve conference, having lost three out of their nine conference games so far. With Baylor fresh off a loss against BYU, the Jayhawks seem like favorites to take this game. However, analysts believe that the Bears might actually pull through.

On Locked On Baylor, show host Cam Stuart discussed the upcoming Big Twelve blockbuster. The reporter held nothing back while talking about his team’s immediate matchup.

“Talking about Baylor’s next opponents, the Kansas Jayhawks, who just barely squeaked by UCF last night and why they might be frauds again,” he starts. “Some people really in the know in college basketball still believe this is a nailed on final four team. I am here to tell you that they are not.”

Though his comments were scathing, they may hold a grain of truth. Entering the season ranked no.1, Kansas was supposed to be a top-seeded team dominating the Big Twelve, but an upset loss to West Virginia at the very beginning of conference play set the tone for the Jayhawks. They have lost 2 games since, and barely got by in their previous matchup against the UCF. The team trailed by the first half and mid-way through the second as the offense struggled.

The Jayhawks had committed 10 turnovers only by the first half while starter Rylan Griffen was limited to just two points. It would take a couple of free throws in the final minutes to lock on to the lead as the Knights trailed 86-87. Hunter Dickinson and Zeke Mayo led the team with 24 points, while freshman Flory Bidunga posted a double-double. But it wasn’t a convincing win enough for a team that acquired transfers among the likes of AJ Storr, Mayo, Griffen, and Shakeel Moore during off-season.  

The non-dominant performances only have Cam Stuart lose faith in the Bill Self-coached team. He believes Kansas cannot keep up with the other top teams in the Big Twelve. With two losses coming against Iowa State and Houston, the reporter had some choice words for the Jayhawks. “Like Baylor, they’re bullies. They beat up on the weaker teams. And when they get shown some adversity? They haven’t handled it very well.”

Bill Self and the Jayhawks have a huge task ahead to prove the doubters wrong. But looks like the emphasis lays on Hunter Dickinson.

Hunter Dickinson ‘doesn’t look like NPOY’

With the National Player of the Year award race being dominated by Cooper Flagg, all other prospects are looking to state their case. Bleacher Report had Hunter Dickinson in their top 10 NPOY candidates to start this year off, but a handful of losses may have tipped the scales against him.

On the podcast Locked On Baylor, Cam Stuart was very clear about his thoughts on Dickinson. “I’m not big on the Hunter Dickerson train,” he said. “I’ve said it before, he’s one of those guys who can give you a real good 10 minutes and makes the stats look good and goes missing for the rest of the game.”

Dickinson’s averaging 16.3 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. But Stuart believes a part of the credit goes to his 7’2″ stature.

According to the host, Dickinson is a really tall guy who is fairly athletic. “He’ll just grab rebounds over people because he’s taller,” he says. “He’ll finish at the rim because he’s taller. Even the way he runs down the court, he doesn’t look like an elite athlete. He does not look like a national player of the year.”

Stuart believes the center is likely to face a challenge in Baylor forward Norchad Omier for their next game. “

Cam Stuart, and Baylor by extension, has given the Jayhawks a rather bold challenge. It is an open-ended dare, one that Bill Self will look to capitalize on as motivation. Hunter Dickinson’s performance in the match against Baylor is going to be crucial to cement his place in the NPOY race. What do you think? Will Kansas win against Baylor on the road? Or will Baylor pull through? Only time will tell.