The Kansas City Jayhawks made a statement tonight. The November 26th showdown between the No.1 Kansas and No.11 Duke at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was one of the most anticipated matchups of the season. While Kansas held an overall 8-6 advantage in their rivalry, Duke came in ready to challenge, drawing confidence from their history of overcoming top opponents. While it was a close encounter throughout, the biggest takeaway for HC Bill Self must be the performance of the team without their star player, Hunter Dickinson, for the final 10 minutes.

The turning point came in the second half when Kansas star Hunter Dickinson was ejected for kicking Duke’s big man, Maliq Brown, in the face during a scramble for possession. With 10:26 left in the game, the referees reviewed the incident and assessed Dickinson with a Flagrant 2 foul, leading to an automatic ejection.

Before his ejection, Dickinson had contributed 11 points on 4-of-11 shooting, along with a team-high 6 rebounds. However, his actions overshadowed his performance, with head coach Self admitting the ejection was justified but questioned its severity. “I thought it was a good call. I thought the Flagrant 2 may have been a little severe, I thought it was definitely a Flagrant 1. It’s a good lesson to learn,” he said during the post-game press conference.

“I saw on the screen that he kicked him in his face, so I think that warrants a flagrant-2,” Duke HC Jon Scheyer said. “I haven’t had a good look or anything more, but that to me was really an easy one.”

Dickinson’s absence posed a major challenge for Kansas, as he has been their season leader in scoring (17.8) and rebounds (10.4). At the time of his ejection, Kansas led 57-55, and the stakes were high. However, the Jayhawks managed to hold on and secure the win, thanks in large part to freshman Flory Bidunga.

Initially playing sparingly before Dickinson’s ejection, Bidunga returned to the court, finishing with 8 rebounds and 6 points. “The best thing about Hunter not being in the game was that Flory was,” Kansas head coach Bill Self remarked, choosing to focus on the silver lining.

Dickinson’s reputation for physical play likely factored into the decision.

This wasn’t Hunter Dickinson’s first run-in with controversy

The 24-year-old has a history of committing dirty fouls and facing the consequences. In 2023, he was suspended for three games after a Flagrant 1 foul during a matchup against Kansas City, where he bullied an opposing forward, threw him to the floor, and engaged in trash talk before officials intervened. Despite finishing that game with a 14-point performance, the suspension underscored the repercussions of his aggressive style.

Even before joining Kansas, Dickinson’s reputation for rough play followed him during his time at Michigan. In a 2022 game against Virginia, he elbowed forward Kadin Shedrick, causing him to bleed. Dickinson was penalized for the incident.

While Dickinson’s competitive nature has often been an asset, his inability to rein in his aggressive instincts continues to cast a shadow over his otherwise impressive basketball career. Nonetheless, all’s well that ends well. Bill Self will be hoping to carry this momentum and continue to build on the Jayhawks’ 6-0 start to the season.