The Kansas Jayhawks are currently fighting an uphill battle in the Big 12. Three of their five conference losses came in the last six games, as Houston, Baylor, and Kansas State beat them comfortably. Hunter Dickinson, the senior-most player at Kansas, has been doing his best to keep the ship afloat, but for how long?

Dickinson, in his fifth year of college ball, has been averaging 16.5pts and 9.6reb on decent efficiency from inside the arc. His three ball, however, has not been up to par this season, shooting only 21.9% from deep. The perception about his game has shifted this year, with analysts and fans being critical of his defense and ability to space the floor. With Kansas dropping down the Big 12, Hunter Dickinson’s NIL valuation has also taken a large plunge.

After week 6 of college basketball, Dickinson’s NIL valuation took a sharp drop of $214,000 down to about $1.5 million. It is the largest NIL valuation drop so far, and it is definitely something to be concerned about. However, there are more important things on the docket for Dickinson right now.

On The Mark Titus Show, show hosts Mark and Tate Moore were holding nothing back. Feigning surprise, Titus took a dig at how long Hunter Dickinson has been in the circuit for. “Hunter Dickinson is still playing college basketball. That is not a joke. We like to joke on this show, but that is not a joke.” He said, with Moore chiming in. “And he’s still doing Hunter Dickinson things.” 

This year, the seven-two center is being considered a liability on defense. His immense size should make him into a great rim protector, but there’s something lacking in his defensive skillset. It could be because of age, explaining the comments that Titus made.

“Turn on a Kansas game if you don’t believe me. I swear to god, he’s still playing. If you find yourself watching Kansas, and you see Hunter Dickinson on the floor, you are not watching ESPN classic. That is a live game, I promise you.” With his debut coming in pandemic times, it’s easy to see why show host Mark Titus would feel this way.

It is Dickinson’s last year of college ball, he has to make it count. With how Kansas is struggling right now, their center needs to take the onus on himself and step up. March is just around the corner, and the Jayhawks will need to prove that they belong.

Hunter Dickinson’s one-sided rivalry

After the Jayhawks lost to Kansas State, an interesting rivalry was brought to light. Coleman Hawkins, current Kansas State and former Illinois Fighting Illini center, seems to have triumphed over Dickinson a few times too many.

In the post-game press conference, Hawkins was counting up the outcomes of their matchup. “Yeah, what is the record now?” He asked smugly. “If we’re counting the exhibition game this season, that’s 6-1? I think I’m 6-1 against him now?”

In terms of individual success, Dickinson is way ahead of Hawkins. The Wildcats forward is averaging 11.2pts and 7reb, quite a bit under Dickinson’s 16 and 10. Hunter Dickinson has also been a 2x consensus All-American second team member, while Hawkins was elected to the 2023-24 All Big Ten third team. The accolades are simply in Dickinson’s favor.

However, none of that means anything in the face of victory. Hunter Dickinson needs to lead Kansas with a new energy. They cannot afford to lose any more games from now if they want to make it till March. Kansas isn’t in boiling hot water yet, but Bill Self and Dickinson definitely need to band together and focus on winning.