It’s only mid-November and already the Kansas basketball team is playing in games that have the look and cachet of a postseason matchup.
That’s how it felt last night watching the No. 1-ranked Jayhawks beat the No. 17-ranked Kentucky Wildcats 89-84 in the Champions Classic in Chicago.
KU came into the game with all the experience and Kentucky came in with the usual crop of talented freshmen. It was a top-20 matchup – as it usually is when these two teams meet – and it more than lived up to the hype.
The Jayhawks started off strong, going up by nine points early in the first half. But Kentucky battled back and held a double-digit lead heading into half before KU’s Hunter Dickinson knocked down a big three as time expired.
Dickinson ended up displaying one of the best regular season performances of any Kansas big man in the last 25 years.
He finished the game with 27 points and 21 rebounds, both of which were career-highs for him. It was also his first 20-20 game in his career and the first 20-20 game for any Kansas player since Nick Collison in 2003.
Dickinson’s 21 rebounds set a new single-game Champions Classic record too, and he is the first Kansas player to record at least 25 points and 20 rebounds against a ranked opponent in the last 25 years.
Simply put – it was a historic night for Dickinson and he showed just how dominate of a player he can be against some of the best competition in the country. He firmly cemented his spot as one of the top national player of the year candidates.
Dickinson wasn’t the only Jayhawk who had a historic night, as Kevin McCullar Jr. recorded just the third triple-double in KU history with 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists.
His versatility was a big reason why the Jayhawks were able to pull off the win, even with a lower-than-normal scoring night for the graduate senior.
Dajuan Harris Jr. had a historic night of his own as well by scoring a career-high 23 points to go along with 7 assists and 2 rebounds.
After scoring just two points combined in the first two games of this season, Harris flipped a switch and became the most aggressive player for KU on offense in the second half.
He hit a couple of big threes down the stretch to get Kansas back in the game and ended up going 7 of 12 from the field and 5 of 6 from three-point range. He also knocked down 4 of 5 free throws to help KU edge out the win
After the game, Self called Harris “the best player in the game down the stretch.”
The trio of Harris, McCullar, and Dickinson may be the strongest of any team in college basketball. And if they can continue to play like they did against Kentucky, the Jayhawks are going to be tough to beat by anyone this season.
“That’s what winners do and that’s what we are” 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/UKkFQL4gWW
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) November 15, 2023