Despite having a 10-9 record in Big 12 conference play, the Kansas Jayhawks have been a defensive force this season. Currently ranked sixth in Ken Pomeroy's defensive efficiency, this has been one of the better defending teams that Bill Self has coached in his time in Lawrence, Kansas.
Point guard Dajuan Harris and forward KJ Adams are the first two names that might come to mind when fans think about the defensive success of the Jayhawks. On the other end of that spectrum? Center Hunter Dickinson. He's received his fair share of criticism this season for his defensive effort, being accused of being lazy on the perimeter and a bit of a traffic cone in the post. The data, however, tells a much different story.
Here are the most impactful defenders in the country according to Defensive Bayesian Performance Rating at https://t.co/cegyfz96ax. DBPR accounts for box stats as well as impact on team performance while on the floor.
— Evan Miyakawa (@EvanMiya) March 3, 2025
Joseph Tugler leads the country, with Cooper Flagg at #2. pic.twitter.com/i4GDVdjBSD
Advanced analytics surprisingly rate KU center Hunter Dickinson as a plus defender
This isn't the first time Evan Miyakawa has shown the defensive success of Dickinson this season. In January, the analytics guru posted a graphic of his defensive BPR (DBPR) for every season he's played in college. In short, he's been a positive asset on the defensive end each season, according to the data.
Focusing on this season specifically, he's been the Jayhawks' best defensive asset. Currently, Dickinson holds the 13th-highest rating in all of Division I basketball at 3.52. The next best player in that stat from the Jayhawks is Harris, who holds a 3.17 rating.
The DBPR metric takes into account many factors. To sum it up, it factors in the players' individual defensive efficiency, the defensive efficiency of the players around him, and the offensive efficiency of the opponent all compared against what the average Division I player should be performing at.
All things considered, he's been good in the Jayhawks' halfcourt this season, and for most of his career as well. The numbers tell a completely different story than what fans are seeing. So, what gives?
Dickinson wasn't brought to Lawrence in the 2023 transfer window to be a defensive monster for Coach Self. He was, and still might be, one of the most significant players to hit the portal since the one-year sit-out was changed in 2021.
He's a 7-foot, two-time All-American, double-double player. He's definitely not the most athletic, or the fastest, player on Kansas this season. But that's not his style of play. He's offensively efficient, giving you a threat in the paint whenever he has the ball. Would it be nice if he was able to defend the perimeter the way Adams or Flory Bidunga can? Sure, but that can be said about everyone on the team.
Look at the bigger picture: without Dickinson on the floor, that's anywhere from 14-20 points a game that the Jayhawks aren't scoring. In a season where the Jayhawks are struggling to score, you take defensive problems when they're met by highly productive offense night after night.