Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson is certainly a polarizing figure in college basketball. Much like his tenure in the Big 12, Dickinson was one of the most hated players in the sport at Michigan. He formed plenty of rivalries with players and schools in the Big Ten, but the Virginia native despised Illinois more than any other team.
Kansas State happened to have a former member of the Fighting Illini on the court during yesterday's game in Bramlage Coliseum. Coleman Hawkins and Dickinson both competed in the Big Ten for several years. Although the two veterans have only met on the court twice this season, they have a storied history dating back to 2021. After the Wildcats' win, Hawkins threw shade toward Dickinson for racking up yet another loss against one of his teams:
Coleman Hawkins asked about his rivalry with Hunter Dickinson
— The Field of 68 (@TheFieldOf68) February 8, 2025
*starts mentally adding up the wins*
"6-1? I think I'm 6-1 against him now? 🤔😏"pic.twitter.com/7TFb4wj8k5
Hunter Dickinson and Coleman Hawkins have no love lost for each other
In the 81-73 loss, Dickinson posted a game-high 21 points and nine rebounds, but he played especially poor on the defensive end. Hawkins also filled up the stat sheet with 12 points, eight assists, and five rebounds.
Dickinson and Hawkins are now two of the top players in Kansas, but their history over the past few years is impossible to ignore. From Dickinson calling Illini fans annoying at media day to mocking their claim as Big Ten champions during the COVID-19 season, his relationship with those in Champaign remains far from friendly.
On top of their on-court feuds, Dickinson teased Hawkins on X (formerly Twitter) during the offseason when he took his initial visit to K-State. He said that even if he committed to the Wildcats — which he did — he'd still be about an hour and a half away from the real school in Kansas.
To be fair, Dickinson does not have much room to talk trash about Illinois anymore. He is 0-4 against the Illini during his collegiate career, or 0-5 if you include KU's scrimmage loss last year in the preseason. While the 7-footer helped the Jayhawks pick up a victory in the first edition of the Sunflower Showdown this season, Hawkins' squad got the best of him for the sixth time in seven tries on Saturday.
Dickinson and Kansas are in a much stronger position for a deep March run than K-State. However, Hawkins will always have some friendly jabs to throw his way over the years.