Bill Self’s Kansas Jayhawks squad stumbled to a 21–13 mark and 11-9 in Big 12 play, marking back-to-back sub-.600 conference records.
The team leaned on senior center Hunter Dickinson’s 17.4 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, both team highs, but faltered when the stakes peaked, dropping a 79–72 game to Arkansas in the NCAA’s opening round.
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That loss punctuated a turbulent tenure in Lawrence, particularly after coming into the year ranked No. 1 in the country.
On Tuesday, Dickinson posted a carousel of career highlights on Instagram, from his Big Ten Freshman of the Year campaign at Michigan to late-season heroics at Allen Fieldhouse, captioned simply: “Love me or hate me… you watched.”
Dickinson arrived at Kansas in 2023 with an All-American pedigree and championship aspirations.
Unfortunately, Kansas never won a Big 12 conference title or made it past the second round of the NCAA Tournament in either of Dickinson’s two years playing for the Jayhawks.
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Nevertheless, his individual performances were remarkable.
In 2023-24, he was named First-Team All-Big 12, Big 12 All-Newcomer Team, Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and a Second Team All-American, averaging 17.9 points, 10.9 rebounds (led men’s conference), and 2.3 assists per game.
Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson (1).Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images
Now, Kansas faces a major roster reboot.
The Jayhawks must replace Dickinson’s All-American play alongside departing veterans Dajuan Harris Jr., Zeke Mayo, and KJ Adams Jr., all starters from a season ago.
Incoming five-star recruit Darryn Peterson, four-star recruit Samis Calderon, freshman forward Flory Bidunga and returning guard Elmarko Jackson headline a youth movement tasked with sustaining Kansas’s blue-blood status.
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