In an odd way, Hunter Dickinson’s ejection from Tuesday’s Kansas-Duke game was the best thing that could have happened to the Jayhawks.
Stay with me. There’s a point.
Last March, Kansas coach Bill Self caught all sorts of grief for his “I’m already thinking of next season” comment during the NCAA Tournament. After the No. 1 Jayhawks beat the No. 11 Blue Devils, 75-72, Kansas fans should be glad he did.
Kansas (6-0) would not have won this game last year. One of the Jayhawks’ true weaknesses last year was depth, especially after players like Kevin McCullar Jr. were hurt and couldn’t return.
Dickinson is as important a player as any on a single team in the country. He’s already won the Big 12 Player of the Week award twice. He’s a walking double-double, and if you watch Kansas, you know the offense flows through him.
So, what happens when he leaves? Well, last year it likely led to a loss. This time?
Dickinson was ejected with about 10 minutes left, and the Jayhawks were up two points. Kansas won by three.
Everyone stepped up, starting with the old reliables. Forward K.J. Adams Jr. had another well-rounded game — 33 minutes, eight points, three assists, three steals, and three blocks. Some of those blocks were critical down the stretch.
Guard Dajuan Harris Jr. had 14 points, nine assists, and three steals. He revved up the Kansas defense down the stretch. Self is not looking forward to losing Harris. He and Adams are prime examples of players who stay with a single program and are developed into exceptional players who don’t just rely on scoring.
The transfer starters were critical. Guard AJ Storr had 11 points and made both of his 3-pointers. Zeke Mayo, the Lawrence, Kan., native, dropped in 12 points and dished out four assists.
Off the bench, guard Rylan Griffin was in the Final Four last year with Alabama. Now he’s dropping in two critical baskets down the stretch that helped put Kansas back in front after it momentarily lost the lead. David Coit played 10 minutes, made one basket — a 3-pointer — and helped spell the starters.
Flory Bidunga’s game was encouraging — 16 minutes, six points, eight rebounds, one steal and one block. He had to take up playing time for Dickinson and that was probably his best performance so far. Even Rakease Passmore gave the Jayhawks one basket in two minutes.
Tuesday night was an example of why many of us, including myself, believe Kansas is the best team in the Big 12. Yes, Arizona, Houston, Iowa State, and Baylor are all going to have a say in that. But Kansas, to me, is the lead do,g and lead dogs win games like the one it won against Duke.
The Jayhawks are deeper, more talented, have better 3-point shooting, and just proved their depth can carry them through part of a game without an indispensable player against one of the best teams in the country.
Don’t ignore what the Jayhawk defense did, either, especially to Duke freshman Cooper Flagg. He scored at least 20 points against two previous Top 25 opponents. Kansas held him to 13 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Defense always seems to be a sore spot for Self.
It’s a long season, and Kansas is not going to go undefeated. But, if this is the kind of depth the Jayhawks have all season, then they’re going to be difficult to beat. The reality is Kansas has only scratched the surface because the Jayhawks are just six games into the season.
Self built a roster to win a national championship. The Jayhawks passed their first significant test against Duke.
All it took was Dickinson getting ejected from the game.
You can find Matthew Postins on Twitter @PostinsPostcard.
