Is Hunter Dickinson playing tonight? Exploring Kansas star's availability vs Duke (Nov 26)

Hunter Dickinson has made a solid start to his final season at Kansas. In April, the 7-foot-2 center announced his return to the Jayhawks to play out his final year of eligibility and has delivered impressive performances in the season’s opening five games. Dickinson has averaged 17.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.8 assists, 1.8 steals and 1.8 blocks across those games, helping the Jayhawks remain unbeaten to start the 2024-25 season.

No. 1 Kansas will face its toughest test of the season yet against No. 11 Duke in the Vegas Showdown at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas tonight. It's no surprise that Dickinson is on the Jayhawks' poster promoting the game, as he is expected to play barring any last-minute setback.

The Jayhawks also posted training photos featuring Dickinson, signaling he is fully fit and expected to start for Bill Self in the matchup against the Blue Devils.

Hunter Dickinson and Cooper Flagg to headline Kansas vs Duke showdown

While Hunter Dickinson is stealing the show at Lawrence in his final season of college basketball, Cooper Flagg is making waves at Durham in his maiden season. The top recruit in the Class of 2024 has made a stellar start to his college basketball career, averaging 17.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.8 steals in the Blue Devils' opening five games, showcasing his two-way impact.

Duke enters tonight's game riding a two-game winning streak after a narrow 77-72 loss to then-No. 19 Kentucky. Although Flagg's incredible double-double of 26 points and 11 rebounds went in vain that night, he showed signs that ranked opponents won't faze him in the slightest. The victory propelled Kentucky 10 spots in the AP Top 25 to No. 9, while Duke dropped six spots to No. 12.

Meanwhile, Hunter Dickinson arrives in Las Vegas on the back of his third double-double of the season, finishing with 15 points and 15 rebounds in the Jayhawks' dominant 84-66 victory against the UNCW Seahawks.

The Jayhawks and Blue Devils are expected to push each other to the limit tonight, with Dickinson and Flagg poised to take center stage for their respective teams. Tip-off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET.