Hunter Dickinson injury update: What happened to the Kansas center?

Geoff
Kansas v Baylor
Hunter Dickinson #1 of the Kansas Jayhawks reacts after a slam dunk.

No. 14 Kansas suffered a blackeye in its 2023-24 NCAA men's basketball campaign, as center Hunter Dickinson dislocated his right shoulder in the second half of the Jayhawks' 76-46 loss to No. 1 Houston on Saturday.

Dickinson, whose NIL valuation is pegged at $587,000 by On3.com, was battling for a rebound when he suffered the injury. He left the game immediately, but the medical staff popped it right back in, as per Kansas coach Bill Self.

The seven-foot-two transferee will undergo an MRI on Sunday to determine the severity of the injury.

"(Dickinson) dislocated his shoulder, popped back in, but he'll have an MRI to see the diagnosis and try to get a game plan moving forward for him," Self said.

Dickinson ended with 11 points, six rebounds, two assists and one block before suffering the injury.

Also read: "Incredibly insensitive" - Hunter Dickinson ski mask sparks outrage in wake of Michigan State shooting


Hunter Dickinson's injury exacerbates Kansas Jayhawks' woes as March Madness approaches

Hunter Dickinson of the Kansas Jayhawks shoots against Yves Missi of the Baylor Bears.
Hunter Dickinson of the Kansas Jayhawks shoots against Yves Missi of the Baylor Bears.

Dickinson's injury is a major blow to Kansas' aspirations to win another NCAA championship. He has averaged 18.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game on 55.2% shooting in 30 games this season.

The center, an All-American and All-Big 12 candidate, was nominated on Saturday to the Wooden Award National Ballot as one of the presumed top-15 players this season.

However, it's not just Dickinson who will be questionable for Kansas in the coming games. Forward Kevin McCullar Jr missed five games this season due to a lingering knee injury. He made a surprise appearance on Saturday, playing for 15 minutes, but missed all four shots.

McCullar, who has averaged 19.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 26 games this season, did not see action in the second half due to the injury.

Self has expressed concern over the injuries of his top two players. He will base his strategy in the coming games on the presumption that both stars won't be playing.

“Yeah, it’s high. (I will) try to get a gameplan moving forward for him. Kevin is, he hadn’t done anything since K-State much. And then today he felt better, thought he’d try, and, so I wish we wouldn’t have played Kev.
"But, yeah, it’s a pretty (high) level of concern when your two best players are probably questionable moving forward,” the two-time NCAA men's basketball champion coach said.

Self hopes that his other players would step up to fill in the shoes of Kevin McCullar and Hunter Dickinson if they are ruled out of the coming games.

Read more: "When we got our a** kicked there, we shook everyone's hands": Bill Self takes shot at Kansas State HC Jerome Tang following 22-point win over rivals

What could Alabama basketball's 2024-25 starting lineup look like? Find out here

Quick Links

App download animated image Get the free App now