Hunter Dickinson may very well win the Wooden Award as college basketball's top player, but don’t count on it leading Kansas to a national title.
Both Dickinson and Kansas are favorites in their respective categories: the Jayhawks’ center is +700 to take home the Wooden Award, tied with Alabama’s Mark Sears, while Kansas sits at +900 to win it all, tied with UConn according to BetMGM. They’re off to a strong start at 3-0, fresh off a 77-69 win over Michigan State in the annual State Farm Champions Classic. While there was plenty of star power on display throughout the evening, Dickinson stole the spotlight in the first game of the night.
Logging a team-high 35 minutes, Dickinson finished with a dominant 28 points, 12 rebounds, and three steals. The only other Jayhawk in double figures was senior guard Dajuan Harris, who chipped in 11 points and six assists. Kansas struggled from deep, shooting just 5-for-17, and their offense looked one-dimensional with such heavy reliance on Dickinson.
This pattern could spell trouble down the line. Bill Self will need Dickinson to produce big numbers and log big minutes nightly, and while he’s certainly up to the task (the Michigan State game marked his 50th career double-double), it’s unlikely he can carry Kansas to a championship on his own.
While it’s early, Kansas’ guards looked shaky against an unremarkable Spartans team. This is concerning, as strong guard play is often essential for a deep NCAA Tournament run. Rotations tighten in March, and coaches lean on their most consistent players. If Kansas doesn’t find dependable scoring options to take some weight off Dickinson, their offense may struggle to keep pace with top contenders.
As long as Kansas leans heavily on Dickinson, his stats will keep him in Wooden Award contention, but without reliable scoring depth, the Jayhawks are likely to fall short of their championship ambitions.
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