It didn’t take long for Hunter Dickinson to announce his presence in Allen Fieldhouse to the Kansas faithful.
The preseason All-American scored the first three baskets of the game in his KU debut, progressively farther from the basket — a putback on a Kevin McCullar Jr. three-point attempt, a short-range baseline jumper and a top-of-the-key 3-pointer — to force an immediate timeout from North Carolina Central and kick the crowd into overdrive.
“I’m used to the opposing fans being this loud and more boos than cheers, and it was real fun for me to have people on my side for once,” Dickinson said.
Dickinson added another 3 by the first media timeout to reach double-digits in the first 5:34, and he and KU never looked back, as the Jayhawks won their 51st consecutive home opener to start the season, routing NCCU 99-56.
Dickinson’s early efforts were part of a three-point barrage by the much-maligned KU outside shooters, who went from 8-for-10 from beyond the arc in the first 12 minutes of the game as they tripled up the Eagles 33-11, aided by a series of NCCU offensive fouls. Nick Timberlake made a 3-pointer 14 seconds after checking in for his first action.
“I think a lot of people might have overreacted with the first two games,” Dickinson said. “We got a lot of talented players on this team … got guys like Nick, Kevin, Juan, even Parker, we got guys who can hit a lot of deep shots. We made a lot, but I don’t think a lot of guys were surprised.”
Kevin McCullar led the way for KU with 22 points, and Dickinson wasn’t far behind with 21 and eight rebounds — as Timberlake put it, he was living up to the hype — as the Jayhawks outrebounded the Eagles 37-23. Timberlake, KJ Adams Jr. and Parker Braun all reached double digits for KU as well as the Jayhawks shot nearly 70% on the night. They also totaled 34 assists, including 10 for Dajuan Harris Jr.
“It’s just fun when you’re out there sharing the ball with everybody because it just makes it so easy for guys,” Dickinson said.
Added Timberlake: “I’m very grateful getting to play with (Harris) this year.”
Ja’Darius Harris led the Eagles with 12 points.
Freshman guard Elmarko Jackson got the start over Timberlake alongside KU’s four veterans, but three early fouls hampered his playing time. “That absolutely doesn’t register with me, on who starts,” KU coach Bill Self said, again reiterating that he puts a greater value on who finishes the game. Jackson also got a valuable chance to run the offense for an extended stretch as the point guard in the second half.
The Jayhawks’ defense also looked better than it had in exhibitions against Illinois Fort Hays State, in one first-half stretch allowing just one field goal in six minutes of action.
KU’s offense slowed its pace a bit as the half drew on, but managed to maintain its wide margin with plays like McCullar finishing a transition dunk off a Dajuan Harris steal and Harris successfully taking a charge (despite rule changes designed to make doing so almost impossible).
Ja’Darius Harris made an acrobatic 3 for the Eagles over a leaping Dickinson at the shot-clock buzzer, but KU zoomed down the court off the inbound and Dickinson converted a layup eight seconds later. By halftime, the Jayhawks were leading by 41 and shooting 78.6%.
McCullar proved that he was in midseason form on defense, too, when he dove for a loose ball off a Dickinson block and fed it to Jackson for a transition layup to extend the lead to 68-20. The Eagles responded with a 3-pointer from Po’Boigh King, just their third make from beyond the arc in 17 tries to that point, and that kicked off a somewhat slower stretch for KU. NCCU matched its first-half point total, 18, in under 13 minutes of the second half.
The Jayhawks explored just about every possible lineup combination with their eight available scholarship players, as Jamari McDowell sat out with what Self described as a minor injury (“He got his bell rung pretty good”) suffered in practice, but could have a chance to return to practice by Wednesday. That included a lineup with all three of Adams, Braun and Dickinson on the court.
Braun and Dickinson, Self said, “can play together some, but I don’t think there’s going to be a steady dose of that.”
With eight minutes remaining, KU started to incorporate its walk-ons with Michael Jankovich checking in for Adams, Wilder Evers for Dickinson and, eventually, Dillon Wilhite and former manager Patrick Cassidy taking the floor. The unit with four walk-ons and Braun was outscored 16-4 as the Eagles scored 10 straight points to close the game.
The Jayhawks will host Manhattan Friday at 7 p.m.
Kansas students throw confetti during the introductions on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas students get pumped up before tipoff on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
A pair of Jayhawk hightops line up on the court on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas forward K.J. Adams Jr. (24) delivers a dunk against North Carolina Central during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) left, and Kansas center Hunter Dickinson have a laugh on the bench during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) gets down on defense as North Carolina Central guard Fred Cleveland Jr. (0) brings the ball up the court during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas head coach Bill Self talks with his assistants Kurtis Townsend and Jeremy Case during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15), Kansas forward K.J. Adams Jr. (24) and Kansas center Hunter Dickinson (1) fight for a ball with North Carolina Central guard Keishon Porter (11) and North Carolina Central forward Emmanuel Izunabor (13) during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) lays out for a ball with North Carolina Central guard Cobey Harraway (31) during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
The Kansas bench celebrates a three from Kansas guard Michael Jankovich during the second half against North Carolina Central on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson (13) gets inside for a bucket against North Carolina Central guard Cobey Harraway (31) during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson (13) floats inside for a shot against North Carolina Central during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas forward K.J. Adams Jr. (24) celebrates a dunk against North Carolina Central during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas forward K.J. Adams Jr. (24) delivers a dunk against North Carolina Central during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas center Hunter Dickinson (1) pushes inside against North Carolina Central forward Emmanuel Izunabor (13) during the second half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas center Hunter Dickinson (1) roars after hitting a three against North Carolina Central during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas forward Parker Braun (23) lays out for a ball next to Kansas guard Nicolas Timberlake (25) during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Elmarko Jackson (13) celebrates a three from Kansas guard Johnny Furphy (10) during a timeout in the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) pushes the ball up the court against North Carolina Central during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) is fouled on the way to the bucket by North Carolina Central forward Devin Gordon (10) during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
North Carolina Central guard Keishon Porter (11) defends against Kansas guard Johnny Furphy (10) during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) comes down from the rim after a dunk against North Carolina Central during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) slaps hands with Kansas forward Parker Braun (23) after a dunk by Braun during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas guard Nicolas Timberlake (25) reaches to defend against a shot from North Carolina Central guard Ja’Darius Harris (52) during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
Kansas center Hunter Dickinson (1) reaches to defend against a shot from North Carolina Central forward Emmanuel Izunabor (13) during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
during the first half on Monday, Nov. 6, 2023 at Allen Fieldhouse. Photo by Nick Krug
