Hunter Dickinson Dominates as Kansas Secures Much-Needed Win Over Colorado

The Jayhawks went into Boulder on Monday and came out with their second straight victory.

Feb 24, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Kansas Jayhawks forward Flory Bidunga (40) and Colorado Buffaloes forward Assane Diop (35) reach for a loose ball in the second half at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

On Monday, Kansas finally got the fast start it had been searching for on the road. The Jayhawks jumped out to a 14-4 lead in the first five minutes against Colorado, a rarity for a team that has struggled with sluggish openings away from home. But even with the early success, Bill Self was far from pleased.

After two dunks by Colorado’s Bangot, Self was fired up—yelling in the huddle, calling out Hunter Dickinson, Dajuan Harris, and pretty much anyone in a Kansas jersey. The energy was there, but so were the mistakes.

Kansas led 26-20 with eight minutes left in the first half, but the offense cooled off, allowing Colorado to hang around. Dickinson was the one keeping things steady, dominating inside and helping the Jayhawks rebuild a double-digit lead with just over five minutes to play.

The Buffaloes didn’t go away, though. They clawed back to within four with two minutes left, but Zeke Mayo calmly sank two free throws to make it 34-28.

Rylan Griffen followed with a clutch three to push the lead to nine. Still, Kansas couldn’t fully put Colorado away. A Malone tip-in and a Javon Ruffin layup at the buzzer cut the lead to seven at the half. Self, already fuming over a turnover by Harris, just dropped his head when CU scored at the horn.

At halftime, Kansas had 0 second-chance points compared to 12 for Colorado. The Jayhawks also finished the half shooting just 1-for-8. It wasn’t pretty.

But in the second half, Dickinson took over. He scored five of Kansas’ final seven points and exploded for 32 overall in one of his most dominant performances as a Jayhawk. More importantly, his play lifted Kansas to a much-needed win.

The newly unranked Jayhawks left Boulder with a 71-64 victory, a step in the right direction for a team still trying to find its footing.