KANSAS

Why Kansas Star Hunter Dickinson Must ‘Get in The Lab’ After Loss to Houston

The star big man may have put up a double-double in the loss to Houston, but his turnover woes proved fatal for his squad.
Jackson Langendorf|
Feb 24, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson (1) during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
Feb 24, 2025; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson (1) during the second half against the Colorado Buffaloes at the CU Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

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Kansas JayhawksHouston Cougars

Production. That’s what No. 1 in Jayhawk blue offers his squad night in and night out. 

And Monday was no different, as Hunter Dickinson poured in 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds en route to his 13th double-double of the season.

Despite Dickinson’s stellar outing, his Jayhawks still came up just short - falling 65-59 against No. 3 Houston (26-4, 18-1 Big 12) - which dropped Kansas to 19-11 (10-9 Big 12), putting the Jayhawks on a two-game skid. 

And while Dickinson may have impressed as a scorer and on the glass, the KU star big man struggled elsewhere with seven turnovers – which was more than Houston’s entire team. 

In the postgame press conference, Dickinson spoke on his turnover woes, and how the Cougar defense disrupted him:

“They do a really good job of playing in the passing lanes, obviously they trapped me today and I didn’t do a good job of handling that.” 

Houston’s ability to rotate and utilize its combination of length and athleticism caused fits for the Kansas offense all night. And it wasn’t just Dickinson, as the Jayhawks committed 20 turnovers as a team, including six from guard Zeke Mayo.

But as far as Dickinson is concerned, the solution to ball-security struggles appears to be quite straightforward.

“I’ve got to get in the lab and work on that better, to be able to help my teammates out more when teams double me.”  

With only one contest remaining on their regular season slate, Dickinson and the Jayhawks turn to a Saturday afternoon contest with No. 24 Arizona as they seek to right the ship heading into postseason play.  

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Jackson Langendorf
JACKSON LANGENDORF

Primarily covers Illinois football and basketball, and Kansas basketball, with an emphasis on analysis, features and recruiting. Langendorf, a third-generation University of Illinois alum, has been watching Illini basketball and football for as long as he can remember. An advertising student and journalism devotee, he has been writing for On SI since October 2024. He can be followed and reached on X @jglangendorf.

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