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Hunter Dickinson is slated to return for the NCAA tournament.
The star Kansas center missed a Big 12 tournament loss to Cincinnati because of a dislocated shoulder, but Bill Self said Dickinson should be a full go for Thursday’s first-round matchup against Samford.
Self told reporters Wednesday that Dickinson has “no limitations.”
“The question we had initially was if he tried to go up and dunk the ball hard and hang on with one arm, something like that,” Self said. “But there’s been no limitations. That doesn’t mean he can’t get stung and come right back, but he’s done really well so far.”
Self previously told reporters Tuesday that Dickinson “looks great” after returning to full-contact practice. The star big man also provided a positive update Wednesday.
“The shoulder feels good,” Dickinson said, via CBS Sports. “Good enough to be out there with my teammates.”
After transferring from Michigan, Dickinson averaged 18.0 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game for the Jayhawks. The senior got hurt during a 30-point loss to Houston, and Kansas fell 72-52 to Cincinnati on March 13 without Dickinson or Kevin McCullar Jr.
While Dickinson is expected to return, Self confirmed that McCullar will miss the NCAA tournament due to a knee injury.
Even with Dickinson back, the No. 4 Jayhawks are on upset alert without their leading scorer. They’ve lost four of their last five games entering March Madness and rank 153rd with a 107.5 offensive rating this season.
Thursday’s opening matchup against Samford starts at 9:55 p.m. ET on TBS.