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Hunter Dickinson downplays fatigue concerns in loss to Arizona: 'We gotta be professionals'

IMG_6598by:Nick Kosko•03/15/25•

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Kansas fell short in the Big 12 quarterfinals to Arizona and Hunter Dickinson didn’t want to make any excuses for the performance. Especially in the era of NIL, Dickinson knows all too well.

He put up 19 points, 12 rebounds and three assists. But it wasn’t enough as Arizona pulled away late despite a valiant effort by the Jayhawks in the second half.

So when asked about fatigue in the game, Dickinson didn’t want to hear it. He put the onus on himself to be better.

“I don’t think you can blame fatigue,” Dickinson said postgame. “In this NIL era we are paid to play, so we’ve gotta be professionals and approach it like professionals. You can’t give that excuse. I think it starts with me. I’ve got to be better for my team and give them more energy. I feel like I let them down defensively.”

Dickinson and two other starters put up double figures in points in the quarterfinals. Zeke Mayo had 20 points, four rebounds and four assists. Meanwhile, Dajuan Harris had 16 points, two rebounds and three assists.

“I feel like I wish I could have done more to help him out,” Dickinson said. “He was scoring out there and I wish I could have helped him out more, because he did have a really good game for us.”

As Dickinson alluded to, there’s talent on this Kansas team. But too many times this season they were caught sleeping.

“I would say we’re probably one of more volatile teams in the country,” Dickinson said. “When you look at it, we’ve played with the best in the country and been neck and neck with them and beat some of them and been neck and neck with a lot of average teams.

“I think it just, you know, depends on which Kansas team shows up. The blessing and the curse about these next couple games is you only got to be great for forty minutes and then you get another forty minutes, and I think it starts with me. I can’t go out there and play like I did today or we’re going to go home early, so I gotta bring it every game.”

Kansas and Dickinson await their NCAA Tournament fate on Selection Sunday. In the latest ESPN bracketology, the Jayhawks are a No. 7 seed in the Midwest Region (Indianapolis), taking on Utah State.