LAWRENCE, Kan. — Hunter Dickinson had seven points, two rebounds and a block in the first 90 seconds of his Kansas career Monday night, then made a trio of 3-pointers that showed the 7-foot-2 transfer from Michigan is more than just a beast on the block.
Not surprisingly, his newfound fans inside Allen Fieldhouse responded with waves of adulation. «I was telling somebody, 'I'm used to the opposing fans being this loud and more boos than cheers,'» Dickinson said after leading the top-ranked Jayhawks to a 99-56 wipeout of North Carolina Central on college basketball's opening night. «It was real fun to have people on my side for once,» added Dickinson, whose decision to leave the Wolverines left angry fans in his wake. «The atmosphere was insane.
I've been hearing about it during my recruiting, and when I committed, and I was hearing so much about Allen Fieldhouse. And it lived up to it.» Dickinson lived up to the hype, too, finishing with 21 points, 8 boards and 5 assists.
Nic Timberlake had 13 points, KJ Adams scored 12 and Dajuan Harris Jr. had 10 assists for the Jayhawks, who led 59-18 by halftime before coasting over the final 20 minutes to their 51st consecutive home-opening win.