UNC men's basketball overpowered by center Hunter Dickinson in loss to No. 1 Kansas

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Six minutes into the first half, Kansas’ Hunter Dickinson called for the ball. UNC junior forward Ven-Allen Lubin stood his ground in the post, or, at least, tried to. 

Dickinson put the ball on the deck and dribbled to the free throw line. He stopped, putting up a floater over Lubin's head. Swish.

As Lubin went to inbound the ball, Dickinson ran down the court, putting his hand down, gesturing “too small.”

"I think it was very difficult for our bigs to really figure out how to play defense on him," graduate forward Jae'Lyn Withers said. "Because he plays off of leverage, he's just trying to get to his left hand."

In No. 9 North Carolina's 92-89 loss to No. 1 Kansas on Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse, Dickinson dominated the Tar Heel bigs. And while UNC ran a more effective defensive scheme in the second half and even out-rebounded Kansas 40-39, Dickinson found ways to score in pivotal moments. He tallied 20 points and 10 boards as the Jayhawks scored 50 points in the paint compared to the Tar Heels' 32. 

“One of the things that we always talk about [is] you gotta play defense before you play defense,” head coach Hubert Davis said. “And if you start playing defense when they’re already on the block or posting up, it’s just too late for those talented types of players.”

The 7-foot-2-inch Dickinson established his presence in the post over smaller UNC defenders early in the game.

Junior forward Jalen Washington and first-year forward James Brown — both standing at 6 feet,10 inches tall — were the tallest defenders Dickinson faced. 

North Carolina struggled to get anything going offensively in the lane, making just five of 13 layups in the first half. 

On the other end of the floor, Dickinson often positioned himself on the low block, receiving the ball under the basket and in the middle of the floor. 

With Kansas able to get Dickinson the ball in the middle of the court, North Carolina's ability to double team him was eliminated. A skilled passer, Dickinson had multiple options on the perimeter if the Tar Heels collapsed on the lane. And with Kansas shooting nearly 60 percent from the floor in the first half, that wasn’t an option.  

"They run a number of actions that put him in those situations," Davis said. "And that's the number one reason why they do that is because in the middle of the floor, you can't get double teamed."

While Dickinson only posted seven points and five rebounds in the first half, his physicality proved problematic for the North Carolina frontcourt. UNC’s forwards — a combination of graduate Ty Claude, Brown, Washington, Withers and Lubin, who all saw meaningful playing time — racked up 10 of North Carolina’s 11 personal fouls in the first half. 

“It [is] just tough when you get into foul trouble,” Washington said. “Nobody wants to get in foul trouble, you want to be in the game, be in the flow of the game the entire time.”

But even with the personal fouls hanging over UNC’s bigs in the second half, they found ways to force Dickinson into uncomfortable positions, even bringing in the double team at times.   

In the second half, Washington, Withers and Lubin looked different. They played with more physicality. They boxed out stronger. They didn’t let Dickinson establish the same presence he had in the first. 

“When we really forced him to get his catches closer to the perimeter it was a little bit easier for us,” Withers said. 

But as quickly as it started working, it all fell apart. 

Lubin, who had been a key piece in slowing down Dickinson, fouled out with 4:19 remaining and UNC up 84-81. 

With Washington at four fouls and the game tied at 89, Dickinson made one last move nearing the final minute of the game.

Kansas’ Zeke Mayo cut behind the towering center and to the wing to receive the ball. Dickinson set himself up on the basket-side of Washington. Mayo found him down low. Dickinson laid it in. 92-89 Kansas.

“It is very difficult [to defend that play] and there’s a reason why they run that play," Davis said. 

 Dickinson ran down the court, shaking his head and flexing. 

@mdmaynard74

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