Michael Hickey/Getty Pictures
No. 1 survives.
In the very best recreation of the younger males’s faculty basketball season, the top-ranked Kansas Jayhawks outlasted the No. 17 Kentucky Wildcats for an 89-84 victory in Tuesday’s Champions Traditional on the United Middle in Chicago.
It was a back-and-forth affair all through, and there have been prolonged stretches the place it appeared like each groups would ultimately draw back for the win. But clutch taking pictures from Dajuan Harris Jr. and a dominant efficiency from Hunter Dickinson was sufficient for the Jayhawks to prevail.
Dickinson completed with 27 factors, 21 rebounds and three steals, whereas Harris added 23 factors and 7 assists behind 5-of-6 taking pictures from three-point vary. Throw in a triple-double of 12 factors, 10 assists and 10 rebounds from Kevin McCullar Jr., and Kansas had an excessive amount of firepower.
The efficiency drew reward from social media:
Jeff Borzello @jeffborzello
Through @ESPNStatsInfo: Hunter Dickinson is the primary participant with 20 factors and 20 rebounds vs. Kentucky over the past 25 seasons. It is also the primary 20/20 recreation in Champions Traditional historical past.
NCAA March Insanity @MarchMadnessMBB
Hunter Dickinson beats the horn 🚨
Kentucky leads 48-41 on the half! pic.twitter.com/dFojiiGzSX
Sam Vecenie @Sam_Vecenie
Dajuan Harris is such a stud. Was so good final 12 months. I additionally proceed to not rule him out as NBA participant as a backup PG. So regular. Will get everybody invovled. Wholly unselfish mentality. Nice defender. If the taking pictures is actual prefer it was tonight, has a case as finest PG within the nation
NCAA March Insanity @MarchMadnessMBB
Dajuan Harris catching FIRE from deep 🔥 @KUHoops pic.twitter.com/kTboEaO9q5
Matt Norlander @MattNorlander
The Dajuan-Harris-to-Hunter-Dickinson lob/dish potential this season is sky-high. These two may develop to have nice really feel for one another’s tendencies.
Seth Davis @SethDavisHoops
What a response by Kansas!
15-2 run places Jayhawks up by two. Dickinson doing Dickinson issues, however everybody has an element on this one. Let’s examine how (and whether or not) the Kiddie Cats reply.
Brian Rauf @brauf33
Love how aggressive Dajuan Harris is being offensively. He has largely taken a backseat in his profession however this workforce wants him to be extra of a scorer, and he has stepped up that manner tonight
Andrew Lind @AndrewLindTV
.@KUHoops is now 26-1 when Dajuan Harris has 10 or extra factors.
It is clear as day, the Jayhawks are higher when he is not only a move first level guard.
CJ Moore @CJMooreHoops
Hunter Dickinson’s physique management when he got here off that baseline spin was spectacular. Sensed the assistance and completed on left facet when normally going to reverse there.
Jeff Goodman @GoodmanHoops
FINAL: Kansas 89, Kentucky 84
Jayhawks have been down 14 at one level within the second half, however Dajuan Harris hit some HUGE 3’s and Hunter Dickinson had a monster recreation (27 factors, 21 rebounds).
Give Kentucky credit score. Have been proper there with Reeves and Wagner mixed 8-36 from discipline.
Brian Rauf @brauf33
Veteran win for Kansas. Took an enormous punch from Kentucky and stayed regular. Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris have been the distinction
The Jayhawks are the highest workforce within the nation with nationwide championship aspirations due to the presence of quite a lot of headline veterans, whereas Kentucky was the one with some questions on youth and inexperience.
It did not look that manner within the first half.
Freshman Rob Dillingham offered a direct prompt the bench with a barrage of three-pointers and a willingness to facilitate when Kansas collapsed on him. Mix that with sophomore Adou Thiero controlling the boards and scoring from totally different areas, and the SEC representatives jumped out to a seven-point halftime lead and prolonged it to double digits.
Nevertheless, the seemingly inevitable Kansas run arrived.
Dickinson began overwhelming Kentucky’s bigs down low, and McCullar arrange Okay.J. Adams Jr. for a number of possibilities in a row that included an alley-oop. McCullar then transformed an and-one, and similar to that the Massive 12 workforce had the lead.
NCAA March Insanity @MarchMadnessMBB
HERE COME THE JAYHAWKS!
7-0 run for @KUHoops 👀 pic.twitter.com/bp46WDr152
It will have been simple for the Wildcats to fold down the stretch after Kansas appeared to grab management, however they did the alternative. Very similar to Dillingham within the first half, freshman Reed Sheppard offered a key elevate off the bench along with his exterior taking pictures, and Antonio Reeves created a number of scoring possibilities.
The back-and-forth outlined the second half, however Harris’ red-hot taking pictures from the skin and a key basket down low from Dickinson in crunch time secured the win for the Jayhawks.
They may look to maintain the momentum rolling once they face Chaminade on Monday.
