Kansas Jayhawks Q&A: Hunter Dickinson’s passing ability on display in Puerto Rico

The Kansas men’s basketball team finished its summer exhibition slate on Monday against the Bahamas National Team at Ruben Rodriguez Coliseum.

The Jayhawks lost 87-81, with point guard Dajuan Harris leading KU with 23 points and super-senior Kevin McCullar chipping in with 19. The Jayhawks ended their Puerto Rico trip 2-1 overall.

Here are some fun thoughts (and slight overreactions) about the 2023-24 Jayhawks after three complete games in a non-intrasquad setting — before we hop into your questions.

KU needs an aggressive Dajuan Harris

After two quiet shooting games without a bucket, Harris erupted for 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting, including going 3 for 7 from 3.

Like last season, Harris cannot hesitate when he has an open look beyond the arc. He needs to shoot it, as it opens up the floor for the rest of his teammates. It’s especially crucial this season because KU’s perimeter shooting may be somewhat inconsistent.

“The first two games, I made no shots. Today I finally made a shot,” Harris said. “He ( Buddy Hield) just congratulated me. That’s what pros do, make shots.”

Hunter Dickinson’s passing is a thing of beauty

Dickinson didn’t assert himself too much on the offensive end, but his passing to KJ Adams and other teammates stood out.

Dickinson’s ability to play in the post or behind the arc is a massive boon for Kansas, but his passing ability will make this offense one of the best in the nation.

Throughout the Puerto Rico trip, Dickinson consistently created offense with the ball in his hands — finishing with 3.7 assists per game. His post ability is either going to leave players open beyond the arc or force single-coverage in the post, which will be deadly.

If Nick Timberlake isn’t making shots, what’s his role?

Timberlake averaged 8.7 points on 6-for-15 (40%) shooting from 3 in the trip, but it’s clear he needs to hit from beyond the arc to play big minutes.

The two guys battling for a starting spot with him (Arterio Morris and Elmarko Jackson) showcased that they can do plenty of other things better, even if they aren’t as proficient from 3-point range.

Timberlake played between 17-21 minutes in each of the three games and I wonder if that’s what he will play in the regular season. His minutes per game will likely depend on how well he’s shooting because that’s something he can bring the team.

With that, it’s time for another Kansas Jayhawks Q&A. As always, thank you for the questions!

The easy answer for this is KJ Adams. He’s hyper-athletic and quick — I think he’d be an excellent linebacker for KU football.

It’s a little harder the other way around. I think for football, backup QB Jason Bean would be pretty good at basketball.

Bean is the fastest player on KU football and his athleticism is unmatched; he’d likely be a force on the basketball court.

Hmm, this one is tough. If Austin were still relevant, it’d be an easy No. 1 for me.

1. Tempe, Arizona (ASU)

2. Orlando, Florida (UCF)

3. Cincinnati, Ohio (Cincinnati)

4. Houston, Texas (UH)

5. Fort Worth, Texas (TCU)

6. Salt Lake City, Utah (Utah)

7. Tucson, Arizona (Arizona)

8. Lawrence, Kansas (KU)

9. Boulder, Colorado (Colorado)

10. Provo, Utah (BYU)

11. Stillwater, Oklahoma (OSU)

12. Ames, Iowa (Iowa State)

13. Waco, Texas (Baylor)

14. Manhattan, Kansas (K-State)

15. Lubbock, Texas (Texas Tech)

16. Morgantown, West Virginia (WVU)

That’s a tough question, but I will pick two newcomers: offensive lineman Calvin Clements and tight end Jaden Hamm.

Between talking to their teammates and their positional coaches, both have been ahead of schedule for where freshmen typically are at this point.

Their older teammates have raved about how both are fitting in on and off the field.

I guess you’ll just have to find out next week.