Kansas basketball's Bill Self thinks Hunter Dickinson, Shakeel Moore will play vs Howard

Kansas basketball’s Bill Self thinks Hunter Dickinson, Shakeel Moore will play vs Howard

Posted by Admin November 3, 2024 Basketball

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LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball’s regular season opener awaits Monday, and it appears as if the Jayhawks will finally be at full strength.

When Kansas played an exhibition game in October on the road against Arkansas, the Jayhawks were without graduate center Hunter Dickinson, graduate guard Shakeel Moore and junior guard Rylan Griffen due to injury. Kansas’ next exhibition game last month, at home against Washburn, saw only Griffen return to action for the Jayhawks. But when Kansas plays Howard on Monday at home inside Allen Fieldhouse, Jayhawks head coach Bill Self believes Dickinson and Moore will be available.

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“I anticipate having a full squad,” Self said. “… We have not limited reps since the game Tuesday, with (Dickinson) and (Moore), even though that may be the case, kind of, moving forward. But we haven’t limited reps. So, yeah, unless something unforeseen happens then we should be good. Rylan did fine getting through the game, and so this is the closest we’ve been to healthy — even though the timing’s off on two of them. But, hopefully by next week, we’ll be a little bit better.”

Self explained that when he referenced the potential of limiting reps moving forward, he meant in practice. He doesn’t foresee any effort to hold either Dickinson or Moore back, in terms of minutes, during the game against Howard. Moore isn’t someone Self envisions playing 25 minutes, but that’s not because of the injury that’s just because Moore was out for weeks.

Self outlined that Dickinson and Moore both got through Thursday’s long practice fine, and went through treatment Friday morning. He added those two, based on what he’d been told Friday morning, would be full go for Friday’s practice. Dickinson provides Kansas with one of its anticipated starters, and Moore is someone who can be a valuable member of the rotation.

It might take some time for Dickinson to get his conditioning and rhythm back early, Self allowed, but once Dickinson does Self thinks people will see a better passer. That will be, in part, because of how the Jayhawks are going to play a bit different this season. Self also thinks Dickinson is capable of shooting the ball better than he did last season.

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.