big 12 basketball

Boulder, CO – Hunter Dickinson dominated the interior and led Kansas to a 71-64 victory over Colorado. It was the Jayhawks’ first win since falling out of the AP Top 25 for the first time since February 8, 2021.

Dickinson scored 32 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while shooting 13 of 18 from the floor. KJ Adams added 15 points for Kansas and Rylan Griffen added 10. Bangot Dak had 16 points to lead Colorado. His athleticism was on display as he had several rim rattling dunks.

Kansa improved to 19-9 and 10-7 in the Big 12 Conference. Colorado fell to 11-17 and 2-15 in the conference.

Players to watch

Hunter Dickinson (Kansas) Graduate, 7’1” 265 Center

Dickinson has had a very good NCAA career. He has been selected Second Team All-American at Michigan and Kansas. He is a very skilled player who lacks elite athleticism. He is an average athlete who will struggle to guard quicker bigs at the next level. He has a mechanical three- point shot with a slow release and is only shooting 23.1% from deep through 27 games on 1.4 attempts per game. He is 24 years old. He projects as a possible Two-Way player in the NBA. His style of play is not conducive to playing at a high level in Europe.

Flory Bidunga (Kansas) Freshman, 6’9” 220 PF/C

Bidunga has a wingspan of 7’2.5” with strong hands and is quick off his feet. He only averages 16.9 minutes per game. This is largely due to playing with Dickinson. He is a strong rebounder and his lateral quickness, wingspan, and explosiveness off the floor makes him an intimidating presence in the paint.

He was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to Kokomo, Indiana when he was 15 years old. He was a McDonald’s All American. There has been murmurs that he may enter the draft. I believe that he would be better served returning to Kansas to work on his skill set. He is very raw and has not attempted a three this season. He is still clearly the Kansas’s best NBA prospect.

Zeke Mayo (Kansas) Senior. 6’4” 185 SG

Mayo was Player of the Year in the Summit Conference while excelling for South Dakota State. He has a fluid three-point shot with a quick release, good arc, and good rotation. He is shooting 40.6% from three-point range on 6.3 attempts per game through 27 games. He projects as a Two-Way player. He can be a solid European player in the right situation.

Andrej Jakimovski (Colorado) Graduate,. 6’8” 220 CF

Jakimovski is from North Macedonia and played for Washington State for four seasons. He will be 24 years old on March 18th. He was the high scorer at the 2019 FIBA U19 European championships. He did not have a good game against Kansas. He will probably play in Europe, most likely in the Adriatic League.

This article was written by Dave Maron, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Boulder, CO – Colorado upset Baylor 76-74 on Saturday to earn its second straight Big 12 Conference victory. Julian Hammond III hit a pair of free throws with 17 seconds left which put Colorado up by four to seal the victory.

Baylor led 32-30 at the half, but Colorado went on a 9-0 run to take a 71-61 lead with 4:32 left. Sebastian Rancik keyed the run with a three-pointer and two free throws. Baylor closed gap to two with 29 seconds left after Jalen Celestine made a three-point jump shot and a layup. Hammond then hit the critical free throws.

Norchad Ormier led Baylor with 18 points and 13 rebounds and Langston Love added 17 points. Andrej Jakimovski led Colorado with 17 points. Rancik, Hammond III, and RJ Smith all scored in double digits for Colorado.

Baylor fell to 16-11 overall and 8-8 in conference play. Colorado improved to 11-16 and 2-14 in the conference.

Players to watch

VJ Edgecombe (Baylor) Freshman. 6’5” 180 SG

Edgecombe is an exceptional athlete. He has a 6’5” wingspan (+1) and an 8’3” standing reach. He has a great motor and is an excellent defender. A slight change in his mechanics has helped him improve his three point-shooting to 36% through 24 games. He is averaging 14.7 points, 5.2 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game.

He does not possess a tight handle but has very good court vision and is extremely unselfish. He did not shoot well against Colorado but had seven assists and executed a few pick and rolls with Norchad Omier. Edgecombe played for the Bahamian national team in the Olympic qualifiers. I believe that he is a high lottery pick and will land in the top five picks overall.

Norchad Omier (Baylor) Graduate, 6’7” PF

Omier is from Nicaragua and has played for Arkansas State and Miami. He has a 6’11.5” wingspan and an 8’8.5” standing reach. His long arms and strong body make him a very effective low post player. He has good footwork and uses ball fakes and nice low post moves to finish in the post. He is a very good screener and has good hands and can finish in pick and roll situations. He does not possess a fluid perimeter shot and plays below the rim. He projects as a G League player or a high-level European player for a team that prizes his skill set.

Julian Hammond III (Colorado) Senior, 6’2” 195 CG

Hammond III leads Colorado in scoring, assists, and steals. He has had to play as a point guard, while he is more effective playing the two.

Sebastian Rancik (Colorado) Freshman. 6’9” 210 PF

Rancik is a young player to watch as he develops. He is said to be closer to 6’10” and is very skilled. He can shoot the three spotting up, off movement, and off the dribble. He has good footwork and can finish in the paint. He is a solid defender who kept the talented Edgecombe in front of him on a couple of isolations. He has good lateral quickness. He must get stronger. His lack of strength makes it difficult for him to finish through contact.

This article was written by Dave Maron, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Facebook, or on twitter.

We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.

Key Players From the Kansas Win Over Colorado

Key Players From Colorado’s Upset of Baylor