As such, Kansas head coach Bill Self revealed his plan for star big man Hunter Dickinson, per Jeff Goodman. "One thing Kansas coach Bill Self told me earlier in the week is that he intends to play through Hunter Dickinson more down the stretch," Goodman wrote on X .

Kansas led 26-20 with eight minutes left in the first half, but the offense cooled off, allowing Colorado to hang around. Dickinson was the one keeping things steady, dominating inside and helping the Jayhawks rebuild a double-digit lead with just over five minutes to play.

Colorado took its only lead when Hammond scored in the paint to make it 39-38 with 15:39 remaining. Dickinson answered with a jumper and a three-point play and Kansas never trailed again. The Buffaloes managed to even the score twice and trailed 62-60 after Hammond nailed a 3-pointer with 4:12 left. They would get no closer.