Here’s KU basketball coach Bill Self on Hunter Dickinson’s ejection from Duke game
Kansas Jayhawks men’s basketball coach Bill Self and senior center Hunter Dickinson had a lot to talk about during Thursday afternoon’s Thanksgiving Day dinner for KU’s basketball players, coaches and family members.
One topic that did not need to be rehashed amid the feasting on turkey, stuffing and various sides at McCarthy Hall (the apartment complex that houses the team): Dickinson’s ejection with 10 1/2 minutes left to play in Tuesday’s 75-72 victory over Duke in Las Vegas.
Dickinson was called for a Flagrant Two foul for excessive contact with Duke’s Maliq Brown as both were tangled on the ground. Dickinson was cited for kicking Brown in the head with his right leg.
“Hunter and I have talked. It didn’t take a few days. We talked,” Self said. “Regardless of what occurs in any situation, he (Dickinson) put himself in a position where he reacted emotionally. There’s no doubt that that conversation has taken place.
“That is one that will be a good learning lesson, but also not one that I am going to worry about moving forward, because I actually believe he’ll handle everything right and not let the emotions get the best of him (in future).”
Self said right after Tuesday’s game it probably was a “coin flip” call whether Dickinson committed a Flagrant One or Two. Flagrant One means technical foul; Flagrant Two means ejection.
“I thought it was a Flagrant One. I didn’t think it was a Flagrant Two, but I’m also speaking from a situation where I might be a little biased,” Self said Friday. “Although (Dickinson was) wrong, I also didn’t see the intent to try to hurt or anything like that, but the officials may look at it from a different perspective in what the rule may be to the letter.
“Also when you put anything in slow motion and you review things in slow motion (on monitor), obviously you see more than what actually occurred or what you could see in real time. Usually when people react it’s in real time not in slow motion.
“No question it deserved to be a Flagrant One,” Self went on. “But on the flip side of that, gosh dang it should give Flory a lot of confidence, too, which should be good for our team.”
Freshman forward Flory Bidunga subbed in for Dickinson during crunch time and finished with six points and eight boards in 16 minutes. Dickinson was a defensive presence down the stretch for the Jayhawks (6-0).
Unlike in football when a player is ejected, Dickinson will not have to sit out the first half of Saturday’s 5 p.m. home game against Furman.
“There was no fight or anything like that, so no,” Self said, asked if Dickinson had to sit out a half.
Duke coach Jon Scheyer commented on Dickinson’s Flagrant Two after the game.
“I saw on the screen that he kicked him in his face so I think that warrants a Flagrant Two,” Scheyer said Tuesday. “Again I haven’t had a good look or anything more, but that to me was really an easy one for me.”
ESPN color analyst Fran Fraschilla providing commentary during the game had this to say about the foul: “That’s a foul on Brown over the back (that caused the two to tumble to the court). Now watch the feet … man, these three officials are going to have a tough time judging whether this was intentional. The foot certainly comes down on his head. It could go either way. It could be a dead ball contact technical. I think you’ve got to call it a dead ball contact technical; I do.”
After the ejection was announced, Fraschilla said: “They took it even further (from a Flagrant One to Two). That is amazing. The rule is it has to be severe and extreme. I’d have given it a Flagrant One when it’s a dead ball contact technical. I’m surprised it’s a Flagrant Two. They felt it was severe and extreme. I felt it was excessive which is Flagrant One. The intent they (refs) decided was to kick Brown in the head.”
