LAWRENCE — Everyone knows Hunter Dickinson has the option to return to college for another season of Kansas basketball.

Dickinson, the Jayhawks’ senior center, arrived with the knowledge he could play two years after he transferred in from Michigan. When No. 15 Kansas won 90-68 against Kansas State on senior night Tuesday, coach Bill Self touched on it as he introduced Dickinson to the crowd inside Allen Fieldhouse for Dickinson’s speech. And when Dickinson spoke with reporters postgame, he was asked about it.

But while Dickinson can hear the fans who shout, “One more year,” his way, he’s still taking his time with his decision. While he didn’t reveal much about where he’s at with that choice, he did open up a little about it. He highlighted a focus on helping take the team as far as he can, especially in the NCAA tournament, and a desire to make a decision once things have settled.

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“Obviously it’s there, the COVID year,” Dickinson said. “... I definitely won’t have a decision before the end of the year because a lot can change from now until the end.”

Dickinson arrived at Kansas with a lot of hype around what he could accomplish with the Jayhawks (22-8, 10-7 in Big 12), and while the team has struggled with consistency at times that doesn’t mean there hasn’t been success. He’s been an All-Big 12 Conference caliber talent who’s currently averaging a double-double of 18.2 points and 11.0 rebounds per game. Against Kansas State alone earlier this week, he collected 15 points and 20 rebounds.

One might think that would lead Dickinson to find himself on a number of mock drafts. He has size, as he’s listed at 7-foot-2 and 260 pounds, and the ability to step out and hit 3s — although he hasn’t taken as many as some might have expected before the season began. But unlike graduate senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. and freshman guard Johnny Furphy, Dickinson isn’t receiving the same sort of attention.

Maybe deep runs in the Big 12 and NCAA tournaments this year would propel Dickinson into the spotlight in that regard, and maybe they wouldn’t. Self mentioned the best way for Dickinson to have a decision is for him to play well, and after Kansas plays at No. 1 Houston on Saturday it’ll be time for postseason play.

For now, Self said the two haven’t talked about it, and if Dickinson does return he comes back to a team with a coach he speaks highly of.

“You’re either going to probably leave the university, or you’re going to come out a man ready to take on the world,” Dickinson said. “(Self) demands excellence, and treats you like an adult — like in the real world.”

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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.

This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Will Hunter Dickinson return to Kansas basketball for another season?