LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball will face off against Wichita State on Saturday in a neutral site game in Kansas City.

The No. 2 Jayhawks (11-1) continue to thrive this season amid stellar competition. The Shockers (8-4) have played some power-conference teams close and could do the same this weekend.

Here are five things to know before Kansas is scheduled to tip off against Wichita State at 3 p.m. (CT) Saturday inside the T-Mobile Center:

Bill Self is seeing the benefits of the holiday break

Kansas basketball coach Bill Self said Thursday after the holiday break everyone’s legs seem to feel better. He noted that getting some days off helped everyone feel refreshed and allowed for a reset. How long that lasts will be determined in time, but it’s a good sign.

Hunter Dickinson feels refreshed after holiday break

Kansas’ players had the opportunity to take some time away after the win against Yale, and ahead of Saturday’s game against Wichita State. Count senior center Hunter Dickinson among those who thoroughly enjoyed being able to do so. He said Thursday that he really needed the break because of where his headspace was at, and that it allowed him to not have to think about basketball for a few days.

Dickinson, a potential All-American, went on to explain he was frustrated with how he was playing. He added that had something to do with how teams were playing him, and alluded to a desire to do a better job about finding his spots on the court. He’s looking to be more aggressive with his positioning and aiming to get deeper paint touches.

Bill Self reacts to Hunter Dickinson’s frustrations

Self noted earlier this season Dickinson played like a first-team All-American, but that the last few games — Yale, Indiana and Missouri, all wins — Dickinson hasn’t played as well and that could be the source of the frustration. Against Indiana and Yale, Self added, Dickinson looked tired as well. But Self mentioned that considering how many minutes they are playing their starters something like that is going to happen, and that he doesn’t think Dickinson should be frustrated.

Self said Dickinson is still getting touches and shots. People are going to double-team him as they have for years. However, Self said he would like to see Dickinson do more when it comes to being a rim protector.

“As long as we are inconsistent shooting the ball from the perimeter, it gives more people the ability to say, ‘OK, until you prove there, this is for sure how we’re going to guard you,’” Self said. “So, I think that he can do a better job of playing on the perimeter and us moving around to do that. But I also think he can do a better job posting deeper so that way it may be longer for double teams to come.”

Here’s what stands out to Bill Self about the Wichita State matchup

Self said Wichita State has talented big-men who can block shots, run to the rim and finish above it. The Shockers’ starting center, junior Quincy Ballard, reminds Self of a former Kansas talent Udoka Azubuike because of his ability to dunk and block shots.

Self also highlighted that Wichita State has a couple of guards, redshirt junior Colby Rogers and junior Xavier Bell, who average about 31 points per game combined. He could see that being a tough matchup for Kansas redshirt senior guard Dajuan Harris Jr. and graduate senior guard Kevin McCullar Jr. However, Self volunteered, he’s not sure if that’s exactly how the Jayhawks will play it.

“That’ll be big versus big,” Self said, “but you’ve got four guards versus four guards that are all pretty good.”

Bill Self doesn’t see this series becoming a home-and-home

Although some could see this game as something that could set up more games in the future, that’s not in the contract that outlined this matchup. Self said this isn’t going to turn into a home-and-home between the two programs either. But he does hope his players view this like an in-state rivalry.

“I don’t have anything against Wichita State,” Self said. “I’m not sure Roy had anything against Wichita State. I’m not sure any of the coaches had anything against Wichita State. But I know when I was at Tulsa, I made a lot of calls to Oklahoma and Oklahoma State and they weren’t returned.”

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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: Kansas basketball coach Bill Self addresses Wichita State series