In the age of soft-touch, finesse basketball, Hunter Dickinson is an anomaly.

The Kansas basketball center plays with a rare level of firepower, toughness and competitive spirit that feels like it’s straight from a bygone era. He’s the type of player who thrives on contact, appreciates physicality and isn’t afraid to get under his opponents’ skin.

But as we saw with his flagrant foul against Duke in the Jayhawks’ 75-72 win on Tuesday night, there’s a fine line between harsh and reckless.

To be clear, Dickinson is everything you want in a player – fierce, determined and full of heart. He plays with the kind of passion that is rare in today’s college game, where the emphasis often shifts to speed and style over substance.

He’s the type of player who brings intensity to the pitch, the type who isn’t afraid to create variety, take a hit or throw one. This type of attitude is what makes Kansas basketball so difficult to play against.

It promotes the culture of the team and ensures a toughness that runs through the entire squad.

But here’s where it gets tricky: Passion is one thing, but crossing the line into retaliation is another.

Dickinson’s ejection on Tuesday after a flagrant foul was a moment of pure frustration. Sure, he fought for position, fought for every rebound, but he let the Fire take over.

We’ve seen it before.

The big man is no stranger to being in the thick of things, but when does this fiery passion start to hurt his team? The Jayhawks’ defense struggled without him on the field, and it was a reminder that Dickinson’s raw competitive spirit, while inspiring, sometimes puts his team in a tough spot.

So do we value players like Dickinson? Yes. Basketball could use more of his old-school mentality.

It’s refreshing in a sport that’s more about skill than endurance. Players like him remind us what it means to compete at the highest level – wanting it so badly that you’re willing to fight for every inch. But we must also be aware that with this type of personality there is a risk that emotions will take over, especially in the heat of the game.

Dickinson’s passion is undeniable, but he needs to channel it more effectively. Retaliation is never the right response, no matter how justified it feels in the moment.

His intensity can be a gift to Kansas, but only if he learns when to turn it off before it goes too far.

It’s the perfect storm. Dickinson is the player every team would love to have, the kind of tough, determined force that seems to be disappearing from the college game.

His competitive edge is something the sport could use more of. But like any great player, his challenge is knowing where that line is and making sure he doesn’t cross it.

Because if he does that, not only the game suffers, but also his team.

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