Hunter Mickelson tries to work his way into Jayhawk rotation

LAWRENCE — You can call him Big Huntry, Mick or just Hunter. The pride of Jonesboro, Ark., does not care much about nicknames or monikers. Hunter Mickelson is a simple sort of college senior, and stereotypes aside, he is a young 20-something who feels most at ease doing something outdoors, like hunting or fishing.

In 20 years, maybe you can picture Mickelson as a gentleman farmer — what else? But for the moment, Mickelson has a different role in mind. After two seasons at Kansas — one sitting out as a transfer, one as a little-used big man — Mickelson is hoping for something more substantial during his senior season — like a role in the Jayhawks’ frontcourt rotation.

For the moment, his role is still fluid. If Kansas freshman big man Cheick Diallo is cleared by the NCAA, the Jayhawks will feature six post players with an argument for playing time. Senior forward Perry Ellis is a lock to start at power forward, while forward Jamari Traylor and center Landen Lucas commanded more minutes than Mickelson last season. Then there is Diallo and freshman forward Carlton Bragg, a skilled four-man. If eligible, Diallo could project to pair with Ellis in the paint at some point. Bragg, meanwhile, has been an October surprise, coming along quicker than perhaps Kansas’ coaches even envisioned. Mickelson, though, could be a frontcourt wild card after making his case with a strong performance at the World University Games last summer.

During an eight-game tournament run, he was fourth on the team in scoring (8.4 points) while averaging 4.9 rebounds. In recent weeks, Kansas coach Bill Self has called Mickelson one of his team’s most improved players.

“Hunter Mickelson is probably, well, what fans would probably view as our most improved guy,” Self said.

Mickelson, who spent his first two college seasons at Arkansas, credits one thing for the summer surge:

“Energy,” he says.

During the Jayhawks’ gold medal-winning performance, Mickelson was an active presence on the boards and in passing lanes. The hustle resulted in easy baskets and extra possessions, and it positioned him for more playing time this season. For the moment, though, the frontcourt is crowded and the rotation is still coming into focus. As a junior, Mickelson averaged just 2.4 points while appearing in 19 games. Traylor, meanwhile, averaged 20.4 minutes while making 18 starts, and Lucas logged 15.2 minutes and 14 starts.

For Mickelson to earn consistent playing time, he will likely have to prove himself more valuable than Traylor or Lucas.

“Those are good players that’s proven that they can do good things when they’re in there,” Self said. “So I think it’s pretty exciting, and the guys know that there’s going to be more competition in the gym during our practice sessions than what we’ve had in a while.”

This story was originally published November 6, 2015 at 10:28 AM with the headline "Hunter Mickelson tries to work his way into Jayhawk rotation."