While the Sunflower Showdown has been an intense rivalry on the basketball court over the past few seasons, two players from the rivalry, Kansas‘ Hunter Dickinson and Kansas State‘s Tylor Perry, have also taken their beef to social media.
Dickinson threw the first punch on social media, responding to the news that Kansas State was hosting Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins on a visit, saying, “You’re only about an hour and 30 away from the real college in Kansas.”
Hawkins then responded to Dickinson’s tweet with a gif reaction, which brought Kansas State’s Tylor Perry into the fight, saying, “That guy was a Nae’Qwan Tomlin & Ques Glover away from getting swept.”
Dickinson then pushed back at Tylor Perry for his stat line in the Wildcats’ 90-68 loss to the Jayhawks in Lawrence, saying, “I think your 2 points that game was a bigger factor in that champ.”
Despite the pair trading shots on social media regarding Coleman Hawkins, the series has remained even for fans of both teams. Kansas and Kansas State split games last season, with each home team emerging victorious.
While it’s tough to say what the outcome will be in 2024-25, the next chapter of the historic rivalry is sure to feature some animosity.