Austin Davis Loves How Mike Smith, Hunter Dickinson Are Fitting In At U-M
Michigan Wolverines basketball coach Juwan Howard surprised some people last winter when he announced then-redshirt junior center Austin Davis would be returning in 2020-21 for his fifth-year senior season, though the Onsted, Mich., native rewarded that confidence by providing valuable minutes off the bench down the stretch last year.
Though he only averaged 4.9 points and 2.6 rebounds per game on the year, Davis shot an incredible 69.3 percent from the floor, improving leaps and bounds from the player he used to be.
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“Coach Howard puts so much effort and energy into us every day, and it’s contagious,” Davis exclaimed to reporters this afternoon. “He also has great attention to detail and is all encompassing.
"It has helped me tremendously and I’ve seen it with everyone else on the team as well.”
With center Jon Teske having graduated after manning the center spot each of the last two years, Davis and freshman Hunter Dickinson are expected to be the Wolverines’ primary big men in a Michigan frontcourt that is low on experience and proven production.
The latter is expected to earn the starting gig after being rated as one of the best four-stars in the entire country out of high school, though Davis is still expected to play a significant role alongside him.
“Hunter has come in with a great mindset and willing to learn,” Davis said of the 7-1 freshman. “He’s so coachable and works his tail off on the court and in the weight room.
“Hunter will be a tremendous player and will continue to go up from here as he gets comfortable and continues to learn. We hang out outside of basketball quite a bit as well.
“This has been of the tighter groups of bigs, along with [redshirt junior] Jaron [Faulds] — us three have been really close this year. It helps us push each other and puts in a better position to do so.”
Dickinson isn’t the only newcomer expected to make a significant impact for the Wolverines this season, with fifth-year senior Mike Smith — who transferred in from Columbia — viewed by many as the favorite to earn the starting point guard job.
He averaged 22.8 points per game as a redshirt junior last season for the Blue Lions, but will face a mammoth step up in competition by playing in the Big Ten.
“Mike has done a great job of taking the bull by the horns from day one,” Davis revealed. “He’s a great leader and teammate, and is showing his experience by leading and coaching everyone on the team.
“He has transitioned so well, even though there’s a learning curve playing for this team. He’s a great passer too and is always looking to get others involved. Mike has a great personality and has helped bring this team together — he’s just a great guy to be around.
"We actually had a fish fry together during one of the games of the NBA Finals. We had had a fishing outing before that with Jaron and Hunter on my fishing boat, and caught 20 or 30 fish.
"It was a good team bonding experience.”
Davis used the term “tight-knit group” to describe the 2020-21 Wolverines, and that seems to be a common theme that has surfaced in the early stages of practice. It was unknown at this time last year whether or not Davis would even be on the team, but he made it clear he could not be more excited for the opportunity Howard has given him.
“My first four years here were an incredible experience overall,” Davis recalled. “It’s great to be at a university like this and be on a team with such a great group of guys. I’m thankful and blessed to be able to be around these people every day and to be in this environment.”
Notes
• Davis was asked this afternoon where he still would like to improve his game, and provided an honest self-assessment of an area that needs work.
“I still need to improve quite a bit on defense,” he admitted. “Moving my feet has been a weaker area of mine for a long time. I need to remain consistent as well and always be ready to fill the gaps and do whatever is needed from the team.”
• The fifth-year senior injured his shoulder late last season and wound up having offseason shoulder surgery, and provided an update today on his overall health status.
“I’m back to full go, though it’s been a long road to recovery,” he revealed. “Our entire coaching staff has been tremendous working with me and rehabbing. It’s unfortunate I had to go through it but I’m thankful to have had the resources at a place like this.
"I’m not back to 100 percent, but we’re getting there. It’s been feeling great in practice.”
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