Purdue, Illinois, Indiana … several Big Ten teams have a chance to make noise both in conference and on the national stage this year. Perhaps none, though, have an opportunity like Michigan now that sophomore big man Hunter Dickinson has announced his return.
Dickinson, a second-team All-Big Ten selection last year after he averaged 14.7 points and 7.4 points per game, has sculpted his body in the offseason and worked on his outside game, so he should make a huge leap this year. That’s exciting given that several, including former Michigan coach John Beilein, a Big Ten analyst turned NBA Player Development coach with the Detroit Pistons, called him a once-in-a-decade freshman big man.
Michigan assistant Phil Martelli agreed.
“There are a lot of layers with Hunter, because he’s a veteran player despite being only a sophomore,” Martelli said. “He’s had so many experiences in basketball with (AAU) Team Takeover, DeMatha High School (in Maryland). He’s been in the laboratory with Juwan, so to speak, for a year, and I’ll be honest with you — I was surprised. I thought he had even more.”
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Not that he was at all disappointed with what Dickinson provided as a freshman. He knows well how special he is.
