Hunter Dickinson Further Explains Decision To Return To Michigan

INDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Michigan Wolverines sophomore center Hunter Dickinson tested the NBA Draft waters this past offseason but elected to return to Ann Arbor for what he hopes is one last ride.

Modern rules allow college athletes to enter the evaluation process and still return to school. Dickinson took advantage of this but ultimately felt like the time was not right for him.

“The NBA has been a lifelong goal of mine," he said on Thursday at Big Ten Basketball Media Days in Indianapolis. "It’s something that I plan to achieve in the future. I didn’t think it was time for it. I felt like I would have been pressing and forcing it when it wasn’t meant to be. I felt like I was blessed with two great options. To be able to come back and experience a normal year and have one more go with it in college basketball, I thought it was the best option for me.”

Money was not the biggest consideration, but the emergence of NIL opportunities made returning to Michigan an easier decision.

"I don’t have to go to Chipotle and wonder if I can get double chicken anymore. I’m pretty good on that," Dickinson joked. "It should have been in NCAA sports for a long time, but I’m glad they are finally able to do it. It’s our name. It’s not like the schools are paying us. If a company wants to give me money because they like what I do, because they like what I do, they should be able to do that.”

The feedback from the NBA was simple. Dickinson displayed the skill-set of a throwback, post-up center last season, which is something the league has started to move away from. The scouts want to see him add a stretch element to his game.

“Shoot a couple more threes than I did last year," Dickinson said. "I only shot three, so anything I do is going to be an improvement. Shooting more volume. They wanted to see it over the course of a season and not just in workouts. I did a lot of work over the summer in moving better on the floor.”

Dickinson also favored his left hand when he got the ball in the post last season, which is something that defenses were able to key on at times to limit his output.

“That’s something that Coach (Juwan) Howard and I work on a lot in player development in using my right hand more," Dickinson said. "I’m trusting it more, but I’m still not where I want to be with it. I’ve gotten a lot better and by the time the season starts it will be something I use regularly."

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Fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks sat next to Dickinson throughout Thursday's half-hour media session and weighed in on what it would mean for 2020-21's Big Ten Freshman of the Year to take his game away from the basket.

“It opens up the floor a lot because then a big has to honor Hunter," he said. "It creates closeouts and when people are scrambling, it’s easier to score.”

Dickinson also hopes to be more effective in fighting off double teams this season.

“Double teams aren’t really that fun," he said. "Coach Howard has done a lot with me posting up deep so they can’t bring the double team. That’s the best option, and also just working on the face-up game, just opening it up and seeing the floor. If they come and double team me, you’re able to see the entire floor and not with your back to the basket. That helps a lot too.”

Dickinson has been through the draft process and knows the feedback. While he knows what he has to do to shine in the eyes of talent evaluators, his plan is to not let it come at the expense of winning basketball games.

“I’m not going to force it," he said. "We’re still trying to win a national championship and whatever that takes from me, that’s what I’m going to do. I’m not going out there and trying to shoot 10 threes a game to show something to NBA scouts. I’m going to try to win the game and do a little bit of both. If I can apply that, it will definitely make us a more dangerous team and harder to guard.”

None of the feedback he received would mean much of anything if he did not put the work in to improve this offseason. Dickinson revealed what his hectic schedule looked like during the summer.

“This summer was pretty hectic for me," he said. "It was a lot of three-a-days, two-a-days, four-a-days. I did a lot of great work this summer and I’m really proud of the work I put in. I’m excited to show that this season.”

Player development and other goals aside, Dickinson also wanted the opportunity to have a normal college experience after a pandemic-altered freshman season. Athletes were more or less sequestered throughout the year to stay healthy for competition. Dickinson says has filled his selfie quota on campus over the last month or so since students returned.

“It’s fun. Being able to go out and go to football games on Saturdays and enjoy that experience in the Big House is crazy," he said. "It’s like no other. Hanging out with my fellow Michigan students has been super fun because I felt like we were isolated from them. It did not feel like I really went to Michigan last year and that I was just on the team. Like I was just a basketball player and I went to an online school. I feel like a real student. An actual student.”

Dickinson is back, the team is locked in and the preparation is fully underway for the 2021-22 season. The team's mission is lofty, but not impossible.

“Undefeated season," Dickinson said. "I don’t expect to lose. You want to win every game. With Coach Howard, the expectation every year is to win a national championship.

"We’d be selling ourselves short if we didn’t think we were capable of winning every game on our schedule."

The season kicks off on Nov. 5 in an exhibition tilt at Wayne State to help them open their new basketball facility. The regular season begins on Nov. 10 vs. Buffalo at Crisler Center.

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