The matchup the college basketball has been waiting for is finally here. Michigan freshman center Hunter Dickinson, who is leading his squad with 15 points and 7.8 rebounds per contest, is set to go up against Iowa senior big man Luka Garza, the nation's leading scorer at 24.7 points per game and the favorite to take home the Wooden Award come year's end.
It's not just a typical clash between two of the Big Ten's top big men. The two have a history, with both having grown up in the same area, just outside the nation's capital. They played for the same AAU program, Team Takeover, an elite organization that consistently produces elite college talent.
Though Dickinson is three years younger, his squad was sometimes called upon to practice with the Garza's team. Naturally, that meant the two bigs battled.
"Hunter would go up against Luka when he was a senior and Hunter was a freshman. He got a lot better from that," Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic assistant coach Ben Dickinson, Hunter's older brother, said.
While Garza was developing himself into an All-American, Dickinson was back home dominating the competition in the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference and on the Nike EYBL circuit. But when the pandemic hit last year, Garza, who was declared for the NBA Draft at the time, needed someone his size to work with. That's where Dickinson came in.
"I invited Hunter to come work out with us," Frank Garza, Luka's father, said. "For a couple reasons: One, for Luka to shoot over a big, tall target. And also for Hunter to get a little prepared for the Big Ten. Not too much, but just a bit. It’s a trade-off, right?" he added with a laugh.
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"I think Hunter got better working with Luka, and Luka got to work on some moves. At the next level, Luka’s not just going to be able to lay it in — he’s going to have to use his sky hook, he’s going to have to use some of his other things to get it up over that height — so it was great to have Hunter there to work some of those moves."
They didn't just work on moves — they competed, playing games of one-on-one, with Garza finishing on top more times than not, as expected. Dickinson held his own, but when he finally beat Garza, the elder gave it right back to him the next time.
"Very competitive, very intense," Frank Garza said of the matchups. "And that’s the only way to get better, is going up against better guys to up your game."
"I think it was good, kind of like a rude awakening for Hunter, just playing against other big guys similar to his size, because in high school, a lot of times, you can get frustrated when you’re the biggest guy on the court so you’re not able to use all your size, you’re not able to really bang and be physical," Ben Dickinson said. "But I think it was good for him so see, now I’m going up against another big guy that’s really physical, too, so I can go hard and use all my size. I think that’s what’s really helping him now."
Dickinson credits his offseason preparation, in addition to learning from his teammates and coaches at Michigan, for having him ready for the challenge of playing in the Big Ten.
He's much more equipped to face Garza now than he was in the summer, as he continues to improve. Dickinson's progression is actually ahead of where Garza was as a freshman, and if he stays in college long enough, he can accomplish some of the same feats Garza has.
"I expect big things of Hunter," Frank Garza said. "I think he can be Big Ten Player of the Year next year. He’ll be a force. I think [Michigan head man] Coach [Juwan] Howard knows that. That’s what I think of him, in terms of what he can do and just the kind of quality young man he is.
"I like Hunter a lot; I always have. Sweet man, and he’s intelligent. Oh, man, there’s nothing worse than a smart, big, tall, lengthy hooper that has a high I.Q., because it’s virtually impossible to stop."
