Hunter Dickinson finished last season with no shortage of hardware for his trophy case.
A former four-star recruit, the 7-foot-1 center made an immediate impact after arriving in Ann Arbor. He tied Trey Burke’s Michigan record for most Big Ten Freshman of the Week selections, earned an All-American nod and won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award.
And yet so far this season, Dickinson has gotten even better.
His scoring average has increased from 14.1 points to 18.1. Over the Wolverines’ last seven games, he’s averaging 22.7 points. He’s also improved his rebounding tally, increased his field goal and free throw percentages and doubled his assists. All while adding a 3-point threat to his offensive game.
“Hunter has been working hard throughout the season, offseason, finding ways to be effective and to help his team, whether it’s inside scoring or outside scoring,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said Monday. “To his credit, he’s always been dialed in as a competitor to do whatever it takes to help put us in the best position to be a competitive team. With his skill set and how dynamic he is on both sides of the floor, it’s always a great strength to have for us moving forward to give us our competitive edge.”
Dickinson has become the face of the Wolverines in more ways than one. Most importantly, he’s the centerpiece of the team’s offensive identity. When he’s on the floor, Michigan plays through the post and runs many of its actions off Dickinson’s low-post touches. He’s found an efficient balance between exploiting smaller defenders and kicking out to the Wolverines’ 3-point shooters when defenses collapse on the interior.
But Dickinson has also become a public-facing icon of the program in some ways. He’s established himself as the standard for the Howard-coached college big men to follow, and the combination of his success and Howard’s 19-year NBA career has created buzz on the recruiting trail. Dickinson has also had social media scuffles with other Big Ten fan bases, namely Illinois and Maryland.
It all circles back to a mindset that brazenly embraces exactly what many players shy away from.
“Hunter is a competitor, and he thrives on competition,” Howard said. “It’s nice to see a young man, no matter what, he embraces whoever we play against and also wherever we play at. That’s what basketball and the passion and the love for the game is all about. Hunter has displayed he has the passion and love for the game of basketball.”
Within Michigan’s Player Development Center, Howard has a mantra about the Wolverines’ improvement: 1% better each day. It applies to the starters, reserves, walk-ons, managers, coaching staff and everyone else that has a hand in the program.
Following his NBA career, Howard got his start as a coach in player development for the Miami Heat in 2013-14. His work helped Bam Adebayo and Hassan Whiteside grow into one of the league’s best frontcourts. Howard quickly proved his player development prowess, leading to a promotion to full-time assistant coach in 2014.
On Monday, a reporter asked if there’s anything Dickinson could even do better at this point. Howard laughed.
“They all can do something better, myself included,” Howard said. “There’s always room for growth. We will continue to keep working in the gym. Hunter will continue to keep learning and growing.
“Once you’ve stopped or feel like you’ve made it or arrived or you have nothing else to work on, then I’ve always said this, you might as well retire from the game of basketball. And I know Hunter is not ready to retire.”
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