Martelli, Washington detail Dickinson's return, dedicated offseason

Michigan welcomed Hunter Dickinson with open arms when the rising junior decided to return for his third season in Ann Arbor.

In an on-air interview with WTKA 1050, U-M assistant coaches Phil Martelli & Saddi Washington shared their thoughts on the towering center's return to the program.

"Let's be honest; NIL played a major part of his decision in being able to ultimately come back to Michigan. Again, for us, we want what they want. If Hunter decided it was time for him to go, we would've supported him. Coach (Juwan Howard) would've drove him to the airport, gave him a hug, and sent him on his way," Washington said. "Obviously, he stayed, and we welcome him back with a chest bump, high five, crack some jokes is what Hunter would do in the office. We're excited for him."

While both coaches noted Dickinson's calculated and thought-out approach to his decision, they emphasized his relationship with Howard as a primary gear in driving him to a return.

Dickinson was a part of Howard's first recruiting class as head coach in 2019. Initially, that recruiting class included a second five-star big-man in Isaiah Todd, who inevitably chose the G-League over college basketball. Dickinson would end up being the class's prize, and he's delivered on expectations improving on his excellent freshman season as a sophomore, averaging over 18 points & 8 rebounds per game.

Howard, a former Wolverine and 19-year NBA big man was the perfect mentor for Dickinson at the right time.

"Hunter seems complicated, but he's really not. He loves college. Factor in NIL; he loves college. He is, like most of our guys, he is an exceptional student. So that's all part of this. I don't know if I've been around a lot of relationships that are like Juwan and Hunter. I really believe, to piggyback on Saddi, I really believe he sees Juwan as like the zen master," Martelli said. "At this moment in time, it's beautiful that Hunter and Coach, they're formulating this plan."

Dickinson's flaw at the next level is his athleticism. He doesn't have the same bounce as the league's new version of a prototypical center, who might be smaller, but the athletic profile outweighs the frame on the court in today's NBA.

While he improved his three-point shooting from 0-for-4 as a freshman to 21-for-64 (32.8%) as a sophomore, Dickinson won't leap draft boards with an above-average outside shot.

With self-awareness at the forefront of his development, Dickinson plans to spend his offseason taking his athleticism to the level it needs to be in the NBA.

"What's next? Look, there's no secret, he has to become a better athlete. What's Hunter doing right now? Most guys are home. Hunter is here, and he's with Sandman. He has to become a better athlete. For our game, he has to be able to play better in crowds because, if Moussa's (Diabate) back, if Moussa's not back, who is playing alongside of Hunter? What does that do to the floor? I think that he has to become not a stat guy when he shoots. He has to become a legitimate, 'I'm raising up, and this ball is going in,' Martelli said. "Last summer we talked, my thing was that he had to cut down his turnovers. His turnovers for a kid that skilled were way too high. Cut those down. Now, it's about athletic abilities, which will increase his ability to cover the ball screen, which everybody has to do in today's game, college or professional. The (three-pointers) he takes have to go in. I would say to the fan out there if you could get this picture, Hunter became, over Eli; he became our best foul shooter. Why not take that stroke to the three-point line? That would be my thing."

There's a sense of awareness and synergy on Dickinson's flaws between himself and Michigan's developmental staff. From Howard down to strength & conditioning coach Jon Sanderson, AKA Sandman, the coaches are all-in on taking the 7-foot-2 Maryland native to the league.

As Martelli said, Dickinson is in Ann Arbor. He's not home, and he's committed to taking the most significant leap of his amateur career to incept his professional one.

He certainly has the necessary support to evolve his athletic profile and catapult his game to a new level.

"Again, our job, and I feel like our responsibility as coaches and teachers, is to put these young men into a position to be in position to make these kinds of decisions for themselves," Washington said. "This year, again, it's Michigan. We're excited for him, and we expect big things from him both on the court, in the locker room from a leadership perspective, and all of the above. He's been a great ambassador for the University of Michigan. I'm excited for his future and still being part of that growth process."

Go here to read the rest of what Martelli & Washington had to say.

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