Michigan Wolverines basketball freshman center Hunter Dickinson was once again the story of the game in U-M’s 62-58 win over Penn State, pouring in a game-high 20 points in his first career start.

He connected on nine of his 14 shots and pulled down seven boards, and is not only far and away the best freshman on U-M’s roster, but is perhaps turning himself into the best all-around player as well.

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Dickinson played a career-high 28 minutes today, with the expanded role of course being a result of fifth-year senior forward Austin Davis’ plantar fasciitis injury.

“I’m really proud of Hunter,” Davis exclaimed after the game. “He’ll continue to push and work, and deliver for us in those [late] moments. He puts the work in and has done a tremendous job from the first day he’s been on campus.

“Hunter has had a learning mindset from day one, and is extremely coachable — both from Coach [Juwan] Howard and the assistants. He accepts coaching and puts it into effect.

“We’ve had a great relationship and he’s gotten very comfortable in whatever situation he’s put in. Hunter has delivered with whatever we’ve asked of him.”

Dickinson delivered when Michigan needed him most today, making three of U-M’s final four field goals at a time when the two teams were trading leads down the stretch. The 7-1 center was a menace on the defensive end as well, blocking three Nittany Lion shots.

“I’m just trying to do what Coach teaches every day — stay in my stance and stay low, and a couple more seconds off the ball screens have helped me,” Dickinson explained. “Staying the extra second helps contest the shot and sometimes get the block.”

“He has such a presence in the paint, and blocks and alters a lot of shots,” senior guard Eli Brooks added. “I still think he can grow more in that area and be more active in the ball screen, because he’s an elite level defender when he does that.”

U-M’s defense as a whole stifled Penn State on the afternoon, holding the Nittany Lions to just 31 percent from the field. PSU’s leading scorer — sophomore forward Seth Lundy — shot just two-of-10 from the floor, while junior guard Myreon Jones (who was averaging 12.3 points per game coming in) only connected on three of his 11 attempts.

“Gap presence and making ball handlers see multiple guys in the lane so they can’t go straight downhill,” Brooks noted afterward when asked where the team’s defense is improving.

“We’ve also been working on not fouling on shots. We did those things today and came out with the win.”

Freshman forward Terrance Williams only played two minutes today, but was in the game on U-M’s final defensive possession. Dickinson, on the other hand, was on the bench during crunch time.

“Penn State went small on their last possession, and I told Coach I could guard [junior guard] Myles Dread — he wasn’t having it,” Dickinson laughed. “I also had four fouls, and he wanted to be safe and have Terrance in, who can switch all ball screens.

“That was a good decision for the team.”

Williams made his presence felt defensively during the game’s closing minutes, despite having spent the entire game on the bench prior to that.

“Terrance coming in late was tremendous,” Davis recapped. “Not getting in most of the game but staying ready and getting it done was a major pickup and helped push us over the edge.”

“T. Will [Williams] did a good job of communicating two times in those sets,” Brooks explained. “He stayed ready and locked into the game plan, and executed. He has a high basketball IQ and is always ready to go.

“Most people would have been checked out if they hadn’t played for those 38 minutes or whatever it was, but he did a good job of staying focused.”

Notes

• Davis’ plantar fasciitis injury will keep him out “indefinitely,” Howard revealed Friday, after the fifth-year senior was injured in Wednesday’s win over Toledo.

“I never had any prior conditions with it that would have contributed to the injury,” Davis said. “We’re taking it day by day; I’m in the best hands possible with the medical staff here.

“We’re working to get healthy and come back and contribute.”

• Dickinson praised Davis throughout today’s postgame press conference, crediting the fifth-year senior for the way he has consistently pushed him and helped mold him into the player he is now.

“I owe it to Austin Davis,” Dickinson exclaimed when asked about his early-season success. “Without him, there’s no way I’d be playing this good. He pushes me as hard as anyone I’ve ever gone against in practice.

“He’s so experienced and I got a taste of what the Big Ten is like every day in practice. He’s still in my ear during practice and during games, telling me what he sees out there.

“He’s helping me even more now and has so much to give. I listen as much as I can to him.”

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