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On Tuesday, the Michigan Wolverines got some exciting news as star big man Hunter Dickinson announce he would be foregoing the 2021 NBA Draft and returning to Ann Arbor for his sophomore season. He put together an outstanding first year in Ann Arbor last season and will now now be back for another campaign.
NEWS: Michigan's Hunter Dickinson is withdrawing from the 2021 NBA Draft and returning to college, according to a statement from his representatives.https://t.co/ScbhJoZkvB
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 6, 2021
During his lone season in Ann Arbor, Dickinson played in 28 contests and averaged an impressive 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.4 blocks per game. He arrived as a highly rated recruit and lived up to the hype, beoming last year’s Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earning some All-Big Ten honors by season’s end.
While Dickinson did officially declare for the Draft earlier this year, most experts always thought this would be the conclusion. Dickinson might have put together a great freshman season, but he still has a way to go to become a serious NBA prospect. The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie rated him as a fringe Draft prospect and it’s hard to disagree. Another year of fine tuning could really elevate his stock.
And, obviously, this is tremendous news for Michigan as the Wolverines try and build off last year’s Big Ten title campaign. Dickinson will enter next season as one of the preseason favorites for Big Ten Player of the Year and will be surrounded by plenty of talent as Michigan welcomes the nation’s highest rated recruiting class.
We’ll have to wait and see how things shake out, but Wolverine fans have to be excited about Dickinson coming back to campus. Expect Michigan to once again make some serious noise.