The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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32 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2020 2020-21 BASKETBALL PREVIEW hasn't been a situation where it's been hard for me as a coach to get guys to buy into the culture. "We have a unique culture that ev- eryone has embraced. Some guys are new, but they see our culture is real. That's why the transition has been smooth for our new guys." Smith echoes those sentiments, and also appreciates the quick move past new-guy status. "They welcomed me with open arms," he said. "I think that's a Mich- igan coaches' thing here. Once you're in, you're all in. Everybody treats you the same. Nobody's treated better than somebody else. "Coach has al- w a y s p r e a c h e d that. He lives by it, and all the players, you can see that ev- erybody cares for you, who you are and what you bring to the table. Off the court as well. We all hang out with each other." HOW IT COULD SHAKE OUT Howard will enjoy consider- able flexibility with his lineup. He hasn't made any full starting lineup projections, but was forth- coming about the point guard position in early November. That's crucial, given Simpson's clear status as last year 's floor leader. "We have three core guys that are decision-makers for our of- fense," Howard noted. "We start off with Mike. Eli is the second, and Zeb will get his opportunities as well." Smith and Brooks could easily team up as the starting backcourt, with Brooks sliding to the shooting guard spot. Brown and even Wagner can play some at the two as well, opening up the possibility for the Wol- verines to go with a very big lineup at times. Those two can also perform at the small forward, with Liv- Newcomer To Watch: Freshman Center Hunter Dickinson Freshman center Hunter Dickinson stands 7-1 and has big shoes to fill, after the Wolverines lost fellow seven-footer Jon Teske — and his 11.6 points and 6.7 re- bounds per game, plus 57 blocks — to graduation. Dickinson and fifth-year senior forward Austin Davis are the only two on the roster who primarily play the five spot, meaning early on-court action is coming his way, regardless of whether he wins the starting job or not. The 2020 Gatorade Player of the Year in Maryland was tabbed as a second-team All-American by MaxPreps, named the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) Player of the Year and honored by the Washington Post as the All- MET Player of the Year for 2019-20. The consensus four-star, top-50 recruit averaged 16.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, leading Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha to a 30-3 record and a conference tournament title. While transitioning from high school to college basketball can be difficult, Rivals.com's No. 40 player in the class of 2020 is acclimat- ing himself quite well, according to numerous members of the team. "Hunter has come in with a great mindset and willingness to learn," Davis said. "He's so coachable and works his tail off on the court and in the weight room. "Hunter will be a tremendous player and will continue to go up from here as he gets comfortable and continues to learn." The freshman class arrived in Ann Arbor this summer and has gone through voluntary workouts for months before practice began in early October. Through that process, Dick- inson feels he's adjusting well to the speed and flow of the game. He noted he's already seen it slow down, allowing him to recognize cutters and plays on the defensive end, and find passing lanes on the other side. Dickinson has the height and skill to finish near the rim and grab rebounds, but his playmaking ability as a passer has really stood out to teammates in practice. "As we've gotten to play, his passing ability and the way he sees the floor [has impressed]," senior guard Eli Brooks said. "He has a high basketball IQ and he can re- ally pass the ball. It's been fun to watch." "His ability to pass the ball has been something I've never seen out of a big, like slinging crosscourt passes with his left hand," freshman guard Jace Howard added. "He's one of the most skilled big men I've ever seen — super tall, moves his feet very well. "He has a very good back-to-the-basket game and he can really shoot the ball. There are times where he leads us in practice in shooting competitions." Playing defense in the post against other Big Ten centers may be the most significant challenge a freshman can face, and Dickinson sees himself making progress in that category as well. "In high school, I was able to relax more, especially at prac- tice and in games the other team's big man usually wasn't too good," Dickinson admitted. "But in college, there's a big difference. Now you have to fight them and make them get pushed out because if they bury you too deep, the big men are going to score. "In college, you're having to work earlier, push them out more, not let them catch it so easily and then actually have to guard. Every play you have to be really locked in or else they're going to score." — Clayton Sayfie All three major recruiting services rated the four- star Dickinson as Michigan's best incoming freshman and a top-50 recruit nationally, list- ing him Nos. 40, 41 and 50 overall. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY