The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 39 MICHIGAN BASKETBALL Three Best Players Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson: He averaged 21 points per game in the trio of tournament contests (above his season-average of 18.3 per game) and exploded for 27 points in the second-round win over Tennessee. Neither the Volunteers nor Colorado State had an answer for the 7-foot-1, 260-pounder, who shot 13 of 17 on two-pointers in that pair of games and went 3 of 5 from three-point range against Tennessee. He struggled against Villanova, going just 6 of 16 from the field, but he was the biggest reason why they were there in the first place. Fifth-year senior guard Eli Brooks: The Spring Grove, Pa., native took over down the stretch in the Wolverines' victory over Tennessee, scoring 15 of his 23 points in the last 13 minutes and adding five assists and three rebounds. Brooks scored 16 points and dished out six assists against the Rams, too. He kept U-M alive against Villanova, hitting three second-half three-pointers, all of which brought his team within six points, and totaling 14 points, five rebounds and two assists. Freshman guard Frankie Collins: He played a combined 30 minutes in the four games before the NCAA Tournament, but was thrust into a much bigger role due to DeVante' Jones' concussion. He saw 31 minutes of action in his first career start versus Colorado State and was a key factor in the win, finishing with a plus-16 on-floor rating. He scored 14 points on 6-of-7 shooting and registered six rebounds, two assists and one steal. Collins deferred a bit more in his 30 minutes against Tennessee, but still had a huge hand in the triumph, playing great defense on the Volunteers' elite guards and tal- lying two points, four rebounds and two assists. Key Play U-M was down 15 points 15 minutes into its first-round NCAA Tournament game against Colorado State before Collins turned the game around with an incredible stretch of play. Soon after checking in at the 6:04 mark of the first half, he drove to the rim, drew contact and a foul, finished his layup and made the and-one free throw (he finished the year shooting 44.1 percent from the charity stripe). On the ensuing defensive possession, Collins stripped CSU forward David Roddy of the ball and took it in for a two-handed jam on the other end to cut the U-M deficit to 10 points with 4:32 until halftime. Best Highlight With U-M up by two points and just under two minutes to go in the second round against Tennessee, the ball found its way into Brooks' hands, and with seven seconds on the shot clock, he used a hesitation dribble on the right wing, then put his head down and drove right. He gathered on the block, then — channeling former teammate Zavier Simpson — extended his right arm for a high-arcing running hook shot that fell without having to use the glass. That put U-M up four points with 53 seconds to go and helped seal the eight-point triumph. Bold Prediction The Wolverines are searching the transfer portal for talent at multiple positions, including point guard. With Jones de- claring for the NBA Draft, a new lead guard will be running the show next season, and we'll say it's Collins to begin the year. His outside shot needs work, after connecting on just three of his 18 looks from deep last season, but the athletic ability is there. On top of that, his experience in the NCAA Tournament was extremely valuable. Incoming freshman Dug McDaniel, the No. 72 overall player in the 2022 recruit- ing class according to On3, will have something to say about it, of course, but Collins is the favorite to have first say in November. — Clayton Sayfie Superlatives For U-M's NCAA Tournament Run Dickinson dominated Tennessee with 27 points in the Wolverines' second-round victory and averaged 21 points in three NCAA Tournament games. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL