The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MAY 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 37 ❱ MICHIGAN BASKETBALL gan career, with the media tabbing him to the first team and the coaches voting him second team. The 7-foot- 1, 260-pounder was named honorable mention All-American by the Associ- ated Press. Dickinson averaged 18.5 points, 9 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game this past season. He shot 56 percent from the field and a career-best 42.1 percent from three-point range. For his career, Dickinson averaged 17.2 points, 8.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists along with posting 149 career blocks. He was the eighth Michigan player to put up 1,500-plus points and 750-plus rebounds in his career. Dickinson was a first-team honoree by the media and second-team se- lection by the coaches in 2021, and a second-team choice by both groups in 2022. The big man is one of 11 players in Michigan history to be named first- team All-Big Ten in at least two seasons, joining Bill Buntin (1963-65), Cazzie Russell (1964-66), Bob Harrison (1948- 49), Rudy Tomjanovich (1969-70), Henry Wilmore (1971-72), Rickey Green (1976-77), Mike McGee (1978, '81), Roy Tarpley (1985-86), Gary Grant (1987- 88) and Glen Rice (1988-89). Dickinson helped Michigan win 60 games over the last three seasons. The Maize and Blue won the 2021 Big Ten title before advancing to the Elite Eight, made the Sweet 16 in 2022 and went to the NIT this past season. — Clayton Sayfie MICHIGAN HAS TO 'REESTABLISH CULTURE' There are many moving pieces with the Michigan roster this offseason, most notably with center Hunter Dickinson entering the transfer portal. It's about the guys who are on the roster and want to be in Ann Arbor, though, redshirt- sophomore-to-be forward Will Tschet- ter acknowledged when speaking with The Wolverine April 1. It's up to the re- turning players to do everything in their power to make sure Michigan missing the 2023 NCAA Tournament was an ab- erration and not a sign that the program is heading in the wrong direction. "We have a great core group of dudes that are going to stay true to the pro- gram and are going to be here," Tschet- ter said. "As that core g ro u p, we n e e d to really step into the leadership role, rees- tablish the culture of Michigan basketball. Take a step back — how can we improve things going forward? "As an upperclass- man, I've been here, seen the ropes, what it takes to win, how hard it is to win in this league. Just continu- ing to be able to de- velop every day, make sure we keep a posi- tive growth mindset, m a k i n g s u re t h a t , what can we do to be able to win more games? That's what it really comes down to, and how we're going to do that." Something has to change for Michigan to win at a high level again, Tschetter noted, with the Maize and Blue having come off five straight Sweet 16 appearances and a 2021 Big Ten title in recent years. The expectations are much higher than what was accom- plished in 2022-23. "It's an offseason where all of us need to look in the mirror and see how we can get better, not worry about things we can't control, make sure we're get- ting our work in as much as we can," the 6-foot-8, 240-pounder said. "Really just trust what [the coaches are] putting forward, how we can translate that into winning games next year. At the end of the day, it comes down to getting better — every single guy." Tschetter is working on self-im- provement after having taken a week off following the Wolverines' loss to Vanderbilt in the NIT March 18. "Adding some weight, continuing to get faster, stronger, developing my body," Tschetter said of what he's focusing on. "Really dialing in my outside shot and getting confidence with that. And then, being able to develop a little bit of a driv- ing game, being able to step out as a stretch 4." The Stewartville, Minn., native had an up-and-down first year of playing in games. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per outing, while shoot- ing 49 percent from the field, 25 percent on threes and 58.8 percent from the free throw line. Early in the season, he was in and out of the rotation and was even a healthy scratch some nights. Later on, due in part to an injury to junior forward Terrance Williams II, Tschetter was thrust into a starting role. "This year was a roller coaster for me, but it was a really good learning experi- ence," Tschetter noted. "Obviously, the beginning of the year, not really playing at all, and then stepping into a bigger role as the season went on and going into a starting position. "It may not have ended how we wanted, but overall, I feel like it was a great learn- ing experience, getting some games un- derneath my belt, gaining confidence, just to help the next three years to come." — Clayton Sayfie Redshirt sophomore Will Tschetter, who started eight of 27 games played, had an up-and-down first year in the Michigan lineup. He averaged 2.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 49 percent from the field and 25 percent on three-pointers. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL