Hunter Dickinson returns to Michigan for another season.
The first-team All-Big Ten player made his announcement Sunday night with a post on social media, simply declaring, “I’m not done yet.”
Sunday was the deadline for college undergraduates to enter the 2022 NBA draft. Dickinson is one of three Michigan players believed to be considering an explanation, and he was the first to announce it.
“At the end of the day, I felt like I wasn’t done with college basketball,” Dickinson told Stadium.
The 7-foot-1, 260-pound center is ending his second season at Michigan, where he led the program in scoring (18.6 points per game) and rebounds (8.6). While the Wolverines finished just 19-15, Dickinson helped the team make a run to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16.
Last week, Dickinson was named Michigan’s Most Valuable Player for the 2021-22 season, while also earning awards for the team’s top player and top rebounder.
And while his success in Michigan was evident (he also led the team in goals and rebounds as a true freshman), Dickinson’s pro prospects are less so. Dickinson has missed many first-round NBA draft drafts this year, and there is growing uncertainty as to whether he would even be drafted.
Still, his planned return is a boon for Michigan and head coach Juwan Howard, who will be looking to build off a difficult year of ups and downs. Dickinson will almost certainly be the focus of offense and the up-and-coming junior will get another year to hone his skills and improve his game.
“If I were to come back, yes, there would definitely be unanswered questions,” Dickinson said last month after the Michigan season ended.
“I don’t know what the future holds for this team. But I trust this man Juwan so much that he will make the best of whatever he has next year.”