It’s Time For Dickinson To Flip The Switch

When Dicksinson is in his bag and competing at a high-level, the Wolverines are nearly impossible to beat.

The Michigan Wolverines didn’t enter the NCAA tournament riding the tidal wave of momentum that most folks anticipated. After posting an 18-1 record through the first 19 games, the Wolverines suffered a 21-point blowout home loss to Illinois - a team that has since established itself as a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament and a legitimate threat to win it all. Freshman standout Hunter Dickinson struggled to make an impact against the Illini, finishing the game with just six points and five rebounds in his 22 minutes on the floor.

The loss served as the first real reminder of how fragile a successful season really is in college basketball, particularly in March. It only takes one bad night for the magic of March to come to an abrupt and painful end.

Though the Wolverines would go on to capture the regular season Big Ten title just two days later, Michigan would also end up posting a 2-3 record over it's final five games of the season - including a one point loss to Ohio State in the conference tournament semifinal. To make matters worse, the Wolverines received news that they would be without veteran forward Isaiah Livers for quite possibly the remainder of the year. Livers suffered a stress fracture in his right foot against Maryland in the conference tournament quarterfinal and his return is highly questionable at this point.

The loss of Livers, along with the one-point loss to Ohio State, was yet another cautionary tale of just how fragile March is.

Hunter Dickinson is 7'1" and he can make plays like this. pic.twitter.com/MMQD6qqjaJ

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) March 13, 2021

With Michigan now awaiting the winner of Mount St. Mary’s and Texas Southern, the Wolverines will need to regroup and rediscover the magic that propelled them into becoming a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1993 - and they’ll need to do it without Livers.

A very big part of that Wolverine magic is Big Ten Freshman of the Year Hunter Dickinson. The 7-footer has been a crucial piece to Michigan’s success all season long, averaging a team high in points per game (14.2), rebounds per game (7.6) and blocks per game (1.4). Dickinson has also put together five double-doubles during his freshman season, including 12 points and 11 rebounds against Ball State (Dec. 2), 12 points and 15 rebounds at Nebraska (Dec. 25, 26 points and 11 rebounds at Maryland (Dec. 31), 11 points and 15 rebounds at Wisconsin (Feb. 14) and 14 points with 10 rebounds against Michigan State (March 4). 

The Wolverines record in those five games? 5-0.

Though the 7-1, 255-pound center out of Alexandria (Va.) has put together a phenomenal freshman year so far, the Wolverines will need even more out of him during the NCAA tournament if they have any shot at making a run at the title. For his part, Dickinson is confident that Michigan is ready. 

"I'd be lying if not every single player in that locker room fully believes that we are the best team in the country and that we will win the national championship," Dickinson said. "The confidence starts with Coach Howard."