In Sunday’s win against Ohio State, Hunter gave Dickinson a masterclass on offense, scoring 26 points while grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out two assists. He absolutely punished Ohio State junior Zed Key and freshman Felix Okpara by patiently breaking them apart and using several moves in the post to score.
The big man was cooking and while Juwan was addressing Howard after the game, his teammates did a great job getting him the ball.
“Hunter recognizes as well as his teammates, the big guy had it going in,” Howard said. We have to keep giving him the ball. I’ll never forget Terrance Williams saying during a timeout, “Let’s move on to Hunter.” I said, ‘You know what, I agree, let’s keep going to Hunter’ because he had it going.
In terms of his repertoire of moves in the post, Dickinson still likes to make the left hook go over his right shoulder. That used to be the only way he scored at the post, and it’s great to see how his offense has evolved over the years; he is far from a one-trick pony these days.
Let’s see how Dickinson has gotten better as a goalscorer year after year, with more versatility, an improved jump shot and patience in the post.
freshman season
Stats: 26 minutes, 14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds, 0.9 assists per game, 59.8% from the field, 73.9% from the free throw line.
Dickinson burst onto the scene and put up impressive numbers for any major, let alone a freshman. As good as he was, he really scored in four key ways: easy buckets from dump-down passes, offensive rebound rejections, left block drop steps, and his signature left hook over his right shoulder.
Looking at his shot chart for that season (all shot charts used in this article are from CBB Analytics), he was super efficient near the rim. He clearly favored the left side of the floor, with many hooks coming out of the left baseline.
Perhaps most notably, as efficient as it was indoors, it didn’t have much range. He went 0-for-4 out of three and didn’t attempt many mid-range shots.
It should be noted that this was the most talented team Dickinson has played on; playing with a good point guard in Mike Smith and two NBA wings in Franz Wagner and Isaiah Livers helped him quite a bit – those guys drew attention away from him and knew how to give him the ball. He was not Michigan’s main offensive option and was not doubled nearly as often as he is now.
Dickinson has come a long way since this season.
Second season
Stats: 32.3 minutes, 18.6 points, 8.6 rebounds, 2.3 assists per game, 56.3% from the field, 32.8% from three on 2 attempts per game, 80.2% from the free throw line
After his freshman season, Dickinson entered his name in the draft, but ultimately decided to return to school. He’s talked before about how NBA teams told him to defend faster, become more versatile on offense, and improve his jump shot.
That jump shot definitely improved as we saw him hit more mid-range jumpers in his second season. He also stepped out to the three-point line and knocked down some deep balls before doing his signature celebration that helped him become the Tyler Hansbrough-esque, folksy villain of college basketball.
Looking at his shot card, he still prefers the left side of the floor, but his range is much better. He was more efficient in the paint and around the rim, and when he shot threes, he shot a better percentage off the top of the key and left wing.
One of the most underrated aspects of his game is his hitting ability. He really started to show that in his second season; he has great vision on the pitch and does a great job finding open teammates, especially when doubled up.
“It’s nice to see him not being selfish,” Howard said after Sunday’s game. “He reads the defence. If he has not doubled, he will make his move one-on-one. If he gets doubled, he throws the ball out.”
It’s no secret that the Wolverines struggled with inconsistency last season, but the biggest reason they were able to sneak into the NCAA Tournament was Dickinson’s dominance on offense and increased versatility.
junior season
23-game stats: 30.8 minutes, 18.1 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists per game, 55.4% from the field, 37.1% on 1.5 3-point attempts per game, 72.0 % from the free throw line.
As Michigan fans can tell by watching games and looking at his tally stats, Dickinson hasn’t made another jump like he did in his sophomore year. That’s partly because he’s the main focus for the opposing defense and always doubles up, but it also has to do with the fact that he plays with young guys who don’t always set him up for great shots. Michigan hasn’t played much ahead this season, and playing from behind generally results in more threes and fewer touches.
Looking at his shot graph, he’s still great around the rim, but he’s less efficient in the paint than he was last season. He likes midrange shots at the right elbow and still excels on the left baseline. And admittedly, it’s a small sample, but getting your post player to shoot 40% from the top of the key is a critical part of winning in modern basketball, as it stretches the floor and forces the defense to respect everyone’s three-point shot.
By his standards, Dickinson struggled at times this season, but he seemed to find his rhythm in that game at Ohio State.
Young post players should watch his tape of this game. He still often goes for his signature move, but this game shows how he’s grown more patient before making that move, and how he’s grown as a goalscorer and a post player.
He does a great job passing and finding the open man under the basket (7:00) or for a three (15:10). He gets great post position, adapts his feet when the ball is turned and uses his size to his advantage (13:00). He shuffles to get the big man off his seat just enough to make mistakes (9:10) and slips screens to leave the defense in limbo (15:35). He throws in more fakes than he used to (12:34) and with that improved jump shot the defenses have to play along when he looks up, giving him an opening to fake, drive the baseline, embrace the contact and get close finish the finish. edge (13:05).
It’s no secret signs of stagnation that have surfaced in watching Dickinson this season, and when the defense effectively doubles him, Michigan’s offense gets a lot worse. But this game at Ohio State shows how much he’s grown as a post scorer, and his improved jumper has helped him become a much better offensive player than he was two years ago.
The Wolverines have a little way to go to make sure they make it to the NCAA Tournament. In Joe Lunardi’s most recent bracketology, he placed Michigan in the “considered” category. According to DraftKings Sportsbook, Michigan is +4,000 to make the Final Four.
A big part of whether they make it to the tournament – or if they make a deep run in the tournament – will be whether Dickinson is able to consistently perform as he did against the Buckeyes. If he is able to continue, Michigan has a chance.