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Hunter Dickinson explains decision to return to Michigan

Dustin Schutte

By Dustin Schutte

Published:

Hunter Dickinson wasn’t in a rush to make a decision on his future. He wanted to take his time and consider all of his options before making an announcement.

That announcement came on Tuesday, deciding to return to Ann Arbor for another season at Michigan. Last year’s B1G Freshman of the Year said he “flip-flopped” quite a bit while testing the NBA Draft waters this summer.

In an interview with Stadium’s Jeff Goodman, Dickinson explained his decision to return to Michigan. A lot of different factors played a role.

“There was a lot of flip-flopping from me, it was a really tough decision. When you’re talking about the rest of your life, it’s a really hard decision,” Dickinson said. “I had a lot of nights just up at night thinking about this decision. I felt like coming back, doing one more year, was the safest approach for me.

“I really enjoyed last year. That was something that was a factor. Even though we didn’t have a normal year because of COVID and everything, I really enjoyed the basketball part of things and next year, hopefully, having it be a more normal year. I just feel like giving it one more year was the best option for me.”

Dickinson also told Goodman that he was projected to be a mid-to-late second-round selection in the draft this year. If he returned, he would “have to play his way out of the first round.”

Dickinson made an immediate contribution in a big way for Michigan in his first season. The 7-foot center averaged 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting just under 60% from the floor. He notched six double-doubles and scored a career-high 28 points in a January victory over Minnesota.

At the conclusion of the college basketball season, Dickinson was a second-team All-American selection by the Associated Press. He was named the B1G Freshman of the Year and was also named the B1G Newcomer of the Year by the Associated Press.

Below is Dickinson’s interview with Goodman:

Dustin Schutte

Dustin grew up in the heart of Big Ten country and has been in sports media since 2010. He has been covering Big Ten football since 2014. You can follow him on Twitter: @SchutteCFB