magic dickinson

Let's reset the scene.

With 11:23 to play on Sunday, Michigan trails Oakland, 49-45, in what would be one of the most shocking upsets of this young college basketball season. Juwan Howard inserts his freshman center, Hunter Dickinson, to see if he can crack a zone defense that's flummoxed the Wolverines into a turnover-plagued evening. He wouldn't come off the floor until the Wolverines pulled out an overtime victory. Some numbers from that stint on the court:

• Michigan scored 36 points. Dickinson scored 19 of them himself, going 6-for-7 from the field and 7-for-9 from the line.
• Dickinson also had three assists in that span that accounted for six more points. In other words, he had a direct hand in 25 of Michigan's final 36 points.
• Add in Dickinson's steal that immediately led to a Chaundee Brown fast break layup and you can up that number to 27. He didn't get an assist because Eli Brooks acted as an intermediary.
• His only missed shot came on the broken play to end regulation.
• He didn't commit a turnover.
• He went +14 in that 16:23 time on the court.

This was the best performance we've seen from a true freshman center since 2013 NCAA Tournament Mitch McGary, competition level be damned. Dickinson's presence transformed Michigan's offense in ways that'll be sustainable against better teams, even if he's not necessarily playing a major role in generating 75% of the team's points. (That bit is, uh, less sustainable.)

feeding the beast [Campredon]

Since I was taking clips of almost every Dickinson touch down the stretch, let's take a look at his impact plays against Oakland, what he did well on them, and what they portend for the future. I've also gone through his touches against Bowling Green and will sprinkle those in to show this isn't just a one-game, zone-driven outburst.

Against a zone defense, knowing how the defenders are going to shift around the court is paramount, as is maintaining a high activity level as the offense (ideally) keeps the ball moving side to side. Dickinson was constantly moving from the moment he got on the floor and showed a great understanding of where to place himself to create passing angles and seal off defenders. His first offensive possession is easy work; Michigan will go back to this quick-hitting set repeatedly:

The post defense here is poor; regardless, that's a nice entry pass from Terrance Williams, and I like seeing Dickinson default to finishing with an authoritative two-hand slam.

[Hit THE JUMP for post scoring, post passing, a bit of defense, and more.]