The Wolverines locked-up their third pledge in the 2020 class today with top-40 center Hunter Dickinson making his commitment to Michigan. 

I will be committing to... pic.twitter.com/31zz80lCbg

— Hunter Dickinson (@H_Dickinson24) December 20, 2019

Juwan Howard scores another impressive victory on the recruiting trail, this time Duke, Florida State and Notre Dame were the other finalists. A head-to-head win over Coach K is certainly delightful independently, but that doesn’t do it justice. Dickinson released a final seven in July that also included the likes of North Carolina and Louisville.  

GURU RANKINGS

All of the services sit in strong agreement on Hunter being a high 4-star prospect in the 30-40 range overall. Rivals, ESPN and Endless Motor mirror each other in terms of physical profile, listing him at 7’1 and 260 pounds. 24/7 gives him an extra inch at 7’2 while tipping the scales at 255. The most recent measurement available comes via the 2019 Nike Skills Academy, where Dickinson checked in at 7'0 and 264 pounds. The differences are trivial in nature. This is a large human-being that is a legit seven-footer with a wingspan in the 7’3 range. 

SCOUTING

Michigan is getting their most polished back-to-the-basket prospect in over fifteen years, since the days of Courtney Sims. Dickinson is a technician in nearly every aspect of the game from 15 feet and in and you can certainly run offense through him in the half court. He has very good touch around the basket for a prospect of his size. His jumphook over the right shoulder is extremely consistent and should be nearly unstoppable at the college level given his sheer size. Hunter consistently bullies defenders by getting into their chest to create space where he converts at the rim with great efficiency. The future Wolverine has good footwork and gets clean looks through multiple pivots and spin-moves to get defenders off-balance as well. He also has a solid midrange game as a pick-and-pop or face-up option that knocks down jumpers from 10-18 feet away.

In addition to his scoring prowess, Dickinson is a great passer that can facilitate extremely well. To put this in context, he may very well be a better passer than a high school Jon Teske. When faced with double-teams, which is often, he finds cutters/shooters with pinpoint passes with relative ease and just looks very comfortable operating as a distributor where his ability to see over the defense aids him greatly.

On the other side of the ball, Hunter offers plus rim protection and does a great job of blocking shots while keeping the ball in play and avoiding fouls. He's certainly not adept at keeping ballhandlers in front of him and generally struggles to move his feet in space. But as a mammoth center, he does a good job of boxing out, is an above average rebounder and will alter a ton of shots. 

Rivals’ Corey Evans nearly mirrors my evaluation in terms of scoring on the block and his impressive vision. 

“The scuttlebutt surrounding Dickinson is with just how polished he is in the low post. A lefty with impeccable hands and touch around the basket, the lefty can score to the perimeter but is a more than serviceable threat as a 15-foot and in passer that can carve up an opposing defense.”

Jerry Meyer of 247 says much of the same:

“Big body who can occupy space. Not an explosive athlete. Good basketball IQ and positional defender and rebounder. Effective in the high/low game. Knows how to seal his man and can also deliver a pass from the high post. Has reliable jump hook with his dominant left hand. Can make a face-up midrange shot. Should end up being a second-round draft choice.

ESPN completes the three-game sweep with a similar assessment:

“Dickinson is a talented and emerging post prospect. The southpaw has great size, a sturdy frame, and an advanced interior skill set at this early stage. He posts strong to provide a big target on the block, has soft touch, good dexterity around the rim, and an established hook over his right shoulder. He also has a quickly emerging passing instinct that should eventually allow him to be able to play off the elbows and extend his game away from the rim. He runs fairly well and, unlike most young big men, seems comfortable in his own skin. He doesn't back down from older players or high level competition, doesn't appear to mind contact, doesn't show any hesitation or timidness, and competes on the glass.”

There is consensus that Dickinson is a legit offensive weapon that is very likely to average double-digit scoring early at Michigan while providing quality facilitation when doubled. The only glaring knock on the resume is the inability to switch on the perimeter to defend guards/wings. With the game becoming increasingly perimeter-oriented, you can expect the opposition to hunt Dickinson on pick-and-rolls. Having a sample of the defensive approach under Juwan Howard, albeit a very small one, I’m not overly concerned about it. Drop coverage is designed to keep our bigs close to the basket while our guards apply backside pressure, thus mitigating any potential limitations Hunter may have in terms of lateral agility and speed.

[After THE JUMP: we beat out many dirty schools]

OFFERS

Duke, North Carolina, Louisville, Florida State, Maryland, Virginia, Purdue, Alabama, Georgia Tech, Illinois, Iowa, Oregon, Penn State, Pittsburgh, Providence, South Carolina, Stanford, Tennessee, USC and Wake Forest.

HIGH SCHOOL

DeMatha Catholic is a renowned basketball powerhouse located in Hyattsville, Maryland. The Stags play a loaded schedule every year, with a notable alumni list that includes Victor Oladipo, Markelle Fultz, Jeremi Grant, Jerian Grant, Quin Cook, Keith Bogans and Joseph Forte among many others.

STATS

Dickinson put up 13.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.8 blocks per game on 58.9% from the field during the 2019 EYBL season.  During his junior year at DeMatha, Hunter averaged 17.6 points and 10.8 rebounds for a top-25 team nationally per USA Today.

VIDEO

Rivals 2019 EYBL:

Rivals 2019 Peach Jam:

StepYourGameUpBBall 2018 DeMatha Christmas Tournament:

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

With Jon Teske's graduation in tandem with a Juwan Howard-coached team, you can expect Dickinson to get solid minutes as a freshman. There is no question in terms of position, Hunter is a center exclusively. With Colin Castleton in the mix, the question is whether the junior develops enough to lock up the starting center spot. However, with uncertainty surrounding the status of 2020 pledge Isaiah Todd, it is difficult to forecast available frontcourt minutes at this particular time. At minimum though, it's probably safe to assume Dickinson will play at least 15 minutes per night as the backup center. With the Wolverines running post-ups with some frequency these days, he's going to get the ball on the block and score efficiently or create shots for others via the pass if the opposition doubles him up. Michigan is also running double-stagger action a lot, so he'll get his fair share of easy buckets as a roll-man considering he has great hands and touch around the rim.

While we anticipate Hunter making an instant impact, his lack of mobility on the perimeter probably means he’ll be in Ann Arbor for at least 2 years. As he becomes more comfortable with the speed of the college game and Coach Howard’s system, it seems inevitable Dickinson will be a double-digit scorer that finds teammates for easy buckets sooner rather than later with his combination of size and skill. If there is one thing you can likely bet on, its Juwan Howard’s ability to get to the most out of a traditional big with skill.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Hunter is the third member of the 2020 class, joining four-star PG Zeb Jackson and five-star forward Isaiah Todd. Michigan has at least two more open slots, and possibly three, depending on the status of Todd. The staff is prioritizing perimeter spots with available scholarships. Top-10 guard Josh Christopher is the clear priority at guard and has the Wolverines in his top four. The SoCal native officially visited in late November and Juwan Howard has made up some ground here, but it still feels like a long shot. More likely is 2020 4-star Forward Terrance Williams out of Gonzaga HS (DC). Williams is the AAU teammate of Dickinson and the two are very close.