Per ESPN, Hunter Dickenson to the portal (or, "For every Yin, there must be a Yang")
Sorry to share this news on Jadyn day.
I think it’s more an indictment on college athletics and players than on Howard. There is a reason why so many legend coaches have retired over the last couple years.
But- if we replace Hunter with a younger player (almost anyone would be), it will keep the average age down and we'll still have the "but we were young" excuse to go along with old reliable "we had bad luck" excuse.
This is why NIL will never work from an alumni/fan payment perspective.
My thoughts from late in the season aren’t any different. See what the off-season changes are, from players to staff. After that, see how it all works next year. I admit I didn’t see this move but who is to say this isn’t mutual in a way? Perhaps Hunter saw Howard going after a particular types of players and he doesn’t see how he will fit in? I know I’ve wanted to see better shooting and more athleticism. To me, Kobe is the one we need to stay the most out of them all. I’m still in wait and see mode of how it all shakes out for next year.
Please make it a package deal with Terrance Williams. I can’t watch next year if there is 35 minutes of watching TW doing nothing.
T Will would make a fine role player off the bench. He comes in and spares some starter for 4-5 minutes a half. He was better when he came off the bench and would do the rebounding, hustle plays and passing to the interior. He used to only shoot threes occasionally and would mostly score off of put backs.
Let TWill cook!!!
I'm sure someone already pointed this out but JJ committed the same weekend Beilein left Michigan in May 2019. The "basketball and football can't be good at the same time" parallels are getting crazy.
Really want so inside information on what his line of thinking was for doing this. This is very bad for Michigan BB. There is no way there will be any recruit or player in the portal that will replace him.
Ant Wright had the inside scoop, apparently talking directly with Hunter...
-Almost left last year
-Not happy with his fit this year
-Wasn't thrilled about the lack of impact targets that Juwan was going after in the portal.
Probably forgetting 1-2 key points
Point two and three may be what I’m saying above. Who knows what his fit would be next year? Maybe Juwan is going a different direction with the type of players he’s after in the portal because he wants a different style of ball played.
If he wants to play a different style, that would be a good thing IMO. I'm far from the first person on here to say that we're playing a bit of an antiquated style. These days, the game is so perimeter-oriented (thankfully not to NBA levels but still) that your ceiling is limited if you're building around a slow center who defends poorly. I like Hunter and I'd have been happy with him coming back. However, I'd also be happy with Juwan running an offense that is better-suited to the modern game.
March 31st, 2023 at 10:46 PM ^
You need high level guards and wings for a more perimeter oriented offense. Right now, we have none of those things, although I think Dug is good, but he's one guy and he's short.
I don’t blame him. If he wants to win, this program is not going to do that next year. Especially if Kobe leaves. If Kobe leaves, this program will be lucky to make the NIT and get to .500
He’s given Michigan three years of his life. He could’ve peaced out after a big time Freshman All American season, and even coming back for a third year was extremely generous of him.
He’s a great college player. I’m not sure what kind of future he has in the pros but that’s irrelevant right now. He owes us nothing.
Seems Hunter too thinks it just a wild coincidence that it’s been years since a contending team had a no defense post up only player as a focal point.
Would we accept getting Jadyn Davis + a NCAA hockey championship in exchange for losing Hunter Dickenson?
After all for every yang there is a yin.
My answer? Yes!!
I want to be pissed about this, and I am a bit, but it's hard not to see Dickinson's point. The team was shit this year, and there's not reason (so far) to think that it will be much better next year. He's got one year left with little chance of playing in the NBA, and he doesn't want to waste that year on team that might get into the NIT. He wants to play on a team that actually has a chance to go somewhere, plus make some real NIL money. I'm just hoping it's somewhere other than the B1G.
OK, Juwan, here it is: put up or shut up time. Your three best players will be leaving. Go get actual players to replace them. This is the chance to show you really are the right man to lead this program. Do it.
Yikes. Wonder where he lands. Have to assume closer to home but Maryland surely doesn't seem to be the place...although Turgeon and company are gone so maybe the new staff is more welcoming to him. Otherwise maybe a BigEast squad?
This is a surprising bummer at least to me. Hunter was one of the best players on the team the last few years. I wish him nothing but the best. Wish he was staying. Appreciate and respect some of the insights others have shared here. Still shocked that he does not want to play his senior year at Michigan. The NIT loss at Vanderbilt was one of the biggest collapses I have seen since we were up 8 with about a minute to go. Very sad that was his last game, though at least he won his last game at Crisler. Hoping for the best like everyone here but Hunter leaving raises a lot of questions about the state of the program imho. Truly hope I am wrong about that and that Michigan will be back in the NCAA tourney next year.
Word on the street now is that HD is going to Maryland, they hired his old high school coach.
Should be an "interesting" reunion with his Maryland "fans".
His visit to Crisler should be interesting too.
Maybe this gives us a chance to move to a more "modern basketball lineup" Everyone 6'4 - 6'8 and run up and down the court ,paly defense,shoot 3s and cause mismatches at the 3 point line .I like Hunter ,but if he missed a layup or 4 foot jumper,ot was always 4 on 5 going the other way
March 31st, 2023 at 10:12 PM ^
Good luck to Hunter.
March 31st, 2023 at 10:42 PM ^
I’m ok with this, it was time for him to move on. He was never the defensive anchor you need your big man to be and it frees us to play a more diverse offensive system. We’re likely to be less talented but hopefully more cohesive, I see major Ewing Theory potential if Kobe returns and we have luck in the portal.
Quinn’s article tonight makes it seem like this was a total shock to the Michigan coaches - apparently HD was telling them that he was talking to old friends getting them to come to M next year. Top suitors right now, according to the article, are Georgetown and Kentucky.
All in all, seems like a bit of a crisis right now in the Crisler Center
Was Howard aware but not fully aware of the situation? Was he surprised that the transfer portal was available to players other than point guards playing at mid majors?
Whatever happens, I will always be a Hunter fan. The Wolverine nation is thankful and understand if he wants to move on for his final year.