Michigan Basketball: Grading the Wolverines against Toledo

Bigs

Hunter Dickinson: A+

I expected Hunter Dickinson to be really good, he was Michigan basketball’s top-ranked recruit in the 2020 class for a reason, but I didn’t expect him to dominate like this. In 23 minutes off the bench, Dickinson was 8-of-11 from the field, scored 18 points and blocked four shots. Literally, against the Rockets, he was a man amongst boys as Toledo just could not contend with size, skill or athleticism. He also grabbed seven rebounds (two offensive) and for the season, he’s averaging 14.8 ppg. He’s grabbing 7.4 rebounds and shooting 70 percent from the field. Surely, those numbers will dip in Big Ten play, but so far, he’s been even better than advertised.

Austin Davis: B+

Davis played like he wanted to prove to people that he should still be the starting center and his teammates fed him the ball early as he scored the first 10 points. He played 12 minutes made 5-of-6 shots and grabbed three rebounds but he also picked up four fouls in that short time. That’s a consistent theme with Davis and it happens, in part, due to his athletic limitations. Yet, he’s a horse inside and “Big Country” adds a lot from a leadership perspective too. Hopefully, his ankle injury won’t limit him because in Big Ten play, U-M is going to his big body and inside scoring ability.

Brandon Johns: B

Johns has struggled to find minutes this season, which tells you how deep the Wolverines are, because I still believe he’s good enough to start in the Big Ten. But in just 10 minutes, he scored three points, grabbed three boards, had a steal and an assist. It was a ho-hum night but if Davis does miss time with an ankle, Dickinson will start and Johns will see his minutes increase as the backup center.

Terrance Williams: C

Terrance Williams didn’t get into the game until the second half and that could be more of the norm for him when Big Ten play opens. If Davis is out, he will see more time, but Juwan Howard will likely cut down that rotation to eight, with Williams as No. 9. With his versatility, toughness and junkyard-dog attitude, he will get on the floor but it won’t be all the time. Last night, he missed both of his shot attempts and didn’t make a huge impact.