Michigan Basketball: 3 Predictions for Wolverines against Florida State

Double-Double Dickinson?

It’s probably safe to say that Dickinson hasn’t hit his peak yet in this tournament. He scored the ball well in the first two games but fought turnovers and foul issues. He also didn’t rebound the ball well.

Sunday, Dickinson is Michigan’s most important player. The offense runs better going through him and once he gets some buckets inside, he draws so much attention that a single touch for Hunter,  creates open looks for others thanks to double teams and crisp ball movement.

The ball movement got really good against LSU, particularly in the second half. That’s what Michigan needs to see on Sunday. But also, the Wolverines need Dickinson to be able to score one-on-one, otherwise, Florida State might pass on the double teams altogether.

And while I don’t think Dickinson is going to have a monster night, he’s going to make a positive impact. Some of his most impactful games are when the defenses are focused on him, allowing him to create open shots for others.

That will happen Sunday, but Dickinson will also do enough on the offensive end, and the boards, to get a low-end double-double, something like 12 points and 10 boards in that range. But toss in some assists and it’s a day that will be much better than it looks on paper.

Either way, the team that gets the upper hand in the battle surrounding Dickinson will have a huge upper hand in who wins the game and for my money, Dickinson plays his best all-around game in the tournament so far.