Michigan Basketball is loaded with return of Hunter Dickinson

Michigan basketball fans got the news they have been waiting for on Tuesday as Hunter Dickinson announced his return for the 2021-22 season.

Hunter Dickinson made us wait, nearly until the deadline, but in the end, he made the decision most expected and decided to return to Michigan basketball for another season.

For the Wolverines, it means a couple of things: One that their 2021-22 roster is set, and also, with Dickinson in the fold, it’s Final Four or bust.

With Dickinson and DeVante Jones, who also announced he was withdrawing from the NBA draft this week, along with Eli Brooks, Brandon Johns, and the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in 2021, one that includes three McDonald’s All-Americans, the expectations will and should be high for next season.

Dickinson posted that he would be back on his Instagram page and after some nervous moments yesterday following a misinterpreted tweeted by Jace Howard, it’s good to know the 7-foot-1 big man will be back in Ann Arbor for one more year.

Breaking down the decision

When Dickinson declared for the NBA draft, many assumed it was just to get feedback from NBA scouts, but if Dickinson was given a first-round grade or even a grade in the early second round, he might have stayed in the draft. I was even worried about an NBA team promising to draft him in the second round and that being enough to convince him to say.

After all, Dickinson is 21 years old and even though he’s going to be a sophomore, he knows that he needs to start playing pro ball sooner than later. That’s why the 2021-22 season will be his last in Ann Arbor.

But with plenty to prove, it could be a really good thing for the Wolverines to have him back. Last year, he was the leading scoring at over 14 points a game. He also grabbed seven rebounds and proved to be a better defender than expected.

Yet, he needs to show he can score with his right hand, as well as prove to NBA teams that he’s got a perimeter jump shot, which he flashed as a prep but didn’t last season.

On the team side of things, Dickinson’s return along with Jones addition should make Michigan basketball among the top preseason favorites to win the Big Ten again next year. The Wolverines will also be among a handful of early favorites for the national title.

The early reports on the freshman class are promising and that won’t do anything to slow down the hype, especially after Caleb Houstan had a solid showing for Team Canada last weekend.

His shooting ability will the perfect fit alongside Dickinson and he will slide perfectly into the role, at least as far as shooting is concerned, vacated by Isaiah Livers.

Preseason hype doesn’t mean a thing but with one of the best centers back and a loaded roster surrounding him, next season should be an exciting one for the Wolverines.