Hunter Dickinson visiting Kentucky shows Michigan Basketball has no chance

Michigan basketball fans have been holding out hope for Hunter Dickinson to return but after scheduling a visit to Kentucky, it’s clear he won’t be back. 

It’s not that I expected Hunter Dickinson to return to Michigan basketball. When guys enter the transfer portal, rarely do they return.

It was especially unlikely for Dickinson, who entered the portal for NIL. I’m sure that he wants to win and all that, but he’s talked openly about how NIL was going to cost Michigan basketball and a top-level recruit at some point and he was right — about himself.

Dickinson entered the portal to chase a payday and you know what, it was the smart thing to do. He doesn’t have a future in the NBA. If he did, he would have declared for the draft already.

It’s clear Michigan isn’t in the mix for Hunter Dickinson

I really don’t mean that as a shot at Dickinson. He’s improved at Michigan. But his pro stock hasn’t and it’s not going to.

He’ll never be able to defend well enough to stick in the NBA. He doesn’t shoot well enough and I think there are plenty of bigs who could shut him down in the block. Remember how bad Kofi Cockburn made him look? Well, most NBA teams have multiple dudes like that.

Dickinson is a spectacular college basketball player and he could easily earn more All-American selections. He’s also one of the most well-known players in the sport and should be paid like it.

It’s just clear that’s a huge part of what this is about. Kansas and Kentucky are title contenders and blue bloods, sure. They also aren’t shy about paying whatever it takes to win, even before it was “legal” under the guise of NIL.

Michigan basketball isn’t willing to do that. In hoops especially, to keep or get stars, you need NIL and it’s clear that the Wolverines are still lacking in that department, just like Dickinson said.

Therefore, it’s sort of ironic that NIL will cost Michigan its best player from last season. Overall, my point is that unless he stuns the world, Dickinson isn’t coming back to Ann Arbor.

And if we really looked at the signs that was clear from the second he made his decision.