Juwan Howard gives lengthy praise of Hunter Dickinson's impact for Michigan

For three of the four seasons that Juwan Howard has been the head coach at his alma mater, Michigan, he’s had big man Hunter Dickinson on the roster. And when Howard was given the chance to discuss Dickinson’s impact for Michigan at large following the center’s game-saving heroics against Wisconsin on Sunday, Howard struggled to keep it together.

In short: Dickinson has been the anchor of the Michigan program for basically three years now. From starting as a freshman on a team that earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and was a possession away from beating UCLA for a trip to the Final Four to guiding this Wolverines squad as a junior, Howard has seen the full evolution.

“He won the Big Ten title, went to the Elite Eight. One possession away from making it to the Final Four as freshman. All-American, and earned it because of the work he put in and his passion and love for the game. Second year he came in, new team, and also had a hell of a year last year. Went to the Sweet 16, led his team to a Sweet 16. Now, he has another new team. It’s tough. This is the new land of college basketball, where it’s rare that you’ll find five returning starters from last year. Because of the evolving transfer portal, as well as folks just want a new role,” Howard said.

Moreso than his role on the court, Howard lauded Dickinson for all he does off the court. He’s welcomed new teammates and coaches. He’s been supportive of others, Howard said. And as an older guy in a room with a lot of sophomores and freshmen, he’s been a real leader for the 2022-23 season.

As he finished off what constitutes a long-winded answer for the oft brief Howard, the Michigan head coach had a tinge of emotion to his voice.

“He’s shown that he’s a true Michigan man and you’ve seen how he’s dialed in to representing what this team is all about. Coaches and players, he is supporting them. And I am all-in with Hunter. I support him. I know where his heart is. He wants that attention. He wants the attention to be away from his teammates, his coaches, give it to him so he can be the bad guy. It’s unfair, because Hunter, he’s really a lovable person. He really is. And I love coaching him. I love being around him. I learn a lot from him. He’s my family,” Howard said, wiping his eye as the next question was asked.