'Everybody is winning at Michigan': Hunter Dickinson proud to help continue Wolverines' strong tradition
INDIANAPOLIS — Michigan Wolverines basketball is the first Big Ten team to make five straight Sweet 16s, thanks in large part to sophomore center Hunter Dickinson‘s huge first weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
He scored 21 points in a win over No. 6 seed Colorado State, then poured in 27 points in an upset victory over No. 3 seed Tennessee. His 48 points through the first two NCAA Tournament games are the most by a Michigan player since his head coach, Juwan Howard, in 1994.
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Dickinson helped lead Michigan to the Elite Eight last season, and the Maize and Blue are amidst another deep run this time around. But March success is nothing new for the Wolverines, who’ve won 23 NCAA Tournament games and made seven Sweet 16s, four Elite Eights and two national title games since 2013.
The prestige of not only the basketball program but the athletic department and school at large was a huge reason why Dickinson chose to play for Howard in Ann Arbor.
“It means a lot,” Dickinson said when asked what it means to wear the block ‘M’ and lead a successful team. “That’s one of the reasons why I ended up choosing Michigan, was the pedigree and the tradition of winning.”
Take this weekend alone. The basketball program is headed to the South regional, while the women’s basketball team won its first round NCAA Tournament game, wrestling finished second at the NCAAs, hockey won the Big Ten Tournament and women’s gymnastics won the Big Ten championship.
“When it comes to football, basketball, hockey … we got field hockey — it just seems like everybody is winning at Michigan,” Dickinson said.
“There is a prestige that comes with wearing that block ‘M’ that I don’t take lightly, and something I wear proudly when I walk out here with Michigan across my chest.”
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Proud, like so many others who’ve come through the athletic department and the basketball program. Former Michigan stars and teammates of Howard Chris Webber, Ray Jackson and Mark Hughes were in attendance Saturday, and Jalen Rose made the trip for Thursday’s tilt.
Hunter Dickinson Ready To Prove More Doubters Wrong
In addition to his 27 points, Dickinson recorded 11 rebounds and dished out four assists in one of his top performances as a Michigan Wolverine. He scored 15 points in the second half, raising his game in the biggest moments and keeping his team afloat early on in the half, scoring the team’s first points out of the locker room.
“Hey, man, just being able to play in the NCAA Tournament is a dream come true for any basketball player,” Dickinson noted. “Every kid grows up watching the NCAA Tournament, and being able to play good in it is an amazing experience.
“Obviously, being a big man, you really don’t get the ball without your teammates. So obviously I have to give a shout out to them because they find me in great spots. The coaching staff puts me in great positions to score. They make it easy for me out there.”
Making the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament is a major accomplishment — just ask Illinois, which hasn’t advanced that far in 17 years, for example — but Dickinson doesn’t plan on Michigan’s season ending any time soon. The Wolverines have their eyes set on the Final Four in New Orleans, looking forward to the opportunity to prove more doubters wrong.
“Making it to the Sweet 16 is — as literal as it is — is sweet because nobody believed in us,” Dickinson said. “Everybody thought we shouldn’t even be in the tournament. And now people that were hating on us are going home and about to watch us next week.”
