Hunter Dickinson is returning to Michigan. Both are about to be locked and loaded -

A very new era in college basketball might’ve just gotten its poster boy.

Let’s, for a moment, consider Hunter Dickinson. He is massive, every bit of 7-foot-1, according to Michigan’s official roster, though he says he’s 7-2. He’s proven, having already been named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a near consensus second-team All-American. He’s got star power, wielding an actual personality and occasionally leaning into the role of provocateur. He’s got the stage, playing for a massive brand like Michigan and playing in a true college town like Ann Arbor.

All the pieces are in place for Dickinson to be one of the most marketable revenue generators at a time when Name, Image and Likeness legislation is reshaping the NCAA and all notions of amateurism.

And all the pieces are in place for Michigan to ride Dickinson to another season of national championship aspirations.

All Dickinson needed to do was put those pieces in play.

He did so Tuesday, announcing his intentions to withdraw from the NBA Draft, one day prior to the deadline to do so. The decision delivered a major relief to a Michigan program that of late had to consider the possibility of life without Dickinson in 2021-22. While many onlookers assumed Dickinson’s entry to the draft was a fleeting idea and that his return to school was a foregone conclusion — considering all the above, plus Dickinson’s status as a borderline draftable prospect by most NBA scouting services — in reality, the chance of him remaining in the draft was a very real possibility until only recently. In the past few weeks, more and more chatter arose in circles surrounding Dickinson’s decision that he might opt to remain in the draft. As one source close to the 20-year-old said as recently as last week: “Whether it’s the best move for him or not, he has a lot of confidence that he can make a roster.”

For now, those NBA aspirations will remain on hold. Dickinson will play a second year of college ball as one of the most high-profile returnees in the sport. He will likely be a consensus preseason first-team All-American.

For Michigan, Dickinson’s return can’t be oversold. As a freshman he averaged 14.1 points per game on 59.8 percent shooting and 7.4 rebounds. He scored double-figures in 23 games. He averaged 26 minutes per game and played six games of 30 or more minutes. Beyond the numbers, he put opposing defenses in knots. Teams were constantly forced to choose between doubling down on Dickinson or remaining in single coverage and defending Michigan’s other options. It was a constant game of cat and mouse. Michigan usually won it, ultimately finishing the season 23-5 and winning the Big Ten regular-season championship.

Even with that production, Dickinson was somewhat confined in options. Nearly the entirety of Dickinson’s scoring came on left-handed post attempts over his right shoulder, on cuts and slips leading to left-handed finishes and dunks, on put-backs at the rim, or on free throws. Over the course of the year, opposing defenses keyed on forcing Dickinson to his off side. Some were successful. Many were not.

As a sophomore, Dickinson will be afforded the opportunity to develop a right-hand finish and prove he can shoot from the perimeter. The fact is, had he remained in the draft, those limitations would have been hard to shake off the scouting report. By waiting a year to enter professional ball, he can answer those questions and also improve his body and conditioning.

Dickinson’s last time in uniform is still probably fresh on his mind. In a gutting 51-49 loss to UCLA, Michigan saw an enchanting season skid to an end in the Elite Eight against an 11th-seeded Bruins team that finished fourth in the Pac-12. Dickinson finished with 11 points on 5-of-10 shooting, grabbed two boards, committed four turnovers and missed three free throws in a game decided by two points. After looking like an All-American for so much of the season, his campaign ended with him looking limited and one-dimensional.

In late May, a little more than a month after the close of the 2020-21 campaign, Dickinson declared for the draft. He ended up being invited to the NBA’s G League Elite Camp but didn’t receive an invite to the NBA Draft Combine.

Still, though, there was very much a chance of him remaining in the draft. In a podcast interview with Jeff Goodman on Tuesday, Dickinson said: “There was a lot of flip-flopping from me. It was a really tough decision. When you’re talking about the rest of your life, it’s a really hard decision. I spent a lot of nights up thinking about this decision. I just really felt like coming back and doing one more year was the safest approach for me.”

Dickinson said he was told by NBA teams that he likely projected to a late second-round pick, somewhere in the 40s or later. He feels that by returning, he’ll set himself up for a landing spot in the 2022 first round.

In returning, Dickinson is also setting himself up for some potentially significant earnings.

As of now, all notions of what a college basketball player can conceivably earn via NIL is total guesswork. It is safe to say, though, whatever maximized earnings might possibly exist for college stars, a player like Dickinson checks every box. If he chooses to pursue them, there should be significant possibilities to earn money from various avenues. He’ll be one of the premier players in the college game, with a nationally known name, playing on a legitimate Final Four contender, for a program with a massive following, and both and head coach and brand that’s currently all the rage in college hoops.

“Being able to make a little extra money and not have to worry about my financial situation while at school is definitely a pro,” Dickinson told ESPN.

Moreover, the Michigan schedule sets up as quite the platform for Dickinson. The Wolverines are slated to play a tournament in Las Vegas (bracketed with Arizona, Wichita State and UNLV) prior to Thanksgiving, will play both North Carolina and Kentucky in the same week in early December and travel to Oregon. According to one source, the program is also attempting to set up a game in the Washington D.C. area — the hometown of Dickinson and teammate Terrance Williams II — that will be tied to the theme of social justice. As of now the opponent is believed to be Prairie View A&M.

While Michigan is losing Franz Wagner, Isaiah Livers, Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown off last year’s roster, the 2021-22 team is nonetheless restocked with talent. Juwan Howard welcomes in the top-ranked recruiting class in the country, one including three McDonald’s All-Americans, headlined by Caleb Houstan, and brings back Williams, Eli Brooks, Brandon Johns Jr., and Zeb Jackson. Additionally, in a key offseason move, the program added Coastal Carolina transfer point guard DeVante’ Jones to replace Smith. The roster is deep enough that Dickinson will be backed up at center by Moussa Diabate, a top-15 player in the 2021 recruiting class.

Even with all those pieces, it was always Dickinson who was the key to what next season might bring. With him back, Michigan is loaded. And with college basketball’s new rules, Dickinson could be pretty loaded, himself.

(Top photo by Tim Nwachukwu / Getty Images)

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