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Four-time Big Ten freshman of the week Hunter Dickinson isn’t just on the regional radar anymore — he’s become a national sensation.
With a career-high 28 points on Wednesday night against No. 16 Minnesota, the first-year Michigan basketball center is getting better and better, becoming seemingly unstoppable in the process. Having posted double-digits scoring-wise every game in his college career thus far, Dickinson is only scratching the tip of the iceberg when it comes to his potential.
And in just his first season in college basketball, 10 games in, he’s sitting at the No. 6 spot when it comes to players’ shooting percentage (73%).
So when ESPN put together its list ($) of top freshmen in the country, it was a no-brainer to include the Wolverines 7-foot phenom.
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan: Several times during his high school career, I (and others) mentioned how Dickinson would have been considered an elite prospect 10-15 years ago. At 7-foot-1, Dickinson is more of a throwback big man who rarely ventures to the perimeter. But he’s been a revelation for the Wolverines this season. Dickinson has been a dominant interior presence, tallying three double-doubles — including 26 points and 11 boards against Maryland on New Year’s Eve. He’s also been one of the more efficient scorers in the country, shooting 74.4% from 2-point range while averaging 16.9 points and 8.1 boards.
But he wasn’t the only player in Ann Arbor mentioned. Author Jeff Borzello included Zeb Jackson as a player awaiting his opportunity.
Zeb Jackson, Michigan: With the Wolverines winning their first nine games of the season and Juwan Howard’s perimeter stable filled with seniors Mike Smith, Eli Brooks, Chaundee Brown and Isaiah Livers, there simply hasn’t been much room for Jackson yet. He totaled five points and one made field goal in his first six games, not appearing in three others. With the potential for plenty of roster turnover after this season, though, Jackson should see an increased role in Ann Arbor next season.
Michigan will certainly need him down the stretch as the road continues to get tougher. It hosts Wisconsin next week, faces Minnesota again before a busy February and March which includes games against MSU, Iowa and Ohio State.
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