WASHINGTON, DC – Many had believed that a signing last month was in the cards for top-40 center Hunter Dickinson. Instead, the four-star senior held off from committing but a decision is likely to be made before the month completes.
“The reason why I didn’t sign early is because, if I did sign, it would have been a rush. I think giving it another few weeks was really beneficial for me and now I feel like I am pretty close to a decision,” Dickinson said before plotting a timetable for his commitment. “I am hoping within the month.”
Focused on a group of four, Dickinson will choose between Duke, Florida State, Michigan and Notre Dame.
IN HIS OWN WORDS
Duke: “Coach K, being one of the best coaches to have ever coached, and the opportunity that they told me would be available to me.”
Florida State: “The coaching staff with Coach (Leonard) Hamilton, Coach (Stan) Jones and Coach CY (Charlton Young), those guys, and also how close the team is. Plus, their track record of developing big men.”
Michigan: “Coach (Juwan) Howard, I really like his love for Michigan and for big men, really. He just says how much he wants to coach me; the school and the players there are a lot of the stuff that I like about them off of the basketball court, as well.
“Just the way that he has been coaching, I think everybody was wondering how good of a coach he would be at the college level and I think he has shown everybody that he can run his stuff and he knows how to game plan.”
Notre Dame: “Coach (Mike) Brey, I have a lot of trust in him and with him being a DeMatha guy, he has been recruiting me for so long and I feel like he would run the offense through me and let me be able to control the team.”
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
My FutureCast selection has remained on Michigan for over a month and I am not willing to budge off such a prediction. Duke had a lot going for it immediately following their offer and his visit to Durham but things seemed to have cooled some since then.
No one has recruited Dickinson for a longer time than Notre Dame, and Mike Brey’s ties to the area and DeMatha Catholic should not be understated and neither should Florida State’s chances. The Seminoles have had great success in recent years with big men of his ilk but the Wolverines may have caught Dickinson’s eye the greatest thanks to Juwan Howard’s NBA background and early success in Ann Arbor.
To say that I am entirely confident in my prediction would not be accurate where the feeling is that Dickinson remains torn on all four schools. Either way, expect for a decision to be made before January, giving one program an immediate plug-in from 15-feet and in that should lead a highly productive college career beginning next fall.
