AP Photo/Carlos OsorioHunter Dickinson, a Michigan center, announced Tuesday that he will be returning to Michigan for his sophomore season and not entering the 2021 NBA Draft.Dickinson made it official by tweeting the following:He also spoke to Jeff Goodman from Stadium about why he chose to withdraw himself from draft consideration.Dickinson referred to Michigan as the "best approach" and "safest" option, rather than entering the draft.As a freshman, the Alexandria native, Virginia native, was a major performer for Juwan Howard's Wolverines team. He led them in scoring (14.1 PPG), rebounding (7.4 RPG), and blocks (1.4 BPG).Dickinson was also an efficient offensive player. He shot 59.8 per cent from the floor and made 73.9 percent of all his attempts from the free throw line.Although he only attempted four three-pointers last year, he noted that the NBA teams were impressed by his shooting during workouts and would like to see him improve his range in the 2021-22 season.Michigan was No. 1 with Dickinson leading. For a time, Michigan was the No. 1 team in the country. They finished last season with a 23-5 overall record and a 14-3 record within the Big Ten. This result was good enough for the Big Ten regular-season champion.Michigan was the No. Michigan was a No. 1 seed in NCAA tournament. It made it all the the way to Elite Eight, where it lost 51-49 against UCLA.Despite losing some key players from last year's Wolverines team, such as Isaiah Livers and Mike Smith, Chaundee brown, Austin Davis and Franz Wagner, Dickinson is back, giving them a reliable player.The return of Eli Brooks Jr. and Brandon Johns Jr. will be seen in Michigan, as well as the arrival a number of highly-regarded recruits like Caleb Houstan (ranked No. 247Sports ranks Caleb Houstan as the No. 7 overall prospect for the 2021 class.Dickinson stated that he was told by the NBA teams that he would likely end up as a second-round draft pick if he entered 2021, but he believes that he is a first round talent.Dickinson could have another productive season at Michigan in 2021-22 and be a solid first-round selection in the future.
