By Taris Young | @taris_the_gunna
Sports Capital Journalism Program
INDIANAPOLIS – The Michigan Wolverines, the No. 11 seed, will face the No. 6 Colorado State at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Thursday at 12:15 in Indianapolis, Indiana. A year ago, after Michigan’s stay here lasted four rounds, the Wolverines lost to UCLA, 51-49, one step short of the Final Four.
Hunter Dickinson, Michigan’s sophomore center, remembered how quickly everything ended. “Playing last year and getting a real feel for how crazy this tournament is,” he said. “How much each game matters and how 40 minutes from the start, your season can be over, and you can go home.”
Dickinson is the leading scorer for Michigan, averaging 18.3 points a game. Dickinson also leads the Wolverines in rebounding at 8.3 rebounds a game. He has a team best 13 games of 20 points or more, including a career-best tying 33 points against Michigan State on March 1. Dickinson, with 925 points and 448 rebounds, is quickly moving up the Michigan rankings as he needs 75 points to reach 1,000 and 52 rebounds to reach 500.
Michigan (17-14) is making its 31st NCAA appearance, and has a record of 57-24 in the tournament. Michigan has been to six Final Fours and carries a 7-1 record in the national semifinals. Coach Juwan Howard played in back-to-back Final Fours in 1992 and 1993 when he was a player for Michigan. “I’m happy to be a part of a school that has helped mold me to the man I am today,” Howard said.
Colorado State (25-5) is making its 11th NCAA appearance. The Rams have not been in the tournament since 2013 and are making their fourth appearance since 1990.
“They do a good job offensively moving the ball, moving people from side-to-side,” Howard said about the Rams. He referred to David Roddy, Colorado State’s junior guard, as “the head of the snake.” Roddy has averaged 19.4 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Rams.
Roddy compared Dickinson with Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton’s 7-foot-1 sophomore center. “Hunter Dickinson has a little bit more girth, I would say,” Roddy said. “…I’ve seen Hunter ever since AAU. I’m pretty familiar with his game. He can really pass. He’s starting to shoot it really well.”
Michigan will be without graduate student guard DeVante Jones who suffered a concussion, according to Howard. Jones is averaging 10.7 points per game after collecting 18 double-figure games with 15 of those coming in conference games.
Jones had double-digit games in seven of his last eight games with two 20-plus point games. “It is about the next man up,” Howard said. “What we focus on is, yes, how we can prepare to go out there and compete and play some winning basketball, but defensively there is going to be a focus as well as far as how can we get stops versus Colorado State.”
