MBB: Dickinson Returns, Diabate Declares, Houstan Is Good At Keeping News Private

Is Michigan now the Big Ten favorite? How would adding transfer Terrance Shannon Jr. impact their outlook?

SITE STUFF: The annual EDSBS Charity Bowl is under way. If you’re unfamiliar, they raise money to help New American Pathways provide critical services to refugees, and they do so by pitting schools against each other in a ruthless competition to see who’s most charitable. Donations are encouraged to be given in the form of significant final scores of rivalry games or other numbers that needle your least-favorite foes.

I’m far from alone in already making a $42.27 donation (plus fees!) to mark the football team’s triumph over Ohio State. Here are a few other ideas for potential donations, which you can make at this here link.

• $877.00 (or $8.77, or $87.70, every bit counts) for the number of days since Ohio State beat Michigan in football, as of Monday.

• You can make the exact same donation, give or take a decimal place, in honor of men’s basketball’s 87-70 triumph over Michigan State. Excited about Hunter Dickinson’s return? He averaged 18.6 points per game last season, good for an $18.60 donation.

• $90.71 or $77.58 for the two women’s basketball wins over OSU or $62.51 for their revenge game against MSU. Also:

  Marissa @MarissaG_S_

  @dcsoda @AceAnbender Alternatively, $459.00 would be days since UM WBB lost to OhSU. (was already calculating when I saw this response).

• Feeling particularly generous? The women’s gymnastics team won the 2021 national championship with a title meet score of 198.25.

Feel free to drop any other ideas in the comments. Most importantly, donate if you’re able.

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The big man is back. [Photo: Zoey Holmstrom/MGoBlog]

The deadline for early entrants to put their name into considering for the NBA Draft passed at midnight. One of Michigan’s three potential draftees announced their choice before the deadline. The team’s All-American centerpiece, Hunter Dickinson, will be back for his junior season.

Hunter Dickinson @H_Dickinson24

Keeping Dickinson is the most important possible development of the offseason, even though his NBA stock is lower than that of a couple teammates. At least one of those teammates is testing the draft waters, as Moussa Diabate announced today that he’ll enter his name while maintaining the option to return to school.

Meanwhile, we’re still waiting to hear if Caleb Houstan entered the draft process. I’m making the assumption that he’s testing the waters; I’m assuming a return to school would’ve come with an announcement but I could be wrong.

Let’s start by examining the impact of Dickinson’s return, then go through the various possible iterations of the 2022-23 roster, including the potential addition of Texas Tech transfer Terrence Shannon Jr.