What Caused Dickinson to Go Completely En Fuego on Spartans?

A little talk at Juwan Howard's house, a little trash talk with Spartan coach Tom Izzo and a whole lot of desire resulted in a career-high 33 points for Dickinson in runaway win over Michigan State

Michigan interim head coach Phil Martelli said center Hunter Dickinson had a look in his eyes that said he would not be denied.

Photo Courtesy of University of Michigan Photography

By Steve Kornacki

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan center Hunter Dickinson was a man possessed in this game.

Dickinson dialed it up a notch from the get-go and played with fire in his belly every second, scoring a career-high 33 points and grabbing nine rebounds in Tuesday night’s 87-70 dismantling of Michigan State.

It had been a long time since a Wolverine had a game that prolific against the Spartans. Michigan’s last 30-point game against MSU came from future NBA first-round pick Terry Mills, who had a career-high 31 in East Lansing on the exact calendar date: March 1, 1990. Mills is now the team’s radio analyst.

So, let’s analyze this: What caused Dickinson to go completely en fuego?

Was it the trip to suspended Wolverine coach Juwan Howard’s house for a little heart-to-heart with his personal position coach?

Was it the “joy in his eyes” interim coach Phil Martelli noticed after several days in which Dickinson had not been himself?

Was it perhaps wanting to show Spartan coach Tom Izzo what he was capable of doing? Dickinson said something to Izzo after one dazzling play that drew the ire of the Hall of Fame coach, leading officials to ask Martelli to speak with Dickinson about toning down the trash talk. Martelli instructed: “Let it be about your game, please.”

Martelli added: “I’m not asking somebody to be a monk. He’s a true character. And if it does not work out in basketball, I dare any of you to deny me this fact: He will be a WWE villain. He won’t be a good guy. He’ll sell a lot of tickets for WWE.”

So, we saw a different side of Dickinson – who always plays hard and with passion but never seemed to take a game as personal as this one.

In a game his team had to have with NCAA Tournament bubble talk abounding, Dickinson couldn’t get enough and couldn’t be stopped.

Early in the game, after the Wolverines (16-12, 10-8 Big Ten) had taken a 23-11 lead over the Spartans (19-10, 10-8), there was a timeout and Dickinson began bounding toward the bench doing what amounted to jumping jacks.

And as he kept schooling every MSU big man down the stretch in the second half. Dickinson kept his foot on the gas. He never let up. Most damage was done with left-handed hooks, but he also powered in with dominating one-on-one moves such as a spin, dropped in a reverse layup, and blew by Julius Marble II like he wasn’t there.

He said working “for deeper position” with director of basketball operations and assistant coach Chris Hunter reinforced what Howard had been stressing and brought results. Izzo insisted on not double-teaming him, as most teams do most of the time, and he tore through the Spartans.

“He showed why he should be a first team All-American this year,” said Wolverine sophomore forward Terrance Williams II, who made three 3-pointers in the first half. “He’s doing the inside-out, he’s rebounding, he’s leading the team. He’s a great player.

“He was our leader and we just followed behind him, and he gave us energy…I mean, he got us amped up. When I saw Izzo mad at Hunter, I’m behind my brother, Hunt. When he got hyped up, I got hyped up with him.”

Martelli noted: “One of the things Hunter has done at the instance of Juwan, is he’s become vocal. But in November and December we had one voice: Eli (Brooks). He was the one giving them instructions on where to go on offense and defense, and now Hunter is picking that up. He was directing them. He was telling them during the timeouts at what angle they could get him the ball.”

Let’s examine everything that went into bringing out his best performance:

The Izzo confrontation:

Dickinson recalled Izzo’s praise for him after he scored 25 with six rebounds in an 83-67 loss Jan. 29 at East Lansing.

“Coach Izzo had a lot to say to me – a lot of good things,” said Dickinson. “After this game, he didn’t say anything. So, he got a little upset. But I don’t take it personally. You heard his quote, that he was going to shake hands regardless. He’s a man of his word.

“It’s the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. It’s not friendly out there. Those aren’t your friends out there. It’s not going to be like a hug-and-kiss at the game.”

The Juwan conversation:

“I went and saw him today at his house,” said Dickinson, adding that teammate and son Jace Howard accompanied him. “That was fun. It had been a while since I’d seen him. So, it was good to go over there to see him. He gave me some tips and things to look for. But we were just kind of talking about how we’ve been.

“I know he’s going a little crazy in the house and stuff like that. He wants to see his guys because he loves us so much. We love him. So, it’s hard for us not to be around him.”

Dickinson said that wasn’t the fire-up element responsible for his performance, but spending time with a coach he’s grown close to had to warm his heart, and possibly lifted him out of the funk Martinelli had observed.

The look in his eyes:

“It started yesterday with Hunter,” said Martelli. “He was light. I particularly enjoy Hunter. Now, sometimes I get chastised by the other coaches because they say, ‘He’s my boy.’ He definitely can have fun, and certainly will push that.

“But yesterday, he was up, and he wasn’t that way Saturday and Sunday (when Michigan lost at home to Illinois). He wasn’t Hunter. But then he connected with Chris Hunter, did some extra shooting. We said, ‘Hunt, they’re going to send four (different) big bodies at you, and we’re going through you…And he had a joy in his eyes (Monday and Tuesday).”

Dickinson said: “(Assistant coach) Saddi (Washington) was telling us yesterday that you have to bring your alter ego,” said Dickinson. “And for me, trying to go out there and play with that emotion on my sleeve that I feel my best, trying to be the best me out there.

“That’s what a Juwan Howard-led team is out there: gritty. He always says, ‘toughest, nastiest, hardest-working’ and so we try to emulate that each and every day, and for us, trying to play for him.”

Dickinson most certainly led a passion play against the Spartans, one that must have had Juwan smiling ear-to-ear as he watched the game back at home.

Hunter had bagged the Spartans.