By JACOB POLACHECK
Hunter Dickinson, the 7-foot-2 center from DeMatha Catholic (MD), broke down his final seven schools in a phone interview for ZAGSBLOG Tuesday:
Michigan: “I really like Juwan Howard and how he comes off. He’s really cool, even keeled and seems like he’s very knowledgeable. He’s a players-first coach that wants to help his players develop. I’m interested to go out there and see the campus.”
North Carolina: “Roy Williams is known for playing a lot of big men and having success with big men. That’s something that has interested me. I’m excited to go down there, see the campus and hang out with Armando [Bacot], Cole [Anthony] and those guys.”
Florida State: “They’re another school that plays a lot of big men. Their development with big men has been pretty impressive. That’s another school that I’m interested in.”
Providence: “Coach [Ed] Cooley is one of my favorite coaches, with the way that he talks to me. Beyond just saying that he likes me, he tries to critique my game and give me things that I can do better. That’s what I really like.”
Purdue: “They’re a school that’s been recruiting me since the start, basically. They’re another big man school that is big man dominant, which I like. They keep saying that they can develop me and get me to where I want to go.”
Notre Dame: “They were my second offer, like my first real offer. Coach [Mike] Brey has been saying from the jump, ‘Don’t get bored with our recruiting. We were the first to offer you.’ He was a DeMatha guy, so I really like that. He’s said that I would be the main guy there and he can get me to the league.”
Louisville: “Chris Mack and coach [Mike] Pegues have liked me since there were at Xavier. They didn’t think they were going to be able to get me there, so they didn’t recruit me as much. When they got hired at Louisville, they started to recruit me more and more. I really liked seeing the campus and coach Mack seems like a really cool guy, someone who is about his players, which is what I like. I really liked hanging out with the team.”
Dickinson has already taken official visits to Notre Dame (Sept. 1), Purdue (Oct. 19), Providence (Apr. 18) and Louisville (May 31).
“I definitely want to use at least four of my visits and I’ll probably use all five,” said Dickinson. “I would hope to come up with a decision after that. If it takes longer, I’m not really rushing anything.”
When it comes to a decision, Dickinson has three main factors in mind.
“My relationship with the head coach will be one, if not the most important factor. I have to be able to trust him with everything, my whole future and playing career. That is number one,” said Dickinson.
“Two, I’m looking at whether they’ve had success developing big men, getting them better and their pedigree of getting big men to the NBA,” he said. “Three, I’m looking at academics and playing time. Both of them are one and the same for me. Those are the main things.”
According to 247Sports, Dickinson is ranked as the No. 30 overall player in the Class of 2020 and the No. 2 player from the state of Maryland.
At 7-foot-2, Dickinson is one of the top rated centers in the 2020 class.
“I’m a really skilled big man, who you can run the offense through,” said Dickinson. “I can play with another big man or as the singular big man.”
This summer, Dickinson is focusing on his movement, strength and agility.
“I can pass well and my low post game is really good,” he said. “I’m a better shooter than people realize and a really good defender.”
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