Boilermakers Country

Big Ten Daily: Hunter Dickinson Withdraws From NBA Draft, Will Return to Michigan

Michigan center Hunter Dickinson will return to the program and withdraw from the 2021 NBA Draft, Minnesota transfer Marcus Carr reportedly has four preferred destinations and Maryland's Aaron Wiggins will forgo his college eligibility and remain in the NBA Draft. Here's the latest from around the Big Ten Conference.

D.J. Fezler

After a stellar freshman season with Michigan Basketball, Hunter Dickinson elected to test the waters and enter the NBA Draft process. But the Wolverines' star made the decision to return to college basketball on Tuesday. 

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"There was a lot of flip-flopping from me, it was a really tough decision. When you’re talking about the rest of your life, it’s a really hard decision,” Dickinson said in an interview with Stadium Jeff Goodman. “I had a lot of nights just up at night thinking about this decision. I felt like coming back, doing one more year, was the safest approach for me.

“I really enjoyed last year. That was something that was a factor. Even though we didn’t have a normal year because of COVID and everything, I really enjoyed the basketball part of things and next year, hopefully, having it be a more normal year. I just feel like giving it one more year was the best option for me.”

Dickinson was among the Big Ten Conference's top performers as a freshman during the 2020-21 season. The 7-foot center averaged 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game while shooting just under 60% from the floor. He recorded six double-doubles and scored a career-high 28 points in a victory over Minnesota in January.

His accolades helped earn him Big Ten Freshman of the Year honors while also being named second-team All-American selection. Dickinson returns to a Michigan program that is entering its third season under coach Juwan Howard. 

The Wolverines won the Big Ten regular-season title last year and earned a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament. The team made a trip to the Elite Eight before losing at the hands of UCLA. 

Marcus Carr Names Four Teams as Preferred Destinations

After withdrawing his name from the NBA Draft and electing to transfer from Minnesota, Marcus Carr has narrowed down his top programs to four teams. According to ESPN's Jeff Borzello, Carr is considering Kansas, Texas, Louisville and Kentucky. 

Last season, Carr was a bright spot for the Golden Gophers as the team struggled to find consistent success. He started all 29 games and scored 19.4 points per contest as Minnesota finished with a 14-15 record. 

Carr initially entered the transfer portal in March after coach Richard Pitino was fired from Minnesota. He spent the last two seasons with the Golden Gophers. As of now, he has not announced when he will transfer. 

Maryland Star Aaron Wiggins Will Keep Name in NBA Draft

Rather than returning to college basketball next season, Maryland's Aaron Wiggins elected to forgo his remaining eligibility with the program and remain in the 2021 NBA Draft. 

"The last couple of weeks, being able to go through team workouts, the G League Elite Camp and the NBA combine, being able to play my game has been beneficial for me," Wiggins told ESPN on Monday. "I've shown teams things they've never seen before. Teams have been surprised by what I showed. I've loved the information and feedback I've received and didn't want to wait until the last minute with my decision. I'm ready to take the next step. At the end of the day, you have to make the best decision and the one that will benefit you the most."

Wiggins, a 6-foot-6 guard, appeared in 96 games during his career with the Terrapins. He finished second on the team in scoring during the 2020-21 season with 14.5 points while also recording 5.8 rebounds per game.

Maryland will be without both Wiggins and Darryl Morsell next season, but the team's leading scorer, Eric Ayala, announced he would return to the program. Morsell elected to withdraw from the NBA Draft but is transferring to Marquette. 

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D.J. Fezler
D.J. FEZLER

D.J. Fezler is a staff writer for BoilermakersCountry.com. Hailing from The Region, he is from Cedar Lake in Northwest Indiana and has spent the last two years covering Purdue football and basketball. 

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