On this week's edition of the "Defend the Block" podcast, Hunter Dickinson stops by to break down his decision to enter the NBA Draft, while maintaining his college eligibility. He also shares some of the improvements he has made on and off the floor, reflects on his memories from last year's incredible team, and reacts to his former high school head coach Mike Jones' new position at Virginia Tech.

By Brian Boesch

One week ago, Hunter Dickinson announced he would declare for the NBA Draft, while maintaining his college eligibility. It was not surprising to learn that Dickinson, the Big Ten's Freshman of the Year and the Wolverines' leading scorer and rebounder, would want to explore his NBA options. The news came almost two months after Michigan's season ended -- and, more importantly, just four days before the deadline to declare. The timing was not for a lack of attention to the matter.

"I flip-flopped a couple times," Dickinson said on this week's "Defend the Block" podcast. "It was a really hard decision for me."

Ultimately, Dickinson decided to take the plunge and enter his name into the NBA Draft, at least for now. Dickinson, like any early-entry player that hires an NCAA-certified agent, can withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to college basketball at any point from now through July 19. That flexibility was a big reason for Dickinson's decision to test the waters.

"With the season that I had, I felt like I earned the right to kind of see what NBA teams were saying," Dickinson said. "That's why I was really big on trying to get an NCAA-certified agent, because I wanted some guidance in the process, but I also wanted to make sure that I was able to retain my eligibility.

"I felt like this was a win-win situation for me, to be able to gather information on what NBA teams are saying, but also leave the door open to come back."

Dickinson has an idea of some of the feedback he will receive from the NBA, which is why he has spent the first couple of months of the offseason working on his game and his body. While back with his family in Virginia, Dickinson has worked hard on the court to improve his lateral movement and shooting consistency, all while adhering to a strict diet and toning his body.

In addition to his hard work, Dickinson has admitted that the season-ending loss to UCLA in the Elite Eight has been front of mind.

"It was hard to end the season the way we did, losing that game," Dickinson said. "I've probably thought about it multiple times a day, every day, since the UCLA game."

Now, the question is will Dickinson be part of the program when it embarks on a quest to avenge that loss? He will have the option of either being a key cog on a likely national contender next season, or heading to the NBA, which he said is "obviously a lifetime goal of mine." If Dickinson does come back to Ann Arbor for his sophomore season, he knows exactly what the team goal will be.

"Winning a national championship -- being a competitor, that's what you want to do. You want to win every game you play," Dickinson said. "I really thought we were going to win it this year, so that is something that, if I come back, that's definitely the main goal for me, and I know it's the main goal for Coach [Juwan] Howard and the coaching staff."

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