INDIANAPOLIS — He may not make an entrance like "Stone Cold" Steve Austin or the Rock but Michigan center Hunter Dickinson may be on his way.
"I dare any of you to deny me this fact, he will be a WWE villain," said Wolverines assistant coach Phil Martelli following Dickinson's 33 point, 9 board effort in the win over Michigan State on March 1st.
Martelli didn't receive a wrestling style steel chair shot for his comment from his big man because there's no denying Dickinson loves being a heel.
"That's how I play," Dickinson said Wednesday morning, ahead of U of M's NCAA first round matchup with Colorado State in Indianapolis on Thursday. "I'm at my best and most engaged when I'm out there playing with energy and fire."
Dickinson has never told me what he says to his opponents. Part of the reason is because he says he's just talking to himself a lot of the time.
"Whatever I'm saying is just to kind of motivate myself and make me play better, honestly," he explained.
For the most part Wolverines head coach Juwan Howard loves to see Dickinson engaging with his opponents. Howard has competed against the best trash talkers in NBA history and he says Dickinson shows flashes of the all-time legends in playing mind games.
"He's a guy that like all players, when they shoot a shot and they make it, they like to celebrate it," Howard said. "They make a dunk, they show emotion. Basketball is a very emotional and competitive game."
There's no denying Dickinson has swagger. And who knows, maybe Colorado State Thursday at the Big Dance and Goldberg at SummerSlam years from now.
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