Part II of INSIDE THE FORT, this time concentrating on basketball and recruiting …
We’ve given you plenty on the basketball team and workouts over the last several weeks, including the likely starting lineup — DeVante’ Jones, Eli Brooks, Caleb Houstan, Brandon Johns and Hunter Dickinson. Houstan has been the late addition after playing with team Canada in the FIBA U-19 tournament, but he’s made up for lost time.
Everyone expected him to fare well as a shooter, and he has. He didn’t shoot the ball extremely well from long range at the U-19s, but he’s more than made up for it since he arrived in Ann Arbor.
“He’ll have stretches where he doesn’t miss,” our source close to it said. “But he’s not just a shooter.”
In fact, his aggressiveness with the ball has been even better than advertised. Though he was relied upon more as a spot-up guy at times at Montverde given the number of outstanding ball handlers, he proved himself as a finisher, too … he excelled in that area at FIBA and has picked up where he left off.
“He finished through contact so well there, and that was an eye-opener. That’s what everyone was talking about after watching it, and he’s strong there … and only getting better,” our source said.
The coaches would be “ecstatic” if he put up the same numbers Franz Wagner did as a freshman, but the expectations are higher for him as a shooter, obviously.
“He could be more Nik Stauskas-type year one than Wagner,” the source continued.
Except a much better defender. He’s very willing on that end, so there are high, year-one expectations here.
On the recruiting front, we told you yesterday there seems to be good news coming on four-star big man Tarris Reed, who will be one of the biggest movers in the rankings when the updated rankings come out. We expect point guard pledge Dug McDaniel to get a bump, too, after his outstanding summer.
With a class of McDaniel, Reed and Jett Howard, the Wolverines can afford to be choosey with their last scholarship and will be, as we’ve mentioned many times. Kyle Filipowski is off the board, having chosen Duke (as expected), and they didn’t gain any traction with four-star Nebraskan Isaac Traudt. Creighton, Nebraska, Virginia, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Kansas and North Carolina are the schools in the mix, he said after the final live period.
Some have speculated Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy’s Eric Dailey, Rivals.com's No. 23 senior, could be the fourth, and there’s no question there’s mutual interest.
“I’m bring recruited hard by Michigan, Virginia Tech, Dayton, Miami and little bit of Florida,” the power forward said last month. “I’m just taking it all in right now. Even though I’m about to be a senior, I have time. I have no visits scheduled. I want to take some in the fall, so I can get a real feel for campus when everyone is there.”
We’ve said many times Dailey could well go overseas — his father did back and the day and has ties there — and there are some close to him who are really, really involved in his recruitment. This one still doesn’t seem likely.
It’s very possible, perhaps likely, the Wolverines only sign three in the early period and wait to see what transpires in the spring — as we’ve said — and assess their needs, whether it’s a late signee or someone from the portal.
More hoops recruiting …
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy shooting guard Jett Howard is currently at the NBPA Top 100 camp in Orlando following a standout couple of weeks in Augusta, S.C. at Nike EYBL and Peach Jam.
Howard, who is known as a shooter and high-level offensive player, is working on his defense this offseason, specifically when it comes to locking in on every possession. IMG Academy head coach Sean McAloon has high expectations for him as a senior, with his role set to grow due to some key departures from the squad.
“He could [play inconsistently] last year because we had [four-star 2021 Indiana shooting guard signee] Tamar Bates, and we don’t have that anymore,” McAloon told TheWolverine.com. He doesn’t have that security blanket.
“We need him to be a better leader, a better defender, a better communicator. He has to grow into that role. I want to see consistency from him. I know he can score; man, he can score. He’s really talented. Once he buys into every other aspect of the game, then people should watch out.”
Right now, Howard is ranked at No. 40 nationally and as the No. 7 shooting guard in the country. But that’s expected to change in the next rankings update, as he drew a ton of praise from those — including us — who saw him play in-person during the July live period.
“Just youth,” McAloon said of what is holding Howard back from being a complete prospect. “Jett’s got a great personality and all that, it’s just growth more than anything. Nobody cares about what you did yesterday. Get better for the next day. I think it’s coming because I saw it in the spring. It’s just doing it every single day. And our job is just to remind him to do that.
“When he does it, though, when he gets there and gets to that point — again, people should watch out. I think some of the people that have him [ranked] where they have him — I don’t care much about rankings, but I look at where some people are and where he is, and I’m like, people are wrong. Way wrong.”
McAloon is pushing Howard so hard because he sees the potential, he said, and that he needs him to step up this season. Last year, Howard was a starter but played the role of a spot-up shooter. He’s going to have to take the reins of the offense more this season and be the alpha.
“He has the ability — more than anybody else, because it comes so easy — to be our leading scorer,” McAloon said. “I wouldn’t put that pressure on him, but he has the ability to do that. I’m not going to say no to it. I think he can do it. I think he’s up for the challenge.”
We also discussed Michigan as a whole with McAloon, who has had several players recruited by the Wolverines over the years, including a few over the last couple since Juwan Howard has taken over.
McAloon is obviously impressed with the way Howard has taken the program John Beilein handed over to him and kept the train rolling.
“It’s not like John was a slouch,” McAloon said with a smile. “They were pretty damn good then. You can just tell that it really, really matters to Juwan. Not to say that it didn’t matter to John — I’ve known John for years — but it’s personal for Juwan, and I think he recruits as such. It’s really personal for him, and I think he’s really genuine. I think kids can see that.”
And what is Howard like as a high school parent?
It’s exactly what you’d expect.
“He stays out of the way, really,” McAloon said, adding that he’s no helicopter parent. “I think he put Jett with us because he trusted us. I’ve only had to call him once and say, ‘Listen, I need this.’ And it was done like that. You’ve got to remember, Juwan’s from Chicago now, so he’s got that streak in him. It was a one-time deal with Jett — ’Hey Juwan, give him a call.’”
Sounds a lot like Juwan Howard, the coach.
****
Finally, a few more football notes …
We’ve talked about emerging leaders and guys who have had great summers, and one has moved up dramatically — quarterback Cade McNamara. In addition to making great strides physically and improving his arm strength, he’s taken the lead as ‘the guy’ when it comes to leadership.
“He feels like it’s his team and his responsibility,” one source in the locker room said. “He wants this badly.”
He knows he’ll have to earn it, too. J.J. McCarthy has had his nose in the playbook all summer and is “one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen,” the same source said. But some close to it believe that, while he’ll play, he’s going to have to wait his turn.
“If they get through the first four games 4-0, how are they going to replace him?” a different source said.
The first four games are hugely important, everyone knows, and many feel winning them is the key to the season and the team’s psyche.
Finally, as most know, they have been working on finalizing the 2022 schedule by flipping Indiana and Michigan State venues.
“We’re just waiting on final approval from the Big Ten,” a source involved with working on the schedule said.
That would mean at Indiana and home against Michigan State next year and getting MSU and OSU home/away on the schedule for the next several years, which the athletic department has long wanted to do.
We’ve given you plenty on the basketball team and workouts over the last several weeks, including the likely starting lineup — DeVante’ Jones, Eli Brooks, Caleb Houstan, Brandon Johns and Hunter Dickinson. Houstan has been the late addition after playing with team Canada in the FIBA U-19 tournament, but he’s made up for lost time.
Everyone expected him to fare well as a shooter, and he has. He didn’t shoot the ball extremely well from long range at the U-19s, but he’s more than made up for it since he arrived in Ann Arbor.
“He’ll have stretches where he doesn’t miss,” our source close to it said. “But he’s not just a shooter.”
In fact, his aggressiveness with the ball has been even better than advertised. Though he was relied upon more as a spot-up guy at times at Montverde given the number of outstanding ball handlers, he proved himself as a finisher, too … he excelled in that area at FIBA and has picked up where he left off.
“He finished through contact so well there, and that was an eye-opener. That’s what everyone was talking about after watching it, and he’s strong there … and only getting better,” our source said.
The coaches would be “ecstatic” if he put up the same numbers Franz Wagner did as a freshman, but the expectations are higher for him as a shooter, obviously.
“He could be more Nik Stauskas-type year one than Wagner,” the source continued.
Except a much better defender. He’s very willing on that end, so there are high, year-one expectations here.
On the recruiting front, we told you yesterday there seems to be good news coming on four-star big man Tarris Reed, who will be one of the biggest movers in the rankings when the updated rankings come out. We expect point guard pledge Dug McDaniel to get a bump, too, after his outstanding summer.
With a class of McDaniel, Reed and Jett Howard, the Wolverines can afford to be choosey with their last scholarship and will be, as we’ve mentioned many times. Kyle Filipowski is off the board, having chosen Duke (as expected), and they didn’t gain any traction with four-star Nebraskan Isaac Traudt. Creighton, Nebraska, Virginia, Gonzaga, Michigan State, Kansas and North Carolina are the schools in the mix, he said after the final live period.
Some have speculated Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy’s Eric Dailey, Rivals.com's No. 23 senior, could be the fourth, and there’s no question there’s mutual interest.
“I’m bring recruited hard by Michigan, Virginia Tech, Dayton, Miami and little bit of Florida,” the power forward said last month. “I’m just taking it all in right now. Even though I’m about to be a senior, I have time. I have no visits scheduled. I want to take some in the fall, so I can get a real feel for campus when everyone is there.”
We’ve said many times Dailey could well go overseas — his father did back and the day and has ties there — and there are some close to him who are really, really involved in his recruitment. This one still doesn’t seem likely.
It’s very possible, perhaps likely, the Wolverines only sign three in the early period and wait to see what transpires in the spring — as we’ve said — and assess their needs, whether it’s a late signee or someone from the portal.
More hoops recruiting …
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy shooting guard Jett Howard is currently at the NBPA Top 100 camp in Orlando following a standout couple of weeks in Augusta, S.C. at Nike EYBL and Peach Jam.
Howard, who is known as a shooter and high-level offensive player, is working on his defense this offseason, specifically when it comes to locking in on every possession. IMG Academy head coach Sean McAloon has high expectations for him as a senior, with his role set to grow due to some key departures from the squad.
“He could [play inconsistently] last year because we had [four-star 2021 Indiana shooting guard signee] Tamar Bates, and we don’t have that anymore,” McAloon told TheWolverine.com. He doesn’t have that security blanket.
“We need him to be a better leader, a better defender, a better communicator. He has to grow into that role. I want to see consistency from him. I know he can score; man, he can score. He’s really talented. Once he buys into every other aspect of the game, then people should watch out.”
Right now, Howard is ranked at No. 40 nationally and as the No. 7 shooting guard in the country. But that’s expected to change in the next rankings update, as he drew a ton of praise from those — including us — who saw him play in-person during the July live period.
“Just youth,” McAloon said of what is holding Howard back from being a complete prospect. “Jett’s got a great personality and all that, it’s just growth more than anything. Nobody cares about what you did yesterday. Get better for the next day. I think it’s coming because I saw it in the spring. It’s just doing it every single day. And our job is just to remind him to do that.
“When he does it, though, when he gets there and gets to that point — again, people should watch out. I think some of the people that have him [ranked] where they have him — I don’t care much about rankings, but I look at where some people are and where he is, and I’m like, people are wrong. Way wrong.”
McAloon is pushing Howard so hard because he sees the potential, he said, and that he needs him to step up this season. Last year, Howard was a starter but played the role of a spot-up shooter. He’s going to have to take the reins of the offense more this season and be the alpha.
“He has the ability — more than anybody else, because it comes so easy — to be our leading scorer,” McAloon said. “I wouldn’t put that pressure on him, but he has the ability to do that. I’m not going to say no to it. I think he can do it. I think he’s up for the challenge.”
We also discussed Michigan as a whole with McAloon, who has had several players recruited by the Wolverines over the years, including a few over the last couple since Juwan Howard has taken over.
McAloon is obviously impressed with the way Howard has taken the program John Beilein handed over to him and kept the train rolling.
“It’s not like John was a slouch,” McAloon said with a smile. “They were pretty damn good then. You can just tell that it really, really matters to Juwan. Not to say that it didn’t matter to John — I’ve known John for years — but it’s personal for Juwan, and I think he recruits as such. It’s really personal for him, and I think he’s really genuine. I think kids can see that.”
And what is Howard like as a high school parent?
It’s exactly what you’d expect.
“He stays out of the way, really,” McAloon said, adding that he’s no helicopter parent. “I think he put Jett with us because he trusted us. I’ve only had to call him once and say, ‘Listen, I need this.’ And it was done like that. You’ve got to remember, Juwan’s from Chicago now, so he’s got that streak in him. It was a one-time deal with Jett — ’Hey Juwan, give him a call.’”
Sounds a lot like Juwan Howard, the coach.
****
Finally, a few more football notes …
We’ve talked about emerging leaders and guys who have had great summers, and one has moved up dramatically — quarterback Cade McNamara. In addition to making great strides physically and improving his arm strength, he’s taken the lead as ‘the guy’ when it comes to leadership.
“He feels like it’s his team and his responsibility,” one source in the locker room said. “He wants this badly.”
He knows he’ll have to earn it, too. J.J. McCarthy has had his nose in the playbook all summer and is “one of the hardest workers I’ve ever seen,” the same source said. But some close to it believe that, while he’ll play, he’s going to have to wait his turn.
“If they get through the first four games 4-0, how are they going to replace him?” a different source said.
The first four games are hugely important, everyone knows, and many feel winning them is the key to the season and the team’s psyche.
Finally, as most know, they have been working on finalizing the 2022 schedule by flipping Indiana and Michigan State venues.
“We’re just waiting on final approval from the Big Ten,” a source involved with working on the schedule said.
That would mean at Indiana and home against Michigan State next year and getting MSU and OSU home/away on the schedule for the next several years, which the athletic department has long wanted to do.
