The latest edition of INSIDE THE FORT, including plenty of football, basketball and recruiting information.
Starting with football …
We picked up several tidbits in Paris, not the least of which included the news that junior quarterback and Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson would be eligible to play this fall. We’ve felt good all along about this one, knowing the game plan — that if push came to shove, they felt they’d have a chance to work it out through “atypical means.”
That’s exactly what happened, of course. Patterson’s attorney, Thomas Mars, didn’t care how it was accomplished … his goal was to make sure his clients were eligible to play early, and he got it done.
All of the quarterbacks made plays this spring, and that’s not coachspeak or hyperbole. Those who witnessed every practice said they all looked the part of guys Michigan could win with. They all have their strengths, and according to those closest to it, they have capable guys at the position and aren’t going to be dead in the water (like they were for long stretches last year) should No. 1 go down.
Patterson, though, showed by the end of spring ball why he was No. 1. He’s a playmaker, has escapability and was a five-star for a reason. He showed great pocket presence, those close to it this spring said, knows when to abandon a play and when to stay with it (unlike some QBs they’ve had who have tucked and run too quickly), and he’s really fit in well with his teammates.
“He’s going to help immensely,” sophomore kicker Quinn Nordin, one of Patterson’s good friends on the team, said. “He’s an unbelievable playmaker.”
Another position that’s been bolstered — center. Sophomore Cesar Ruiz had a great spring there, and redshirt sophomore Stephen Spanellis practiced there most of the spring, too, and did a really solid job. Spanellis played some guard, too, and provides depth on the right side.
The line got better. Period. There are still question marks, but there’s at least some resistance now. Several of the defenders spoke about many ole moments last year … there weren’t nearly as many this spring, and they got less and less as they progressed.
The defensive line was still more than formidable and won a lot of battles, but it’s coming under offensive line coach Ed Warinner. We spoke to a few writers in Paris who used to cover the Buckeyes, and he said the hype is ‘absolutely warranted’ about U-M’s new line coach.
If this group is solid this fall, this offense can be really, really good. Those close it say they’ve made steps, but they obviously need to make more.
More football from Paris …
Junior offensive tackle Grant Newsome was the subject of rumors recently that his playing career was over — he put the ky-bosh on those himself on twitter, and it’s clear he’s still on the road to recovery. Newsome is still strengthening the knee that was obliterated two seasons ago against Wisconsin, but he’s running and cutting now, and doctors have told him he’s still ahead of schedule. He’s just waiting for one last thing to improve before he can be cleared.
It’s coming slowly, as we reported. Those closest to it make it sound more and more like Newsome will probably redshirt one more season, something he’s willing to do (“I still have three years to play two,” he noted), but that might be to his advantage. He’ll have more time to strengthen it and get used to playing on it, and his addition would be a huge boost to an offensive line that could use a leader like him.
And is he ever a leader. His teammates absolutely love this guy. He’s a de facto captain already, has done an exceptional job in the weight room … and again, we’re not putting it past him to play this fall, but we firmly believe he’s got a good chance to play again whenever he’s cleared based on what we’ve heard. It might just take time to get in game shape, and of course you have to hope there are no setbacks.
Finally, much was made of a tweet from one of Lavert Hill’s coaches after cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich called Hill out for not practicing this spring due to injury. There have been some talks and meetings, and folks on Hill’s side assure us that this is water under the bridge.
That’s a good thing the way Hill came back and played after he was healthy, defensive coordinator Don Brown said (“wow,” he marveled about him in Paris). But remember who head coach Jim Harbaugh learned from, and what that guy, former coach Bo Schembechler, used to preach — toughness above all, and that ‘no man is bigger than the team.’
We would expect that to be the message conveyed to anybody and everybody, no matter their status on the team.
****
To football recruiting now …
It’s not every recruiting cycle that a school like Kentwood (Mich.) East Kentwood trots out a pair of highly ranked four-star recruits but that’s exactly the case in the 2019 class with offensive tackle Logan Brown and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Brown, a 6-6, 290-pound prototypical left tackle prospect, is committed to the Wisconsin Badgers and has been since November of last year. He’s certainly talented enough to play at a place like Michigan, but the U-M staff is not recruiting the No. 20 overall prospect. There are questions surrounding Brown’s work ethic, drive and love for the game.
There’s also no interest from Brown’s side of things. The No. 1 player in the state of Michigan doesn’t jibe with Jim Harbaugh very well and isn’t shy about expressing that sentiment. Harbaugh is old school and pushes his players as hard as any coach in America, and he does not tolerate less than 100 percent when it comes to commitment and an internal drive to get better. Let’s just say that Brown doesn’t seem to excel in those areas.
As for Smith, Michigan is in a much better position. The 6-3, 302-pounder has bonded extremely well with U-M defensive line coach Greg Mattison and it could ultimately result in a commitment from the No. 150 overall prospect in the country. Mattison was at Smith’s track meet before the team left for Paris and continues to remain in contact with the athletic defensive lineman.
Smith also loves Harbaugh, and actually embraces his personality, saying it’s a lot like his.
Smith also likes the way Michigan recruits. Mattison has been very up front with the in-state product about how they’re always looking for better players. Recruiting never stops even if a player is committed, and Smith appreciates that approach. He wants to prove that he’s the best and understands the same type of approach by college staffs.
Smith’s mother really likes James Franklin and the rest of the staff at Penn State, but Smith is currently higher on the Wolverines. He has already taken an official visit to Penn State, but he didn’t love his time spent in Happy Valley. So as things stand, it’s a Michigan vs. Penn State battle with the player higher on U-M and mom higher on the Nittany Lions. That’s always a tough position for a prospect to be in. Time will tell how it all plays out.
It’s also worth noting that Smith can’t stand the way things are done at Ohio State. He doesn’t care for the way Urban Meyer recruits or the way the players carry themselves. Smith is a head down, grind it out type of kid, and that’s not what he saw when he visited Columbus.
****
To basketball now, where we head into recruiting and the offseason …
Michigan head coach John Beilein and his team will look different again in 2018-19, but expectations are still high. The big question — how MUCH different will it look?
Barring something unforeseen, they’ll ask junior big man Jon Teske to log about 27 minutes this year. They’ll go smaller at times, with perhaps sophomore Isaiah Livers at the five, and the redshirt sophomore Austin Davis and freshman Colin Castleton will battle for minutes, too.
Some have given up on Davis, the way many gave up on D.J. Wilson before he blew up. They’ve seen flashes of what he can do, though, and feel he still has a chance to be good here.
A big question mark … will redshirt sophomore Charles Matthews be back next season? It’s not a guarantee that he will. Matthews likes the thought of playing in the NBA, and if he practices extremely well at the camps, he could stay in the draft.
We don’t expect him to remain in, but again, it’s a possibility.
On the recruiting end, we’ve heard a lot about Iowa four-star 2019 guard D.J. Carton lately. Some believed it was Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa for Rivals.com’s No. 30 player nationally a few weeks ago. Others insisted Michigan was right there.
We can tell you now that Beilein and his staff have done a great job recruiting this kid, one of the fastest risers in the country, and the Wolverines appear to be in really good shape here. There’s growing confidence, in fact, that Michigan might well be the team to beat.
As of now, U-M will likely take two players in 2019 (though again, that almost always changes due to attrition, etc.). We believe it’s an either/or proposition with Carton and four-star Joe Girard of Glens Falls, N.Y., a shooting guard whose dad played for Beilein at Le Moyne back in the day.
Girard has Duke and Syracuse pursuing him, too.
Four-star Texan Jalen Wilson, a forward, is another U-M is very strong with, and he’ll pick up his offer when he visits in a few weeks. If that one goes well, as expected, the Wolverines will be in good shape there, too.
There are several other targets, of course, including Detroit Old Redford four-star Rocket Watts, so there’s no reason to fret if they don’t land any/all of them. Some of Beilein’s Plan Bs have become pros, too.
There’s the outside possibility that Michigan will add another 2018, if it’s the right player. Five-star shooting guard Tyrese Maxey, for example, has the Wolverines in his top five closing in on a May 9 decision, and others could still pop up. We’d call it unlikely at this point, however, that U-M gets a 2018 or takes a transfer (we expect Maxey to end up at Kentucky), especially given how strong they are with 2019 prospects.
Both John Beilein and assistant Saddi Washington were spotted watching several outstanding 2019 (and 2020) basketball prospects last weekend at the NIKE EYBL in Indianapolis.
Beilein actually wasn’t in attendance for the opening Friday night session, but Washington was and kept a close eye on The Family, which featured two Detroit Old Redford Prep four-stars in ’19 point guard Rocket Watts and ’20 power forward Isaiah Jackson.
Watts holds a Michigan offer and was the best player on the court during the game, showing an ability to get to and finish at the rim whenever he wanted — his jump shot needs a lot of work though, which could perhaps be part of the reason Bettendorf (Iowa) High four-star D.J. Carton seems to be higher on Beilein’s board at the position.
Jackson, meanwhile, is rated as the No. 25 player in the country in the 2020 class, but has a long way to go. Oddly enough, he only played in sparingly throughout the weekend, and his coach almost seemed reluctant to play him.
At 6-9, though, he flashed immense potential with several highlight dunks, and rebounded at a high rate. Both his legs and arms might have been the skinniest of anyone on his team, though. It’ll be interesting to see if he picks up an offer on June 15, which is the earliest date Beilein offers rising juniors.
Beilein showed up early on Saturday morning (along with Washington again) and watched kids all throughout the day.
In fact, it was amazing how many Division 1 coaches were present. Over half of the Big Ten’s coaches were in attendance, with Nebraska’s Tim Miles, Maryland’s Mark Turgeon, Minnesota’s Richard Pitino, Wisconsin’s Greg Gard and Iowa’s Fran McCaffrey being the lone exceptions.
Beilein chatted it up for a while on Saturday with Northwestern’s Chris Collins, who brought former U-M assistant Billy Donlon with him. Donlon ran into Washington at one point and the two shared a hug — clearly no hard feelings there.
One other conference coach who brought several staffers with him was Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. While most of the head coaches brought only one assistant with them, Izzo brought (at least two) in Dwayne Stephens and Dane Fife.
The goal of some of these head coaches at the event, though, didn’t even appear to be to scout players, but to make sure their presence was known, and that their school logo was on full display For example, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was seen talking on his phone the majority of the time, and had his back to the court more times than not.
Beilein didn’t operate that way, though, and watched the players he was keeping an eye on closely, usually sitting by himself.
It was a bit surprising when he sat and watched the UPLAY Canada vs. Las Vegas Prospects game Saturday night, since no Michigan targets were thought to be in it.
However, Beilein was likely checking out Mississauga (Ontario) GTA Prep four-star shooting guard A.J. Lawson of the Canadian team. Lawson is 6-7 and appears to be a combo guard, and hails from the same town as former U-M standout Nik Stauskas. He does not hold a Michigan offer at this point, though.
Beilein also made sure to take in two of Glens Falls (N.Y.) High four-star shooting guard Joe Girard’s games. Girard is one of U-M’s highest targets on the 2019 board, and the Wolverines seem to be in solid shape there.
The four-star guard made it clear afterward he wants to get the full college experience. Perhaps the most telling thing he said, though, was that Beilein is already having him learn some of Michigan’s offense.
The only game Beilein and Washington both watched at the same time was the Saturday night contest between the PSA Cardinals and Woodz Elite, with the former featuring New York (N.Y.) Archbishop Molloy five-star point guard Cole Anthony. Anthony is rated as the No. 4 player in the country and played like it, basically showing an ability to do a little bit of everything on the court. All in all, he was arguably the most impressive player of the entire weekend.
All the big-name coaches were in attendance, including Kansas’ Bill Self, who hadn’t been seen yet up to that point.
Michigan does not yet have any commits in the ’19 class, and some of these positions — in which several outstanding players are being recruited — will come down to who chooses to pledge first.
Starting with football …
We picked up several tidbits in Paris, not the least of which included the news that junior quarterback and Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson would be eligible to play this fall. We’ve felt good all along about this one, knowing the game plan — that if push came to shove, they felt they’d have a chance to work it out through “atypical means.”
That’s exactly what happened, of course. Patterson’s attorney, Thomas Mars, didn’t care how it was accomplished … his goal was to make sure his clients were eligible to play early, and he got it done.
All of the quarterbacks made plays this spring, and that’s not coachspeak or hyperbole. Those who witnessed every practice said they all looked the part of guys Michigan could win with. They all have their strengths, and according to those closest to it, they have capable guys at the position and aren’t going to be dead in the water (like they were for long stretches last year) should No. 1 go down.
Patterson, though, showed by the end of spring ball why he was No. 1. He’s a playmaker, has escapability and was a five-star for a reason. He showed great pocket presence, those close to it this spring said, knows when to abandon a play and when to stay with it (unlike some QBs they’ve had who have tucked and run too quickly), and he’s really fit in well with his teammates.
“He’s going to help immensely,” sophomore kicker Quinn Nordin, one of Patterson’s good friends on the team, said. “He’s an unbelievable playmaker.”
Another position that’s been bolstered — center. Sophomore Cesar Ruiz had a great spring there, and redshirt sophomore Stephen Spanellis practiced there most of the spring, too, and did a really solid job. Spanellis played some guard, too, and provides depth on the right side.
The line got better. Period. There are still question marks, but there’s at least some resistance now. Several of the defenders spoke about many ole moments last year … there weren’t nearly as many this spring, and they got less and less as they progressed.
The defensive line was still more than formidable and won a lot of battles, but it’s coming under offensive line coach Ed Warinner. We spoke to a few writers in Paris who used to cover the Buckeyes, and he said the hype is ‘absolutely warranted’ about U-M’s new line coach.
If this group is solid this fall, this offense can be really, really good. Those close it say they’ve made steps, but they obviously need to make more.
More football from Paris …
Junior offensive tackle Grant Newsome was the subject of rumors recently that his playing career was over — he put the ky-bosh on those himself on twitter, and it’s clear he’s still on the road to recovery. Newsome is still strengthening the knee that was obliterated two seasons ago against Wisconsin, but he’s running and cutting now, and doctors have told him he’s still ahead of schedule. He’s just waiting for one last thing to improve before he can be cleared.
It’s coming slowly, as we reported. Those closest to it make it sound more and more like Newsome will probably redshirt one more season, something he’s willing to do (“I still have three years to play two,” he noted), but that might be to his advantage. He’ll have more time to strengthen it and get used to playing on it, and his addition would be a huge boost to an offensive line that could use a leader like him.
And is he ever a leader. His teammates absolutely love this guy. He’s a de facto captain already, has done an exceptional job in the weight room … and again, we’re not putting it past him to play this fall, but we firmly believe he’s got a good chance to play again whenever he’s cleared based on what we’ve heard. It might just take time to get in game shape, and of course you have to hope there are no setbacks.
Finally, much was made of a tweet from one of Lavert Hill’s coaches after cornerbacks coach Mike Zordich called Hill out for not practicing this spring due to injury. There have been some talks and meetings, and folks on Hill’s side assure us that this is water under the bridge.
That’s a good thing the way Hill came back and played after he was healthy, defensive coordinator Don Brown said (“wow,” he marveled about him in Paris). But remember who head coach Jim Harbaugh learned from, and what that guy, former coach Bo Schembechler, used to preach — toughness above all, and that ‘no man is bigger than the team.’
We would expect that to be the message conveyed to anybody and everybody, no matter their status on the team.
****
To football recruiting now …
It’s not every recruiting cycle that a school like Kentwood (Mich.) East Kentwood trots out a pair of highly ranked four-star recruits but that’s exactly the case in the 2019 class with offensive tackle Logan Brown and defensive tackle Mazi Smith.
Brown, a 6-6, 290-pound prototypical left tackle prospect, is committed to the Wisconsin Badgers and has been since November of last year. He’s certainly talented enough to play at a place like Michigan, but the U-M staff is not recruiting the No. 20 overall prospect. There are questions surrounding Brown’s work ethic, drive and love for the game.
There’s also no interest from Brown’s side of things. The No. 1 player in the state of Michigan doesn’t jibe with Jim Harbaugh very well and isn’t shy about expressing that sentiment. Harbaugh is old school and pushes his players as hard as any coach in America, and he does not tolerate less than 100 percent when it comes to commitment and an internal drive to get better. Let’s just say that Brown doesn’t seem to excel in those areas.
As for Smith, Michigan is in a much better position. The 6-3, 302-pounder has bonded extremely well with U-M defensive line coach Greg Mattison and it could ultimately result in a commitment from the No. 150 overall prospect in the country. Mattison was at Smith’s track meet before the team left for Paris and continues to remain in contact with the athletic defensive lineman.
Smith also loves Harbaugh, and actually embraces his personality, saying it’s a lot like his.
Smith also likes the way Michigan recruits. Mattison has been very up front with the in-state product about how they’re always looking for better players. Recruiting never stops even if a player is committed, and Smith appreciates that approach. He wants to prove that he’s the best and understands the same type of approach by college staffs.
Smith’s mother really likes James Franklin and the rest of the staff at Penn State, but Smith is currently higher on the Wolverines. He has already taken an official visit to Penn State, but he didn’t love his time spent in Happy Valley. So as things stand, it’s a Michigan vs. Penn State battle with the player higher on U-M and mom higher on the Nittany Lions. That’s always a tough position for a prospect to be in. Time will tell how it all plays out.
It’s also worth noting that Smith can’t stand the way things are done at Ohio State. He doesn’t care for the way Urban Meyer recruits or the way the players carry themselves. Smith is a head down, grind it out type of kid, and that’s not what he saw when he visited Columbus.
****
To basketball now, where we head into recruiting and the offseason …
Michigan head coach John Beilein and his team will look different again in 2018-19, but expectations are still high. The big question — how MUCH different will it look?
Barring something unforeseen, they’ll ask junior big man Jon Teske to log about 27 minutes this year. They’ll go smaller at times, with perhaps sophomore Isaiah Livers at the five, and the redshirt sophomore Austin Davis and freshman Colin Castleton will battle for minutes, too.
Some have given up on Davis, the way many gave up on D.J. Wilson before he blew up. They’ve seen flashes of what he can do, though, and feel he still has a chance to be good here.
A big question mark … will redshirt sophomore Charles Matthews be back next season? It’s not a guarantee that he will. Matthews likes the thought of playing in the NBA, and if he practices extremely well at the camps, he could stay in the draft.
We don’t expect him to remain in, but again, it’s a possibility.
On the recruiting end, we’ve heard a lot about Iowa four-star 2019 guard D.J. Carton lately. Some believed it was Ohio State, Wisconsin and Iowa for Rivals.com’s No. 30 player nationally a few weeks ago. Others insisted Michigan was right there.
We can tell you now that Beilein and his staff have done a great job recruiting this kid, one of the fastest risers in the country, and the Wolverines appear to be in really good shape here. There’s growing confidence, in fact, that Michigan might well be the team to beat.
As of now, U-M will likely take two players in 2019 (though again, that almost always changes due to attrition, etc.). We believe it’s an either/or proposition with Carton and four-star Joe Girard of Glens Falls, N.Y., a shooting guard whose dad played for Beilein at Le Moyne back in the day.
Girard has Duke and Syracuse pursuing him, too.
Four-star Texan Jalen Wilson, a forward, is another U-M is very strong with, and he’ll pick up his offer when he visits in a few weeks. If that one goes well, as expected, the Wolverines will be in good shape there, too.
There are several other targets, of course, including Detroit Old Redford four-star Rocket Watts, so there’s no reason to fret if they don’t land any/all of them. Some of Beilein’s Plan Bs have become pros, too.
There’s the outside possibility that Michigan will add another 2018, if it’s the right player. Five-star shooting guard Tyrese Maxey, for example, has the Wolverines in his top five closing in on a May 9 decision, and others could still pop up. We’d call it unlikely at this point, however, that U-M gets a 2018 or takes a transfer (we expect Maxey to end up at Kentucky), especially given how strong they are with 2019 prospects.
Both John Beilein and assistant Saddi Washington were spotted watching several outstanding 2019 (and 2020) basketball prospects last weekend at the NIKE EYBL in Indianapolis.
Beilein actually wasn’t in attendance for the opening Friday night session, but Washington was and kept a close eye on The Family, which featured two Detroit Old Redford Prep four-stars in ’19 point guard Rocket Watts and ’20 power forward Isaiah Jackson.
Watts holds a Michigan offer and was the best player on the court during the game, showing an ability to get to and finish at the rim whenever he wanted — his jump shot needs a lot of work though, which could perhaps be part of the reason Bettendorf (Iowa) High four-star D.J. Carton seems to be higher on Beilein’s board at the position.
Jackson, meanwhile, is rated as the No. 25 player in the country in the 2020 class, but has a long way to go. Oddly enough, he only played in sparingly throughout the weekend, and his coach almost seemed reluctant to play him.
At 6-9, though, he flashed immense potential with several highlight dunks, and rebounded at a high rate. Both his legs and arms might have been the skinniest of anyone on his team, though. It’ll be interesting to see if he picks up an offer on June 15, which is the earliest date Beilein offers rising juniors.
Beilein showed up early on Saturday morning (along with Washington again) and watched kids all throughout the day.
In fact, it was amazing how many Division 1 coaches were present. Over half of the Big Ten’s coaches were in attendance, with Nebraska’s Tim Miles, Maryland’s Mark Turgeon, Minnesota’s Richard Pitino, Wisconsin’s Greg Gard and Iowa’s Fran McCaffrey being the lone exceptions.
Beilein chatted it up for a while on Saturday with Northwestern’s Chris Collins, who brought former U-M assistant Billy Donlon with him. Donlon ran into Washington at one point and the two shared a hug — clearly no hard feelings there.
One other conference coach who brought several staffers with him was Michigan State’s Tom Izzo. While most of the head coaches brought only one assistant with them, Izzo brought (at least two) in Dwayne Stephens and Dane Fife.
The goal of some of these head coaches at the event, though, didn’t even appear to be to scout players, but to make sure their presence was known, and that their school logo was on full display For example, Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl was seen talking on his phone the majority of the time, and had his back to the court more times than not.
Beilein didn’t operate that way, though, and watched the players he was keeping an eye on closely, usually sitting by himself.
It was a bit surprising when he sat and watched the UPLAY Canada vs. Las Vegas Prospects game Saturday night, since no Michigan targets were thought to be in it.
However, Beilein was likely checking out Mississauga (Ontario) GTA Prep four-star shooting guard A.J. Lawson of the Canadian team. Lawson is 6-7 and appears to be a combo guard, and hails from the same town as former U-M standout Nik Stauskas. He does not hold a Michigan offer at this point, though.
Beilein also made sure to take in two of Glens Falls (N.Y.) High four-star shooting guard Joe Girard’s games. Girard is one of U-M’s highest targets on the 2019 board, and the Wolverines seem to be in solid shape there.
The four-star guard made it clear afterward he wants to get the full college experience. Perhaps the most telling thing he said, though, was that Beilein is already having him learn some of Michigan’s offense.
The only game Beilein and Washington both watched at the same time was the Saturday night contest between the PSA Cardinals and Woodz Elite, with the former featuring New York (N.Y.) Archbishop Molloy five-star point guard Cole Anthony. Anthony is rated as the No. 4 player in the country and played like it, basically showing an ability to do a little bit of everything on the court. All in all, he was arguably the most impressive player of the entire weekend.
All the big-name coaches were in attendance, including Kansas’ Bill Self, who hadn’t been seen yet up to that point.
Michigan does not yet have any commits in the ’19 class, and some of these positions — in which several outstanding players are being recruited — will come down to who chooses to pledge first.
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