Part one of this week’s INSIDE THE FORT, in which we break down the summer for Michigan’s 2021-22 basketball team and provide plenty of hoops recruiting intel …
Starting with hoops recruiting, the visit weekend and more …
Five-star Dereck Lively is making his announcement Monday, and Michigan is a finalist. North Carolina, Florida State and Penn State are all in his final seven, but he’s really thought to be down to two — Kentucky and Duke — and the Wildcats are expected to land him.
Michigan assistant Phil Martelli did everything he could to make headway with the Pennsylvania native, but it wasn’t meant to be. Lively has been quiet with U-M for a while.
Michigan continues to host visitors, and they do want another big man in this class to join Tarris Reed. Ernest Udeh is the best bet — now a four-star and Rivals.com’s No. 29 player nationally, he’s got nine schools on his list (Alabama, Baylor, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee and UCLA), but has yet to schedule a U-M visit.
Neither has Yohan Traore, despite the Wolverines’ best efforts here. The people close to it believe the five-star, top 10 big man will either go pro or play in the south or at UCLA. Texas has been a constant, and he and his people really seem to like the school.
We turn our attention to this week’s visitors — Jett Howard, Dug McDaniel and Gregg Glenn. McDaniel is Michigan’s point guard pledge, of course … he had an up and down summer after a really good spring, and there are still plenty who question whether he’s good enough to win championships at U-M.
McDaniel is playing football right now and absolutely killing it as a wide receiver. There’s no questioning his athleticism, but is he big enough and a good enough shooter to excel in the Big Ten? When point guard DeVante’ Jones leaves next year, it’s going to be Frankie Colllins and McDaniel at the point, and neither one is a shooter.
That’s a bit of a concern.
We don’t know if Howard will commit on his Michigan visit, but he will be part of the Wolverines’ class, and he will sign in the early period in November. Book it.
As for Glenn … he is tight with the Howards, and while he was an afterthought just a month ago, we could see him being part of this class. Being frank — there are many analysts and others who don’t think he’s good enough to play at Michigan. He’s not a shooter (on a team that could use a few more even now, and with Collins and McDaniel … well), hasn’t really progressed like some expected.
Michigan, Iona, USF, Georgia and Virginia Tech are finalists, and while we can’t say for sure he’s a take, it seems to be trending that way.
Watch for some news on 2023 targets in an update to come.
****
On to the team, and what they showed in the 14 summer practices allowed by the NCAA …
First off, it can’t be overstated how much Eli Brooks’ return means to this team. He has become an unbelievable leader and mentor for the younger guys — remember, there’s a lot of turnover on this team — and guys are following his lead when it comes to putting in the work. This is one hard-working, self-starting group — they know if they don’t, they’re going to be left behind given the talent on this team — and it starts with Brooks’ example.
There wasn’t a guy on the team who didn’t make significant progress in the amount of time they got to work with them. Terrance Williams is one of the most improved — the sophomore is shooting the ball well and putting up really nice numbers, though he (and senior Brandon Johns) really needs to continue to get better with the ball and putting it on the floor.
Sophomore Zeb Jackson is one of the most improved players on the team. He’s been shooting the ball well, and he’s also been a great leader. Kids gravitate to him, and there’s hope he can provide some minutes (though it won’t be at the point. He’ll be a two, maybe sometimes play on the wing).
It’s been hard to tell how good these guys are defensively, because they haven’t scrimmaged a lot. We do know Collins is an absolute ball hawk and proved it in the drills, etc. He got incrementally better each week, including shooting the ball. His jump shot isn’t ‘broken,’ but it still needs work.
We told you before that Moussa Diabate’s jumper was … well, pretty ugly. It’s gotten a bit better, but his impact is going to be on the defensive end and in the open floor, residuals, etc. in the early going. He’s limited offensively, but a sponge and a great ‘attitude’ guy, always willing to learn. He’s obviously going to play.
Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson has also been an outstanding leader. He’s pretty much the same player, though he’s shooting the 10-foot jumper much more and his body is in much better shape. He’s got a lot of stamina.
They want to see him live and make sure he cuts down his turnovers in the post. That’s going to be an emphasis this spring.
Frosh Caleb Houstan is a bit heavy footed on defense, but he makes up for it by understanding angles and with his IQ. He has put up ‘elite’ numbers in shooting drills — now they need to see him do it in games.
Kobe Bufkin continues to impress with his smooth, all-around game. He needs to get stronger, but some of his finishes at the rim (several) have been of the ‘wow’ variety, and he shot it well.
Isaiah Barnes was a bit overwhelmed when he first arrived, but he’s really settled into his routine off the court, which was an early concern. He is also shooting the ball extremely well on a team that needs shooters, so he’ll get a chance.
Will Tschetter … more of the same. He could have a Terrance Williams type role in his first year, although he’s a different player. He’s a leader, has been outstanding on the offensive glass and is going to help this team, either now or in the future.
Finally, Jones has proven to be a great teammate in the early going — not a guy who came in like he knew everything, though he’s had a lot of experience playing at Coastal Carolina. He’s been at his best using his strength to get into the lane, and his shooting numbers are solid
Again, they don’t know how good he’ll be defensively, though he has been inconsistent at that end. They preach defense every day, but there’s no Franz Wagner on this team to shut someone down. It’s going to have to be a team effort, but they understand that’s where their success starts.
Watch for more ITF in the hours to come … this time, football.
Starting with hoops recruiting, the visit weekend and more …
Five-star Dereck Lively is making his announcement Monday, and Michigan is a finalist. North Carolina, Florida State and Penn State are all in his final seven, but he’s really thought to be down to two — Kentucky and Duke — and the Wildcats are expected to land him.
Michigan assistant Phil Martelli did everything he could to make headway with the Pennsylvania native, but it wasn’t meant to be. Lively has been quiet with U-M for a while.
Michigan continues to host visitors, and they do want another big man in this class to join Tarris Reed. Ernest Udeh is the best bet — now a four-star and Rivals.com’s No. 29 player nationally, he’s got nine schools on his list (Alabama, Baylor, Florida, Georgia Tech, Kansas, Miami, Michigan, Tennessee and UCLA), but has yet to schedule a U-M visit.
Neither has Yohan Traore, despite the Wolverines’ best efforts here. The people close to it believe the five-star, top 10 big man will either go pro or play in the south or at UCLA. Texas has been a constant, and he and his people really seem to like the school.
We turn our attention to this week’s visitors — Jett Howard, Dug McDaniel and Gregg Glenn. McDaniel is Michigan’s point guard pledge, of course … he had an up and down summer after a really good spring, and there are still plenty who question whether he’s good enough to win championships at U-M.
McDaniel is playing football right now and absolutely killing it as a wide receiver. There’s no questioning his athleticism, but is he big enough and a good enough shooter to excel in the Big Ten? When point guard DeVante’ Jones leaves next year, it’s going to be Frankie Colllins and McDaniel at the point, and neither one is a shooter.
That’s a bit of a concern.
We don’t know if Howard will commit on his Michigan visit, but he will be part of the Wolverines’ class, and he will sign in the early period in November. Book it.
As for Glenn … he is tight with the Howards, and while he was an afterthought just a month ago, we could see him being part of this class. Being frank — there are many analysts and others who don’t think he’s good enough to play at Michigan. He’s not a shooter (on a team that could use a few more even now, and with Collins and McDaniel … well), hasn’t really progressed like some expected.
Michigan, Iona, USF, Georgia and Virginia Tech are finalists, and while we can’t say for sure he’s a take, it seems to be trending that way.
Watch for some news on 2023 targets in an update to come.
****
On to the team, and what they showed in the 14 summer practices allowed by the NCAA …
First off, it can’t be overstated how much Eli Brooks’ return means to this team. He has become an unbelievable leader and mentor for the younger guys — remember, there’s a lot of turnover on this team — and guys are following his lead when it comes to putting in the work. This is one hard-working, self-starting group — they know if they don’t, they’re going to be left behind given the talent on this team — and it starts with Brooks’ example.
There wasn’t a guy on the team who didn’t make significant progress in the amount of time they got to work with them. Terrance Williams is one of the most improved — the sophomore is shooting the ball well and putting up really nice numbers, though he (and senior Brandon Johns) really needs to continue to get better with the ball and putting it on the floor.
Sophomore Zeb Jackson is one of the most improved players on the team. He’s been shooting the ball well, and he’s also been a great leader. Kids gravitate to him, and there’s hope he can provide some minutes (though it won’t be at the point. He’ll be a two, maybe sometimes play on the wing).
It’s been hard to tell how good these guys are defensively, because they haven’t scrimmaged a lot. We do know Collins is an absolute ball hawk and proved it in the drills, etc. He got incrementally better each week, including shooting the ball. His jump shot isn’t ‘broken,’ but it still needs work.
We told you before that Moussa Diabate’s jumper was … well, pretty ugly. It’s gotten a bit better, but his impact is going to be on the defensive end and in the open floor, residuals, etc. in the early going. He’s limited offensively, but a sponge and a great ‘attitude’ guy, always willing to learn. He’s obviously going to play.
Sophomore center Hunter Dickinson has also been an outstanding leader. He’s pretty much the same player, though he’s shooting the 10-foot jumper much more and his body is in much better shape. He’s got a lot of stamina.
They want to see him live and make sure he cuts down his turnovers in the post. That’s going to be an emphasis this spring.
Frosh Caleb Houstan is a bit heavy footed on defense, but he makes up for it by understanding angles and with his IQ. He has put up ‘elite’ numbers in shooting drills — now they need to see him do it in games.
Kobe Bufkin continues to impress with his smooth, all-around game. He needs to get stronger, but some of his finishes at the rim (several) have been of the ‘wow’ variety, and he shot it well.
Isaiah Barnes was a bit overwhelmed when he first arrived, but he’s really settled into his routine off the court, which was an early concern. He is also shooting the ball extremely well on a team that needs shooters, so he’ll get a chance.
Will Tschetter … more of the same. He could have a Terrance Williams type role in his first year, although he’s a different player. He’s a leader, has been outstanding on the offensive glass and is going to help this team, either now or in the future.
Finally, Jones has proven to be a great teammate in the early going — not a guy who came in like he knew everything, though he’s had a lot of experience playing at Coastal Carolina. He’s been at his best using his strength to get into the lane, and his shooting numbers are solid
Again, they don’t know how good he’ll be defensively, though he has been inconsistent at that end. They preach defense every day, but there’s no Franz Wagner on this team to shut someone down. It’s going to have to be a team effort, but they understand that’s where their success starts.
Watch for more ITF in the hours to come … this time, football.
