The latest behind-the-scenes tidbits on Michigan football, basketball and recruiting …
This is part I of II – starting with a quick nugget on five-star Isaiah Wilson, the 6-7, 350-pounder who (somewhat surprisingly, to some) chose Georgia over Michigan today at his school.
Our Brandon Brown got word yesterday that the Bulldogs had very recently become a serious threat and that things had changed dramatically almost overnight. Without going into detail as to why some felt that way, this was a concern and reason to believe it certainly wasn’t a done deal for the Wolverines (even though Wilson had, according to some, said it was the Sunday after his last UGa trip).
So … weird one, but it won’t be the last one we’ll ever see like this. A lot of the craziest part of recruiting comes at the 11th hour, especially for the five-star talents. The pressure on Rashan Gary last year, for example, was immense, and that one could have gone either way (U-M or Clemson).
It’s the nature of the beast. This one hurts, in part because U-M seemed to be in great shape (and was) for a player at a position of need. He is raw and wasn’t pegged to be an immediate starter, but he is one of those with All-America potential down the road.
Five-star receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, meanwhile, kept some in suspense until the very end, keeping everything under wraps before choosing Michigan. The Detroit Cass Tech product loved his Florida State visit, and head coach Jimbo Fisher told the FSU insiders we knew it wouldn’t shock him if the kid decided for the Seminoles.
In the end, however, he knew he had everything he was looking for right in his backyard.
One who sees Michigan having a lot of what he’s looking for, but NOT in his backyard – Antioch, Cali.’s Najee Harris, the nation’s No. 1 running back (and consensus No. 1 player overall).
But distance is not going to be a factor here, which is huge, of course. The one-time Alabama pledge has been open about being open, and though there was the sense that they weren’t in great shape following his weekend visit, those close to it say it took a turn yesterday.
There was a point in the recruitment of Jim Harbaugh – during the coaching search – that one of our best sources called and told us, “today was a big, big day” toward securing him. That moved the needled from 50-50 to … well, stronger 50-50.
That’s the sense we got after hearing yesterday’s news – and while we’re not ready to call it a “done deal” for Michigan (see: Isaiah Wilson), others close to it pretty much are.
Again … 11th hour, five-star recruit, etc., but there’s lots to be excited about here. Some who spoke with him on his visit said he wasn’t interested in talking about football, but life at Michigan, etc. Just a different kind of kid, down to earth, and U-M often does well with those types.
Coffee is for closers, and the clock is getting ready to strike. No word yet on when a final decision will be made public.
****
A few quick notes on the football front …
Former Michigan receiver Curt Stephenson (our CJS85) offered up a great post yesterday hinting at great things to come involving Harbaugh and his situation at U-M. NFL rumors were just that, of course, which we verified immediately, and Harbaugh made that clear himself.
A second source, however, confirmed, “something is in the works” (something very positive for Michigan and Harbaugh), though he wouldn’t say what. We’ll let you know when we get more information.
The coaches like the talent returning on this team, and while many fans are skittish about next year – well, they aren’t. Let’s leave it at that.
We do believe all the coaches return next year, but it’s clear Tim Drevno has head coach aspirations. Again, Harbaugh won’t be caught off guard if Drevno does leave.
Finally, a quick story we picked up on the football front that pretty much sums up who Harbaugh is (again) …
One of the equipment managers now at Michigan came from Stanford. Story goes that Harbaugh was hired at Stanford on December 23 and was to go on the road recruiting on December 24. Well, press conference days are crazy, so said manager never got to give Harbaugh Stanford gear to go on the road with.
So he shows up at the football building the next morning, at 5:30am, to wait for Harbaugh. Harbaugh shows up at 5:45 and says, ‘who are you?’ He introduces himself as the equipment guy and says he wants to give Harbaugh his Stanford gear. Harbaugh looks around -- mind you, it's 5:45am on Christmas eve morning -- and says "what... we're the only two people who like FOOTBALL around here???"
Just another example of what makes this guy so unique.
****
Finishing with some basketball recruiting notes …
Michigan head coach John Beilein said today he loved what he saw from Jordan Poole last night in La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere’s game against New Albany (Ind.), and he should have. Poole scored 16 points in 17 minutes, had another nice take goaltended (no call) and showed great savvy and swag on the court.
Poole can flat out shoot it and will be a great fit, but he’s not the only one. Spring Grove (Penn.) point guard Eli Brooks put up 40 in a scrimmage and 31 in his team’s opener, and Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central’s Isaiah Livers put on a show off the dribble in his two games over the weekend.
With center Austin Davis and wing Charles Matthews added to the class (redshirting now), this group has a chance to be really, really good.
But the 2017 class might not be done yet. Mohamed Bamba, Rivals.com’s No. 4 senior nationally, is still very much interested in Michigan, and the pieces have fallen into place to keep U-M a serious contender. Bamba liked his Texas visit and connects well with Shaka Smart - he’s a genuine guy who cares about the kids, according to those close to it, so that’s a very real option.
Michigan, Duke, Kentucky, Harvard … all very realistic options, though Duke and Kentucky both signed elite big men in the early period.
Bamba will very likely be a one-and-done guy, which is okay with Michigan if the kid buys in both athletically and academically – and this kid is that kind of guy.
We’re not predicting this will happen, but as of right now (and this is real), U-M has as good a shot as anyone for the 6-11 standout out of Westtown, Pa.).
This is part I of II – starting with a quick nugget on five-star Isaiah Wilson, the 6-7, 350-pounder who (somewhat surprisingly, to some) chose Georgia over Michigan today at his school.
Our Brandon Brown got word yesterday that the Bulldogs had very recently become a serious threat and that things had changed dramatically almost overnight. Without going into detail as to why some felt that way, this was a concern and reason to believe it certainly wasn’t a done deal for the Wolverines (even though Wilson had, according to some, said it was the Sunday after his last UGa trip).
So … weird one, but it won’t be the last one we’ll ever see like this. A lot of the craziest part of recruiting comes at the 11th hour, especially for the five-star talents. The pressure on Rashan Gary last year, for example, was immense, and that one could have gone either way (U-M or Clemson).
It’s the nature of the beast. This one hurts, in part because U-M seemed to be in great shape (and was) for a player at a position of need. He is raw and wasn’t pegged to be an immediate starter, but he is one of those with All-America potential down the road.
Five-star receiver Donovan Peoples-Jones, meanwhile, kept some in suspense until the very end, keeping everything under wraps before choosing Michigan. The Detroit Cass Tech product loved his Florida State visit, and head coach Jimbo Fisher told the FSU insiders we knew it wouldn’t shock him if the kid decided for the Seminoles.
In the end, however, he knew he had everything he was looking for right in his backyard.
One who sees Michigan having a lot of what he’s looking for, but NOT in his backyard – Antioch, Cali.’s Najee Harris, the nation’s No. 1 running back (and consensus No. 1 player overall).
But distance is not going to be a factor here, which is huge, of course. The one-time Alabama pledge has been open about being open, and though there was the sense that they weren’t in great shape following his weekend visit, those close to it say it took a turn yesterday.
There was a point in the recruitment of Jim Harbaugh – during the coaching search – that one of our best sources called and told us, “today was a big, big day” toward securing him. That moved the needled from 50-50 to … well, stronger 50-50.
That’s the sense we got after hearing yesterday’s news – and while we’re not ready to call it a “done deal” for Michigan (see: Isaiah Wilson), others close to it pretty much are.
Again … 11th hour, five-star recruit, etc., but there’s lots to be excited about here. Some who spoke with him on his visit said he wasn’t interested in talking about football, but life at Michigan, etc. Just a different kind of kid, down to earth, and U-M often does well with those types.
Coffee is for closers, and the clock is getting ready to strike. No word yet on when a final decision will be made public.
****
A few quick notes on the football front …
Former Michigan receiver Curt Stephenson (our CJS85) offered up a great post yesterday hinting at great things to come involving Harbaugh and his situation at U-M. NFL rumors were just that, of course, which we verified immediately, and Harbaugh made that clear himself.
A second source, however, confirmed, “something is in the works” (something very positive for Michigan and Harbaugh), though he wouldn’t say what. We’ll let you know when we get more information.
The coaches like the talent returning on this team, and while many fans are skittish about next year – well, they aren’t. Let’s leave it at that.
We do believe all the coaches return next year, but it’s clear Tim Drevno has head coach aspirations. Again, Harbaugh won’t be caught off guard if Drevno does leave.
Finally, a quick story we picked up on the football front that pretty much sums up who Harbaugh is (again) …
One of the equipment managers now at Michigan came from Stanford. Story goes that Harbaugh was hired at Stanford on December 23 and was to go on the road recruiting on December 24. Well, press conference days are crazy, so said manager never got to give Harbaugh Stanford gear to go on the road with.
So he shows up at the football building the next morning, at 5:30am, to wait for Harbaugh. Harbaugh shows up at 5:45 and says, ‘who are you?’ He introduces himself as the equipment guy and says he wants to give Harbaugh his Stanford gear. Harbaugh looks around -- mind you, it's 5:45am on Christmas eve morning -- and says "what... we're the only two people who like FOOTBALL around here???"
Just another example of what makes this guy so unique.
****
Finishing with some basketball recruiting notes …
Michigan head coach John Beilein said today he loved what he saw from Jordan Poole last night in La Porte (Ind.) La Lumiere’s game against New Albany (Ind.), and he should have. Poole scored 16 points in 17 minutes, had another nice take goaltended (no call) and showed great savvy and swag on the court.
Poole can flat out shoot it and will be a great fit, but he’s not the only one. Spring Grove (Penn.) point guard Eli Brooks put up 40 in a scrimmage and 31 in his team’s opener, and Kalamazoo (Mich.) Central’s Isaiah Livers put on a show off the dribble in his two games over the weekend.
With center Austin Davis and wing Charles Matthews added to the class (redshirting now), this group has a chance to be really, really good.
But the 2017 class might not be done yet. Mohamed Bamba, Rivals.com’s No. 4 senior nationally, is still very much interested in Michigan, and the pieces have fallen into place to keep U-M a serious contender. Bamba liked his Texas visit and connects well with Shaka Smart - he’s a genuine guy who cares about the kids, according to those close to it, so that’s a very real option.
Michigan, Duke, Kentucky, Harvard … all very realistic options, though Duke and Kentucky both signed elite big men in the early period.
Bamba will very likely be a one-and-done guy, which is okay with Michigan if the kid buys in both athletically and academically – and this kid is that kind of guy.
We’re not predicting this will happen, but as of right now (and this is real), U-M has as good a shot as anyone for the 6-11 standout out of Westtown, Pa.).
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