There might be no better recruiter in the country than Juwan Howard when it comes to face to face recruiting, Zoom or otherwise. And that is not hyperbole. We've been doing a ton of work on the basketball recruiting issue the last several days, talking to folks on and off the record about 2022 recruits. The kids, their parents, their mentors, coaches ... everyone has had some input.
All of them say the same things — that Howard and his staff are the best in the country when it comes to being honest and managing expectations (more on that soon in today's INSIDE THE FORT).
So the other day we reported that UCONN seemed to have a big lead for four-star center Donovan Clingan. His late mother was a big fan, and the Bristol (Conn.) native had an affinity for the school as a result. In fact, Connecticut coaches and fans have felt for a while it's a foregone conclusion.
That was before a Zoom call with Howard. He absolutely blew Clingan and his father away with his presentation and his honesty. They are well aware of the work he's done with Hunter Dickinson and even Austin Davis, and if there was a clear gap between No. 1 and No. 2 before, there isn't anymore.
"It couldn't have gone better," a source as close to it as it gets said. "They love the Michigan coaches. They love everything about Michigan."
So much so that at the end of the Zoom call, they mulled over whether or not to 'tell them' ... that while UConn was always big in the family, he "grew up a Michigan fan."
Syracuse, Ohio State, Georgetown, Connecticut, Providence, Rutgers and Notre Dame are the others on his list, and there's still work to do here. He'll see some campuses, etc., including Michigan before deciding late summer before his senior year. But U-M has definitely made a move, and it's due (again) to Howard and staff's incredible approach on the trail.
The 7-1 Clingan averaged 27 points and 17 rebounds for undefeated Bristol Central and is Rivals.com's No. 47 junior nationally.
All of them say the same things — that Howard and his staff are the best in the country when it comes to being honest and managing expectations (more on that soon in today's INSIDE THE FORT).
So the other day we reported that UCONN seemed to have a big lead for four-star center Donovan Clingan. His late mother was a big fan, and the Bristol (Conn.) native had an affinity for the school as a result. In fact, Connecticut coaches and fans have felt for a while it's a foregone conclusion.
That was before a Zoom call with Howard. He absolutely blew Clingan and his father away with his presentation and his honesty. They are well aware of the work he's done with Hunter Dickinson and even Austin Davis, and if there was a clear gap between No. 1 and No. 2 before, there isn't anymore.
"It couldn't have gone better," a source as close to it as it gets said. "They love the Michigan coaches. They love everything about Michigan."
So much so that at the end of the Zoom call, they mulled over whether or not to 'tell them' ... that while UConn was always big in the family, he "grew up a Michigan fan."
Syracuse, Ohio State, Georgetown, Connecticut, Providence, Rutgers and Notre Dame are the others on his list, and there's still work to do here. He'll see some campuses, etc., including Michigan before deciding late summer before his senior year. But U-M has definitely made a move, and it's due (again) to Howard and staff's incredible approach on the trail.
The 7-1 Clingan averaged 27 points and 17 rebounds for undefeated Bristol Central and is Rivals.com's No. 47 junior nationally.
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