Basketball Re-ceives First Commitment for 2002
Michigan head coach Tommy Amaker and the Wolverines coaching staff have been working busily on restocking the roster with the Class of 2002. On Sunday evening, 6-6 Lester Abram of Pontiac (Mich.) Northern was in Ann Arbor to meet with the coaching staff. While he was there, he gave the Wolverines a verbal commitment.
Abram's decision could most accurately be described as a "re-commitment," since he committed to Michigan last August before reopening his recruitment when then-head coach Brian Ellerbe stepped down in March. However, Abram told The Wolverine on Monday that in getting to know the new coaching staff, he concluded that Michigan was still the place for him.
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"I'm just real comfortable up there with Coach Amaker, the way he runs the program, the type of players he recruits, just everything about it," Abram said. "It feels like home." And, just over a year from now, that is exactly what it will be.
Abram helped lead Pontiac Northern to the Michigan Class A State Championship in March. He is ranked No. 17 nationally by Hoop Scoop, No. 19 by Prep Spotlight, No. 23 by The Sporting News, and No. 29 by Prep Stars Recruiter's Handbook.
The day after Abram's visit, the Wolverines entertained yet another top in-state rising senior: 6-2 point guard Anthony Roberson of Saginaw High, who is generally regarded as the best Michigan's Class of 2002 has to offer. Unlike Abram, Roberson did not commit, but he told The Wolverine that he is getting close to a decision.
Roberson said that he could have a decision by the time school gets out -- "in the next few weeks, at the earliest." Although he sounded like someone with a school in mind, Roberson denied having any leader at this time.
He gave a list of Michigan State, Michigan, Duke, Florida, and Cincinnati. "You can look for me to pick one of those five top schools," Roberson said, "but I couldn't really say a leader right now."
Roberson is ranked No. 3 nationally by Hoop Scoop, No. 6 by Prep Stars Recruiter's Handbook, and No. 9 by The Sporting News.
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