Meet Michigan Basketball's Impressive 2020 Signing Class

Michigan Wolverines basketball signed a top-15 class nationally and the top class in the Big Ten in head coach Juwan Howard's first year on the recruiting trail.

Here, we provide a bio on each 2020 signee, with background info and details from their recruitments, notable quotes, highlights and more.

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High School: Hyattsville (Md.) DeMatha Catholic

Height: 7-2

Weight: 260

Position: Center

Overview: Dickinson committed to the Wolverines on Dec. 20 of last year over offers from Florida State, Louisville, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Purdue, Virginia and others.

Dickinson was AAU teammates on the Nike EYBL circuit with fellow pledge Terrance Williams with Team Takeover.

As a senior at DeMatha, Dickinson averaged 16.0 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game. Dickinson led the Stags to a 30-3 record and the Washington Catholic Athletic Conference Tournament championship this past season. DeMatha was ranked as the No. 3 team in the country and No. 1 team in Maryland by MaxPreps.

Honors: He was named the Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Maryland as a senior, becoming the sixth player from DeMatha to win the award. He was tabbed as a second-team All-American by MaxPreps his senior season. He was WCAC Player of the Year as a senior and a three-time All-WCAC selection as a sophomore, junior and senior. He was honored by theWashington Post as the All-MET Player of the Year for 2019-20. Dickinson was set to play in the prestigious Jordan Brand Classic in March, before it was canceled.

Quotable:

• Team Takeover head coach Doug Martin: "If there’s going to be one kid that’s going to throw himself into the Michigan tradition of football games, other school events, the community, it's Hunter. Hunter won’t have to be told. That’s just who he is. If he’s wearing that jersey, he’s 100 percent in with you. He’s like that at Dematha. I know he’s going to be that times 100 at Michigan."

• Rivals.com analyst Corey Evans: "He’s just so polished … probably one of the more polished prospects from 10 feet and in that we’ve seen. He’s proven.

"What Dickinson does with his back to the bucket is something else. He’s one of the best back to the bucket post players I’ve really covered in the last, five, six, seven years. He’s so skilled in the post.

• Hunter Dickinson: "It was Juwan's love and passion for the University of Michigan matched with his coaching ability. What impressed me the most about the visit was just hanging with Coach Juwan for that weekend. He's a great guy, and I loved being around him. I hung out with the team and they all seemed really together and close."

High School: Hollywood (Fla.) University School

Height: 6-7

Weight: 210

Positon: Small forward

Overview: Howard, the son of head coach Juwan Howard, committed to the Wolverines on Jan. 20 of this year. He chose U-M over offers from Dayton, St. Louis, VCU, Yale and others. He announced plans last week to be a walk-on to start his career, but with the moving parts on U-M's roster, Howard has signed his letter of intent and will be on scholarship.

He averaged 10.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game as a senior, and helped lead his team to a district title.

Honors: He was tabbed as second-team All-Broward county by the Miami Herald this past season.

Quotable:

• University School head coach Ron Oliver: "The good thing for Jace … the game of basketball has changed so much, and people are looking for kids who want to do the hard things, talking about defending, diving on the floor, making winning basketball plays. That for whatever reason is deteriorating in our game. It’s very difficult to find kids willing to do those things. Jace is more than willing to do those things. Those are things that help you win."

• Jace Howard: "The basketball relationship that we have built throughout my playing career makes me feel very comfortable with the decision I made,” Howard said regarding playing for his father. “How much he likes my game and the way that I play big, also him seeing how much better I can become under his system and playing for him, as well, is a big factor.”

High School: Montverde (Fla.) Montverde Academy

Height: 6-4

Weight: 165

Position: Shooting guard

Overview: He signed with U-M in the November early signing period. The four-star guard pledged to U-M under former head coach John Beilein in October of 2018, before re-affirming his commitment to Juwan Howard after his hiring. He chose the Wolverines over offers from Illinois, Ohio State, Virginia, Wisconsin, Xavier and others.

Jackson transferred from Toledo (Oh.) Maumee Valley to Montverde Academy for his senior prep year to be better prepared for the next level. As a senior, he helped Montverde to a perfect 25-0 record. MaxPreps ranked the team as the No. 1 prep squad in the nation.

Honors: Jackson was a three-time All-Toledo Area Athletic Conference first-team selection as a freshman, sophomore and junior, and was awarded the Player of the Year honor in 2019. He added three all-district first team honors as well as District Player of the Year honors at Maumee Valley. He was a first team all-state selection in Ohio in 2019, while adding Division IV Player of the Year honors in the state.

Quotable:

• Juwan Howard: "The commitment Zeb has shown to improve himself as a person, as well as a player, has been a joy to watch. He is a bright student with a tremendous passion for the game of basketball, and we welcome that here at the University of Michigan. He is skilled, athletic and has a very diverse game, allowing him to play multiple positions."

• Montverde Academy assistant coach Rae Miller: "I’ve seen a lot of growth. I’ve seen a kid that really wants to improve his overall understanding and his play. I’ve seen a kid that has hit the weight room really hard, and that’s gained some weight and become stronger. I’ve seen a kid that has done a better job rebounding the basketball."

• Zeb Jackson: "I am so appreciative to Coach Howard and the rest of the staff for believing in me and giving me this opportunity. It's amazing to see this dream come true, and it is exciting to say I'm officially part of the best university in the world with the best fans in the world!"

High School: Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga

Height: 6-7

Weight: 210

Position: Small forward

Overview: He was previously committed to Georgetown, before de-committing on Dec. 5, 2019. Williams committed to the Wolverines on Jan. 1 of this year, just days after his late December visit to U-M. He chose U-M over offers from DePaul, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, Stanford, Virginia and others.

He averaged 17.9 points and 9.9 rebounds per game as a senior. The four-star forward helped lead his team to a D.C. State Athletic Association title this past season. He posted a game-high 19 points and 14 rebounds in the championship game.

Honors: He was named Gatorade District of Columbia Player of the Year this past season. He was selected as first-team All-MET by the Washington Post as a senior, for the second-straight season. Williams was honored as the All-DMV Student-Athlete of the Year by NBC Sports Washington.

Quotable:

• Team Takeover head coach Doug Martin: "Terrance is a high I.Q. kid. He can make shots, and he rebounds well. He’s multi-dimensional. At the high school level, he certainly creates a lot of mismatches because of his ability to step out and knock down the three. He can put it on the deck and get to the rim. He has the ability to play with his back to the basket, so he can score in all three levels, which makes him tough at times to guard."

• Gonzaga High School head coach Steven Turner: "He was impressed with everything about the school, but I think the most important thing was just his feeling that he felt with Coach Howard. The discussions that they had, and kind of where Coach saw him and where he saw him fitting in, where he saw the opportunity for him to play. I think a lot of it was seeing ‘T’ in [Howard's] own self, and kind of the comparison of how he could help develop him over the next four years."

• Rivals.com analyst Corey Evans: “He's a bucket. He’s tough as hell, the kind of guy who just knows what he is. He’s not sexy, not this high-leaping, explosive athlete, not dynamic off the bounce, but he’s tough minded. He can make shots with confidence and consistency, can score off the bounce off his right hand and for not being a great athlete, he’s a great rebounder of the basketball, which is the most impressive part of it all.”

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