Michigan Basketball: A New 2019 Offer, And U-M 2018 Signees Make Big Moves
Michigan's class of 2018 signees have made big moves in the updated (and final) rankings. Plus, U-M head coach John Beilein extends another offer.
First, from yesterday, a look at where things stood scholarship wise and with the top targets heading into the spring AAU season:
MICHIGAN BASKETBALL RECRUITING: WHERE THINGS STAND
The Wolverines had offered four players from the 2019 class ... it's now five after Iowan D.J. Carton received an offer yesterday.
From Rivals.com's Corey Evans a few weeks ago:
Ohio State is in a good spot with a few of the top 2019 prospects in the Midwest. While far from a done deal, I could definitely see the Buckeyes signing a class a year from now that includes D.J. Carton ...
Carton, one of the top point guard prospects in the 2019 class, is in the early stages of his recruitment. Kudos to Ohio State for getting involved early and getting the Iowa native onto campus already. Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Creighton and Michigan are just a few of the other programs in hot pursuit.
Some in Iowa believe Wisconsin might be one of the teams strongest for him right now. He's improved dramatically in the last year to pick up several offers.
"Last year I was 180 pounds and now I'm 198, so I put in a lot of work in the weight room," Carton told BadgerBlitz.com recently. "I feel like I got a lot stronger and the game has felt a lot easier with the added strength. Little things like that can help with my overall game.
"My junior high school season went well. Last year I averaged around 10 points per game and this year, I was more of a scorer for our team. I think I was around 25 points per game and five assists, so I think my teammates put me in a great position to have success in order to play that role."
He insists there are no leaders and adds that he's got a while before he decides.
"I feel like this high school season was kind of crowded in terms of the time I had to think about recruiting. I didn't really have a chance to sit down with my family and talk about this whole process," he said." So the next step is to start narrowing things down to see what school best fits my style of play and where I feel most comfortable. I'll probably be making my decision in the fall."
Beilein was also in Glens Falls, N.Y. yet again to see Joe Girard III:
The 50-ppg scorer is starting to narrow things down, and U-M appears to be in a good spot here. Syracuse, Oklahoma, Duke and Ohio State are the others to have offered.
Michigan coaches also stopped in to see another potential 2018 prospect in Oak Hill Academy's Maurice Calloo:
The Windsor, Ontario (Canada) native was Oak Hill's sixth man last year. He's coming off recent visits to Illinois and Michigan State, and he also likes St. John's and Ole Miss.
Michigan is also stopping in Tuesday to see 2018 (or 2019) Aundre Hyatt:
From Rivals.com:
The four-star junior could forgo his senior year and enroll in college this fall or he could resist such temptations and stay within the 2019 class. A decision should be made in the weeks ahead, as the Rivals150 prospect assessed his options.
“I am just keeping my options open. I am not really sure what I am going to do yet. I will probably make a decision in the late spring,” he said. “It is going to be about my relationship with the coaching staff, playing time, and just my overall feel for things.”
A 6-foot-5 small forward prospect with a 7-foot wingspan, Hyatt is valued most for his shot-making prowess. If he moves to the class of 2018, he told Rivals.com that Rutgers, Seton Hall and Florida State would love to have him on their roster next season. If he remains in the 2019 class, LSU, Oregon, Temple, Virginia Tech and USC have begun to prioritize him.
Finally, big moves up the rankings for Michigan 2018 signees in the new RIVALS150. Canadian Ignas Brazdeikis remains a five-star (not ranked in the top 100 only because he's Canadian and not in the U.S., but that puts him among the top 25 prospect or so in North America), forward Brandon Johns moved up eight spots to No. 57 (and is now the No. 1 player in the state of Michigan), center Colin Castleton leaped 42 spots to No. 85 and point guard David DeJulius surged 36 spots to No. 93.
Adrien Nunez remains a three-star prospect with great potential as one of the elite shooters in his class.
The Wolverines stand eighth nationally and first in the Big Ten in the final Rivals.com Team Rankings.
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