Michigan head coach John Beilein and his staff have been on a roll on the recruiting trail. The Wolverines have hauled in three straight top 100 recruits from the 2019 and 2020 classes, the latest junior Zeb Jackson.
First, the updated scholarship chart:
2019-20
1: Charles Matthews, 6-6 5th-Sr. SF
2: Jon Teske, 6-11 Sr. C
3: Xavier Simpson, 5-11 Sr. PG
4: Austin Davis, 6-10 Jr.* C
5: Jordan Poole, 6-3 Jr. SG
6: Eli Brooks, 6-1 Jr. PG/SG
7: Isaiah Livers, 6-8 Jr. PF
8: David DeJulius, 6-0 So. PG
9: Brandon Johns, 6-8 So. PF
10: Ignas Brazdeikis, 6-7 So. SF
11: Colin Castleton, 6-11 So. C
12: Adrien Nunez, 6-5 So. SG
13: Jalen Wilson, 6-7 Fr. SF
14: Cole Bajema, 6-7 Fr. SG
*Redshirt
2020-21
1: Austin Davis, 6-10 5th-Sr. C
2: Jordan Poole, 6-3 Sr. SG
3: Eli Brooks, 6-1 Sr. PG/SG
4: Isaiah Livers, 6-8 Sr. PF
5: David DeJulius, 6-0 Jr. PG
6: Brandon Johns, 6-8 Jr. PF
7: Ignas Brazdeikis, 6-7 Jr. SF
8: Colin Castleton, 6-11 Jr. C
9: Adrien Nunez, 6-5 Jr. SG
10: Jalen Wilson, 6-7 So. SF
11: Cole Bajema, 6-7 So. SG
12: Zeb Jackson, 6-3 Fr. PG
13: Open
Two things that stand out … one, the Wolverines are over scholarship by one in the 2019 class. Most believe Matthews will opt for the NBA Draft rather than come back for a fifth year — he almost did this year.
And while there’s only room for one more 2020 prospect, there’s always attrition. Fifth years aren’t guaranteed (though most would certainly love to see Davis thrive and become an invaluable part of that squad), and guys like Poole and Brazdeikis have NBA ceilings and might not be around.
Michigan is currently looking for a big in the 2020 class, and five-star Walker Kessler would certainly fit the bill. Beilein was in his school a few weeks ago, followed by Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann and Virginia’s Tony Bennett, and the Wolverines are picking up steam.
“I love Coach (John) Beilein and their style of play,” Kessler said recently. “Moe Wagner is very similar to my style of play. Coach Beilein has told me I can be a lot like him. Coach Beilein doesn’t really have that southern hospitality. He just gives it to you straight, and I like that a lot.”
Kessler is a great shooter, which makes him a nice fit under Beilein. Duke had an assistant evaluate Kessler in a workout a few weeks, but the Blue Devils have yet to offer. Clemson, Florida State, Stanford and Tennessee are also in the mix. His dad and two other relatives played for the Bulldogs.
“I’ve definitely thought about going somewhere else other than Georgia just to get away from being a Kessler at Georgia, but I also think you can do your own thing at the same school and be your own person,” he said. “I’ve looked it at both ways. If Georgia is the right place, that’s where I’ll go and I don’t really care who in my family went there.”
From Rivals:
“Vanderbilt is one that gets a lot of buzz with him and the Commodores staff really impressed him on his official visit too. Michigan and Virginia are also in a good spot early for him. There is a long ways to go in his Kessler’s recruitment and he remains open to several schools.”
Michigan only has one other offer out in 2020 (though Kessler could well get one this weekend): Pennsylvania point guard Ethan Morton. Morton and Jackson could coexist, but many believe Jackson’s pledge will have Morton considering other offers before U-M’s (incuding Indiana and Penn State, among others).
Link: ETHAN MORTON ARTICLE
As for Jackson — this is a great pick-up. Michigan State offered Sept. 1, while Ohio State, Butler, Arizona State, Marquette and Purdue rounted out his top seven. He’s a good friend of U-M junior Zavier Simpson, has long been coached by Quincy Simpson (Zavier’s dad) and visited twice in two weeks recently, a sign something might be up.
“I feel very relieved,” Jackson told the Toledo Blade. “The hardest part was telling all the coaches no. I got that over with and told Coach Beilein, and he was really excited.”
His father, former Bowling Green running back Zeb Jackson, called Beilein a “genius” when it comes to basketball strategy, telling the Blade he loved the family atmosphere.
“We had a chance to hang out with not only the coaches and the players, but the wives and the kids, and you could see it was something they normally do,” Zeb Jackson, Sr., said. “It wasn’t them putting on a front. You could really see it was a tight-knit group.”
“I just felt like I was at home every time I was there, and that was what stood out the most,” Jackson Jr. added. “All the coaches are really good. I respect all of them and like them a lot, but I felt like I was at home when I went [to Michigan] every time.”
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