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Michigan Basketball Recruiting: Nojel Eastern Hearing From U-M

Evanston, Ill., combo guard Nojel Eastern (6-5, Rivals.com’s No. 55 rising senior nationally) has seen his recruitment take off, and it’s likely to reach another level now that he’s a finalist for the USA U17 team after making it through the first round of cuts.

One of 18 finalists after an impressive weekend, Eastern is ready to prove himself to even more schools this summer after missing last year’s AAU circuit with a broken ankle.

Nojel Eastern
Nojel Eastern
Rivals.com
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“It feels good … last time I was coming back from my ankle injury so I couldn't really get up-and-down and work on the skills that I wanted,” Eastern told Scott Phillips in a special to the Purdue site GoldandBlack.com. “Now I'm fully healthy and I'm just competing, coming out here and working as hard as I can.”

Eastern averaged 9.4 points and shot 41.2 percent from the floor, 25 percent from three-point range for MeanStreets AAU in 16 Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) games. He averaged 4.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists, as well.

Most schools like him best for his knowledge of the game.

“My IQ … that’s mostly what I’m being recruited for,” he told GoldandBlack.com this spring. “I’d say 95 percent of schools are recruiting me to be a point guard, but they’d also have me playing other positions, as well. I’m fine with that. If you’re stuck on one position, you can come off the court faster than if you’re playing two or three positions.

“…I like to get my teammates involved. I can do an all-around game, passing, scoring and rebounding. Coaches like my passing, my court vision, the way I get my teammates involved - that I’m a great teammate to play with.”

On the recruiting trail, Michigan is the latest to get heavily involved. Michigan State, Ohio State and Purdue have been on him for some time, but U-M is picking up the interest. He told Phillips the Wolverines’ John Beilein has been on him and said while others call his mother, U-M calls him directly.

"Man, they're all coming in hard. I honestly can't even give you five or six," Eastern said. "If I could, I would, but I honestly can't. They've all been coming in hard, and there are some new schools that are entering the mix, as well.

DePaul, Illinois and Xavier are among the others, but Purdue has made a very strong impression, he added.

Eastern hopes to see where things stand heading out of summer before moving on with his recruitment.

"Towards the end of July we're thinking about cutting a list to five or six but I'm not sure yet 100 percent because I'm not sure who is coming aboard,” he said. “I just want to see how my July goes and then maybe I'll cut my list to five or six schools.”


For our Jeff Schiller's recent scouting report, click here: Nojel Eastern and More

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