Basketball recruiting is not for the faint of heart, for fans but especially coaches. What’s true one day might not be the next, and there are usually twists and turns that make for anxious moments.
A few years ago, John Beilein’s Michigan team was on the verge of landing four-star D.J. Carton before the guard added a last-minute visit to Ohio State. He shocked everyone and pledged to the Buckeyes shortly thereafter.
A few years later, Michigan head coach Juwan Howard got one back for the program when he stole big man Tarris Reed in much the same way.
“The week before I went to [visit] Ohio State, and initially that’s where I wanted to go, wanted to be was Ohio State,” Reed said in a recent video interview. “But my family and other people talked me into taking a visit to Michigan, so that’s what I did … I went up to Michigan and fell in love.”
RELATED: Four-Star Big Man Tarris Reed Jr. Commits To Michigan
It wasn’t just Ann Arbor and the campus that swayed him. He sat in on a practice and saw Howard working personally with his big men, blown away that a former NBA star and assistant would be so hands-on.
"Player development is big for me. Development under coach Howard … I think that will be a plus and really help me get to that next level,” he said. “It was really just the campus life, the staff, player development and playing style under coach [Chris] Holtmann that really got me [initially]. As soon as I left, I wanted to go to Ohio State. That’s where I saw myself.
“But after going to Michigan, I felt like that was the best decision for myself. They treated me like family. It felt like home when I went there. Under Coach Howard … he played in the NBA. He’s also a big man, played my position, so that’s a plus for me having a head coach that played my position, has been to where I want to go to. That’s what really helped me [decide].”
Growing up, Reed owned a Michigan hoodie and an Ohio State hat, and he chuckled with a bit of disbelief that he held offers from two of the schools he liked most. Purdue and Michigan State also received visits, but it was a Wolverines vs. Buckeyes battle in the end, and he called it a ‘dream and a blessing’ to have gotten the opportunity.
Howard was the one who made the difference. Having him as a resource should only help Reed realize his dream of playing in the NBA, which he hopes will materialize after ‘a year or two’ at Michigan.
“Learning from him … I’m going to pick his brain, of course, throughout the season, ask him questions about that next level, trying to get as much information as I can," he said.
“I just like him overall as a coach. One word to describe him would be ‘ambitious.’ He wants to win, has that drive. That’s what I really like about him.”
Reed shares it, and he’s ready to see it firsthand in Ann Arbor.
“Honestly, it feels great to be officially committed,” he said. “I can’t wait to go back to campus and really experience the full Michigan life.”
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