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Michigan Wolverines Basketball: 4-Star Jabri Abdur-Rahim Talks U-M, Howard

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Class of 2020 target Jabri Abdur-Rahim loved Michigan under head coach John Beilein. Can Juwan Howard continue the relationship?


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Jabri Abdur-Rahim is one of the fastest risers in the 2020 class.
Jabri Abdur-Rahim is one of the fastest risers in the 2020 class.

Abdur-Rahim was going to make Michigan his first official visit under Beilein, but he currently has nothing set up under the new staff ... or anyone else. He's expanded his game, often compared to NBA standouts Klay Thompson and Jason Tatum (his favorite), and averaged a camp-high 17.3 points per game at the NBA Player's Association Camp in Virginia last week.

“I think I’ve been doing pretty well,” he told TheWolfpacker.com's Jacey Zembal, working on behalf of TheWolverine.com. "I'm shooting it pretty well, trying to get really active on defense, and just trying to challenge myself to guard the best players and see what I’ve got and attack the best players.”

Abdur-Rahim made a jump in the rankings this spring on the Nike EYBL circuit and is now the No. 41 player in the country nationally. He'll likely move up even more in the near future.

“I just wanted to show that I’m one of the best players in the country,” he continued. “I wanted to go out there and compete on the best circuit and perform at a high level on the best circuit and I feel like I did that.

“I kind of picked up where I left off [at NBAPA]. “I'm shooting the ball pretty well, playing hard defensively stuff like that.”

Villanova appears to have made a move with him, while Virginia remains strong. He hopes to start narrowing his list by the end of summer toward fall, and Howard has some work to do to keep the Wolverines on top of his list.

Howard played in the NBA at the same time as Abdur-Rahim's father, Sharif, and should have an 'in' there.

“I’ve heard a little bit from them,” he said of the new staff in Ann Arbor. “They’ve been trying to keep in touch with me. Coach Howard and his new staff, they’ve done a pretty good job of keeping in touch.

“I want to get a chance to watch them play. I want to see what they do offensively, see what they do defensively, see their style of play, see what they have. I’m interested to see how it goes next season for them.”

Like most, he's looking for a place where he's comfortable.

"Just a place where I can go and be me, not limit me to one or two things," he said. "Let me expand my game and get better at the things I need to work on."

From Rivals.com's Corey Evans:

Abdur-Rahim has been sizzling all spring long as his isolation scoring abilities remain second to none among his peers. He was at it again in Virginia, piling up major numbers on the scoreboard thanks to his effortless jumper and change of pace driving techniques that allow for him to get easy looks near the rim. Michigan would have been the favorite if John Beilein was still in charge, but now is no longer the case, Villanova and Virginia might have an even greater chance to snag the day one producer.

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