3/18/2020 basketball Edit

Michigan Basketball Recruiting: Josh Christopher, Grad Transfers & More

Chris Balas • Maize&BlueReview

Senior Editor

Michigan head coach Juwan Howard announced several days ago that center Austin Davis would be back for a fifth year. That's created more speculation that attrition is likely coming.

The current scholarship situation:

Projected 2020-21 Michigan Basketball Roster (as of March 16)

1: Austin Davis, 6-10 5th-Sr. C

2: Eli Brooks, 6-1 Sr. PG/SG

3: Isaiah Livers, 6-8 Sr. PF

4: David DeJulius, 6-0 Jr. PG

5: Brandon Johns, 6-8 Jr. PF

6: Colin Castleton, 6-11 Jr. C

7: Adrien Nunez, 6-5 Jr. SG

8: Cole Bajema, 6-7 So. SG

9: Franz Wagner, 6-8 So. SF

10: Zeb Jackson, 6-3 Fr. PG

11: Isaiah Todd, 6-10 Fr. PF

12: Hunter Dickinson, 7-1 Fr. C

13: Terrance Williams, 6-6 Fr. SF

14: Jace Howard, 6-7 Fr. PF

Livers and even Wagner have been mentioned as two who could test the NBA waters, though the Coronavirus concerns and cancellations due to the pandemic seem to work in Michigan's favor here. Neither will have a chance to prove himself at a pre-draft camp, and that's probably what it would take for either to get drafted.

Some have surmised that Jace Howard could prep a year, if necessary ... but with the pandemic, it's looking more likely than ever that Todd could sign. The Wolverines are also the favorite for five-star Josh Christopher.

From Rivals.com's Corey Evans:

The NCAA's suspension of in-person recruiting shouldn't really impact Josh Christopher. He was not expected to take any other college visits before his commitment and while the new rules in place will not allow for coaches to visit him, it would seem that he has heard and seen all that he would need to make a decision.

Could the distance between home and Ann Arbor be reinforced and be viewed as a slight negative as the world deals with the COVID-19 crisis? Maybe, but Michigan remains the team to beat for the five-star. Arizona State, where his brother plays, is definitely not out of the picture. Missouri and UCLA look to be a distant third and fourth place.

There is no decision date set for Christopher despite there being a belief that April 13 was when he would commit. Instead, with the all-star events now all canceled, it looks like a decision could come at any moment.

Michigan is also in the hunt for five-star Greg Brown, though the Wolverines are playing from behind.

From Evans:

The inconsistent season which led to questions surrounding Shaka Smart’s longevity in Austin brought greater uncertainty regarding UT’s chances with Brown. Memphis picked up major ground this winter to the point that I switched my FutureCast selection from the Horns and onto the Tigers.

Memphis didn’t have the season that it had envisioned, either, but it also will have to replace Precious Achiuwa, its league’s player and freshman of the year, which is an ideal scenario for someone like Brown. Kentucky remained involved, as did Auburn, and Michigan made a late run at things, replacing North Carolina on his final school list.

With all things considered and the latest intel that I have gathered, it seems that we are back to where we started. Today, I placed my FutureCast on Texas. Smart’s seat seems secure, and Brown, in an ideal world, wouldn’t mind playing close to home for his likely lone year in college.

Expect for an April decision from Brown as Hook’em as the momentum as things head down the stretch run.

U-M is looking at Grad Transfers, and Seth Towns' name was the first to emerge. Michigan recruited Town heavily before the forward ended up at Harvard. He hasn't played much the last two years due to injury.

From Evans:

We don’t know when or if Harvard grad transfer Seth Towns will actually take visits before making his transfer decision, but we do know that he is focused on a select group consisting of Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, Ohio State, Syracuse and Virginia. We reported that news earlier this month, but no further developments have come about since, primarily because to the coronavirus has brought the recruiting world to a virtual standstill. However, there is a strong sense that he will make his decision in the coming days.

If he makes such a quick decision, it would likely only be one program: Ohio State. The Buckeyes are the local program and is a school that was heavily involved within his recruitment during his high school days.

However, all of this is speculation. Maybe Towns will want to visit his finalists before committing, or perhaps phone conversations could sell him on a program, even without a visit. In the end, though, Ohio State is the pick for where Towns decides. He would have the chance to play immediately and might also have two years to play.

Bryce Aiken, meanwhile, is one of the more intriguing Grad Transfers available. He, too, was at Harvard as a former Michigan recruit. The Wolverines never offered, but Aiken was on the list.

Maryland, Marquette, Seton Hall, Iowa State, Kansas and Gonzaga have reached out. Aiken played in only seven games this year due to injury but averaged 22.2 points, 2.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds a game as a junior in 2018-19.

Maryland and Seton Hall are thought to be the favorites.