Michigan Wolverines basketball head coach Juwan Howard has put out four new 2021 offers in the last several days. The latest ... Charles Bediako of Willoughby, Ohio.
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Some believe Michigan State is the favorite. Just a few months ago, Rivals.com's Corey Evans talked about his move into the top 25.
"The progress that Charles Bediako has made and continues to make is beyond impressive," he wrote. "While he still has much more room for growth, Bediako is the epitome of a rim runner and hard roller off the ball screen. He is a premier rim protector that has great hands around the basket and a tremendous frame to fill out into.
"Making the leap into the top-25 of the Rivals150 last month, Bediako has remained set on enrolling in his original 2021 class while an early college list includes Alabama, Baylor, Duke, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Memphis and Ohio State."
Just this week, Evans said this about Bediako and the Spartans, with whom the four-star had a "virtual tour" this week:
"Michigan State would love to land five-star big man Charles Bediako, a prospect that I actually think they are out in the lead for."
Today, Evans told us there's still plenty of time to recruit him before he decides.
"His recruitment is relatively wide open as a 2021 prospect," he said. "He's a throwback post that is a premier shot blocker. He has really improved over the past 12 months."
Though he's not a great athlete, Evans continued, and is a "bit high in the hips which hurts his quickness and lateral skills," he has good touch around the base and can even play facing it some, too.
"He's one of the best true centers in America," Evans said.
Here's where things stand with the other 2021 targets U-M has offered:
OFF THE BOARD
Cisse is down to a final 10 of Alabama, Florida State, Georgetown, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, LSU, Memphis, Tennessee, and USC.
Recently released a top five that didn't include Michigan:
Lander grew up a Michigan fan but committed to Indiana in February.
Brooks received his Michigan offer in January but committed to Michigan State a week ago.
Banchero recently narrowed his list to Arizona, Duke, Gonzaga, Kentucky, Tennessee and Washington.
OFFERED
Warley has close ties to Michigan assistant Phil Martelli and received an offer within the last week. U-M should have a great shot here after a virtual visit that went well.
"I hadn't seen [Howard] face to face before. I had chatted over the phone a couple times with him, but it was good just to be able to see him visually, put faces with names, see the campus," Warley said.
Warley has long said a trustworthy coaching staff, a challenging schedule, a welcoming school community and a challenging academic environment would be high on his list of priorities, and U-M fits the bill.
It doesn't hurt, either, that his father and uncle both played with Martelli at St. Joseph, while his uncle coached with him there, as well.
"Most of what I heard about him wasn't even related to basketball, but the kind of guy he is," Warley praised. "My uncle said that was why he coached because with him; he knows what type of guy he is."
Our recent story: JALEN WARLEY TALKS VIRTUAL VISIT
Michigan offered Akins this winter, but Michigan State is recruiting him hard. He's a good friend of Brooks' and there's been a lot of chatter that he'll follow his friend to MSU. From Rivals.com's Corey Evans:
Jaden Akins is the lead guard Michigan State wants, but there is also not a great need beyond the position thanks to the recent commitment of Pierre Brooks ... MSU is in an awesome spot and could be rather picky for who it pushes for filling its backcourt need.
Max Christie is the better of the two prospects but that is not said to slight the abilities of Akins. Rather, it is more about addressing the idea of whether the Spartans want to hold Akins off from committing so that it could get a better sense of where Christie sits before his fall commitment.
That might be the debate discussed in East Lansing, and don’t forget they are also heavily in the mix with Kobe Bufkin. Do they jump at one of Bufkin or Akins, or do they wait it out with Christie?
Michigan is in on Christie and Bufkin, as well. Akins saw U-M handle MSU in person this year, but he wants to bring his mother back to campus once things open back up.
"I feel like their play style kind of matches mine, and I could be a good fit if I went there," Akins said in early April. "It’s definitely a good fit. It's definitely is a team that I’m considering."
Michigan recently offered the in-state standout, and there are rumblings the the family really likes U-M. He averaged 22 points, 5.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists, while shooting 65 percent from floor and 34 percent from the three-point line to help Christian to a 20-2 record.
Bufkin has not yet been available to talk about his Michigan offer. Northwestern, DePaul, Rhode Island and TCU are among his other offers.
“Getting an offer from your hometown school is big,” Bufkin said when offered by MSU. “But at the end of the day, its another offer and you’ve got to treat them all the same.”
Improving his off-hand has been a focal point during Bufkin throughout his junior season at Christian.
“I am just trying to use it as much as I can," Bufkin said. "And then always trying improve my feel, during the past two years getting a better feel for the game."
Christie has had virtual Zoom calls with Villanova, Virginia, Ohio State, Michigan State and Northwestern. U-M seems to have faced after offering last summer ... his mom went to Northwestern.
From Evans:
"For my recruitment, I plan to commit before my high school season starts next year," he said. "I plan to go into that without having any of the pressure and that I can just represent the school that I committed to whenever that time comes. I am still taking it slow and the recruiting process is getting towards the end but I am in no rush."
Any schools you feel you definitely want to see before doing that?
" Most of the schools that have contacted me like Villanova, Virginia, Duke and I still want to keep going to Michigan State, along with Northwestern and Ohio State," he said.
Holmgren recently picked up an offer and announced it on twitter. He's extremely thin for a seven-footer but he's unbelievably skilled.
"Definitely, Minnesota, Gonzaga, Georgetown, Memphis, UNC, Ohio State and then one or two others," Holmgren said of his list in mid-April. "I don’t know exactly what schools ... but I definitely am going to try and see Memphis, UNC, and get out to Georgetown again. From there, I would have figured out next year later on."
He's doing his best to stay in shape during the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is supposed to be my last hoo-rah and it kind of just got dumped on," he said. "I tried to just go up to the park and play basketball because that gets my mind off everything, but then my parents wouldn’t let me do that since there is state lockdown so I have to stay at home.
"I still go out to the back and shoot and we have some weights in the basement, I lift down there, but other than that, it is pretty much eat, sleep and play video games, just because there is really nothing else you can do."
Keels has already taken official visits to Ohio State and Virginia, and Michigan is playing from behind. From Rivals.com's Corey Evans:
Among the perceived leaders for Keels are Villanova and Virginia. He has already taken an official visit to UVA, and also took one to Ohio State in the fall. It is never a smart thing to underestimate the chances of Duke or North Carolina, both of which signed one of Keels' high school teammates last year (Jeremy Roach at Duke, Anthony Harris at UNC).
However, if someone like Michigan wants to enter the race, I can see Keels being willing to hear what Juwan Howard and his staff have to say. It might only help their cause further that Keels will have two travel teammates,
Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams, that will soon enroll at the Big Ten program.
I am not willing to bet against Duke, UNC, Villanova and Virginia, but Michigan could have a chance if it decides to place a priority on him in the coming months and Keels is willing to keep his recruitment open until the fall.
Hardy, a Michigan native, is elite ... and U-M is on his short list.
"Arizona, Arizona State, UCLA, Oregon, Kentucky, Kansas, Memphis, Texas Tech and Michigan. Those are the ones that have been contacting me the most," he said in a recent interview. "I haven’t taken any [official visits] yet. I think that I am going to take some whenever all this clears up and take some with my brother.
"I think that I am going to take one to Michigan. I want to go back to where I am from so, I will definitely take one back there. Also, probably Arizona, Kentucky and Arizona State. My mom still lives [in Michigan], so with her being there, that is why I would think about going there and to play in front of my family because they are all still there, too."
He likes what he's seen from head coach Juwan Howard.
"He is doing good. He is a player’s coach, and I think a lot of players like him and he wins," he said. "He is going to push you and he is going to help develop you."
Barnes will likely earn a fourth star at some point in the near future — the absence of a spring AAU season has probably prevented it. He's earned scholarship offers from Kansas, TCU, Maryland, Iowa, St. Louis and now Wisconsin since March 26 and got his U-M offer on a Zoom call with Juwan Howard.
“Over this past season, a lot of the stuff that I did and a lot of my achievements were not talked about," Barnes told BadgerBlitz.com. "After coaches saw me or watched my film and talked to me, I began to start receiving offers.”
Illinois and Kansas seem to have gotten a head start for the 18-ppg scorer. Barnes also averaged seven rebounds.
He'll transfer high schools for the second time for his senior season, though he has yet to decide where.
Georgia appears to be a strong leader here, while Florida State is also recruiting him hard. Getting him on campus would be the first step for Michigan.
"He fits the modern day model for what you want out of a four man. When his jumper is falling he puts up huge scoring totals and is so versatile," Rivals reported. "He’ll always rebound the ball and has a nose for the rim."
He's denied rumors he'll go directly to the G-League. Arizona, USC, Michigan and UW-Milwaukee are involved, but he seems most likely to play at Georgia or FSU.
From Evans:
"I am not sure that there is five-star junior that is near his college commitment but one that is worth monitoring is Moussa Diabate, primarily because he has the chance of reclassifying into the 2020 class.
"A school list has yet to form with Diabate as more programs are jumping into the picture. Whether it is the in-state Florida program, Memphis, Michigan or even Kentucky, Diabate will be a nationally coveted prospect regardless of the year he chooses to enroll. My guess is, though, that the interest geared towards him this winter and spring ultimately tips Diabate into the 2020 class."
Baldwin's dad is the head coach at Wisconsin-Milwaukee, and he's seriously considering playing there. Duke, Kansas and Kentucky are up there and he also likes Northwestern, where his dad played.
No recent mention of Michigan, including in this Q&A three days ago.
No recent discussion about Michigan. From Rivals:
"I would say that prior to the coronavirus pandemic and with a full slate of games to be played on the travel circuit, he was likely to reclassify into the 2020 class following the summer months. I will stick with that, but remaining in the 2021 class is not out of the question, either. Suitors include Auburn, Florida State, Georgia, LSU, and Texas Tech."
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