Michigan Basketball Recruiting: Beilein Talks Wilson, Bajema, More
Most knowledgeable Michigan fans knew head coach John Beilein was the right guy for the program long ago. It took time, though, to convince some others.
It was the same on the recruiting trail, Beilein admitted Friday in talking about doors that have been opened since U-M's National Championship game run last year.
"I think I’ve always talked about I think our second trip to the Final Four was really helpful as far as it wasn’t just a fluke; wasn’t something that just happened," he said of the first trip in 2013. "That’s helped a lot. We all know that that is great, but they’ve still got to stay yes, and we’re still going to take the kids that really fit Michigan. They might not be as highly rated, but four years later they maybe more highly rated."
They aren't going to wait around either, he added.
"We’re still going to try to find our guys, but I do think there’s knowledge out there right now if you like Michigan, they’re probably not going to be waiting until spring of their seniors year and still go there unless something falls through," Beilein said. "That's where a lot of the high [rated] guys are. I want our team, and don't want to come up empty with that. Then we’d be in a tough situation."
So he went out and got two great players in the early period to finish the 2019 class in Jalen Wilson and Cole Bajema.
Wilson, a 6-8 forward out of Denton (Texas) Guyer, is Rivals.com’s No. 36 senior nationally. Bajema (6-7, Rivals.com No. 99), out of Lynden (Wash.) Christian, is more a combo guard.
Beilein finally went into detail on both Dec. 7 after they signed in the early November period.
“They’re similar in their size and skillset, very different in bodies,” Beilein said. “Jalen is more of an Isaiah Livers type body [Michigan's sophomore forward]. He’s got some strength about him already. They both have high skillsets, can really shoot.
“The good news is Cole weighed about 167 when he came here [for camp] at 6-7, 6-6, and he’s already put on 16 pounds, I believe. He’s more of a combo guard. Jalen’s more of a small forward/guard. We can play small with a lot of people, too. They’re good kids, good students and good players. I can’t wait to coach them. I think they are high IQ players, too.”
Beilein isn’t sure what the attrition will look like next year, but the Wolverines are one over the limit and someone will leave. Most believe redshirt junior Charles Matthews will opt for the NBA, since he very nearly left after last year.
“They’ve both got a chance to play right away. That would be the hope,” Beilein said.
Bajema, formerly of Grand Haven, Mich., came from out of nowhere to land an offer. He’s always been a Michigan fan, and he and Wilson epitomize what Beilein says he’s looking for in a player — kids who are beating down the doors to come to Michigan.
“I got a call from his AAU coach, who is also a junior college coach in the area [in Washington],” Beilein said. “He said, ‘here’s a kid that loves Michigan. Could you take a look at him?' It took me two or three weeks to even get back to him, then I didn’t get back to him again [because of the Final Four run]. There was so much going on.
“Finally I think I called the dad. He said we’d like to come to your practice camp, so they flew across the country, came to the camp and [Bajema] raised some eyebrows.”
Beilein promised to send assistant DeAndre Haynes back out to see him if he played. So he did.
“We kept liking him more and more every day. Pretty soon I started looking around, and I wasn’t the only high major coach in the stands,” Beilein said. You can see he has a really high ceiling.”
Wilson, meanwhile, was the perfect fit. He figures to vie for Matthews’ minutes at small forward.
“Jalen is going to be very, very good. Jalen has played again the best everywhere, where Cole is just doing that now,” Beilein said. “When I decided on Cole is when he was playing against the Howard Pulley team. The first time he scored 18 of his first 20 points for his team against an EYBL team. Jalen does that every day.
“One was undiscovered, one was well known, both are going to be terrific college players.”
Click HERE to sign up for a subscription to TheWolverine.com and get your FREE gift code for $99 in Michigan apparel and gear!
---
• Talk about this article inside The Fort
• Subscribe to our podcast on iTunes
• Learn more about our print and digital publication, The Wolverine
• Follow us on Twitter: @TheWolverineMag, @BSB_Wolverine, @JB_ Wolverine, @AustinFox42, @Balas_Wolverine, @DrewCHallett and @Qb9Adam.
• Like us on Facebook