Michigan Wolverines Basketball Recruiting: On Dickinson, Christopher, More
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard is still trying to land a few more recruits in the 2020 class, and we expect his son, three-star Jace Howard, to be one of them.
Both of Howard's children, Jace and Jett, were on hand to see Michigan win the Battle for Atlantis Tournament in the Bahamas over Thanksgiving.
There's been no new news on four-star big man Hunter Dickinson, which is somewhat surprising. It was thought he'd decide during Signing Week (early November) but wait to sign — instead he did neither.
From Rivals.com's Corey Evans:
"So, I was wrong. I thought Hunter Dickinson would commit last week. I was told he was not going to sign, so that did not shock me, but I was relatively surprised that he did not end his recruitment. I do believe he knows where he wants to go to college.
"Dickinson is down to Duke, Florida State, Michigan and Notre Dame but, in my mind, the Wolverines and Irish are the only two programs that have a legitimate shot at landing his signature. Of the pair, I believe Michigan will ultimately win out.
"However, Dickinson has not been the easiest person to read. Heck, Purdue was thought to be the frontrunner and the Boilermakers aren't even a finalist. Take this with a grain of salt, but I believe Dickinson will commit to Michigan in the next several days."
Rivals.com's Eric Bossi said the Wolverines' hot start should only help recruiting.
"Wow. Really, what more is there to say about the start that Juwan Howard is off to at Michigan as the Wolverines have climbed to No. 4 in the national polls? I’ve been pleasantly surprised by his start and I can’t imagine there is anybody who isn’t.
"What he and the Wolverines did over Thanksgiving at the Battle 4 Atlantis was beyond impressive. Not only did Michigan beat Iowa State, North Carolina and Gonzaga to string together three impressive wins while winning a title, the Wolverines steamrolled the opposition and looked much better than anybody else in the field.
Of course, Howard inherited a team with plenty of talent. But, he still had to coach them and the work he’s doing with guys like
Eli Brooks,Isaiah Livers,Zavier Simpson,Jon Teske and company speaks volumes to who he is and what he can be as a coach.
"Having already secured commitments from five-star Isaiah Todd and four-star Zeb Jackson on the recruiting trail, Howard is making noise there. I know that Todd hasn’t signed and the rumors will swirl all winter that he could head overseas. But, the job Howard is doing has to really be making Todd think.
"The other big name out there is Hunter Dickinson. The Wolverines are thought to be the team to beat for him but for whatever reason he keeps putting off his decision. If the start in Ann Arbor can’t put them over the edge to land Dickinson, I don’t know what else it’s going to take."
We don't, either. Dickinson doesn't say much and plays his recruitment very close to the vest.
Finally, five-star Josh Christopher is impressed with U-M's fast start, but still remains a long shot. His brother plays at Arizona State and his cousin is a coach at Missouri. Much has been writing about him, but he doesn't respond to requests for stories or comments.
UCLA is also high on his list. He visited for Michigan's November game with Houston Baptist.
Christopher will sign in April.
Finally, three-star Zaire Wade, Dwyane Wade's son, has seen several schools get involved with his recruitment lately. Howard and the elder Wade are former teammates and good friends, so this one is intriguing.
Here's a recent interview ...
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