jalen duren

With Hunter Dickinson likely gone in 2022 after a lengthy flirtation with professional options and Moussa Diabate having one-and-done potential, Michigan is absolutely taking a true center in the 2022 class. The Wolverines' options are running thin, as the staff will likely identify new targets starting with this week's live evaluation period. The full rundown at the center position below.

The New Plan A

After Donovan Clingan pledged to UConn and Jalen Duren eliminated Michigan, 4-star Tarris Reed has functionally shot to the top of the board at the center position. The St. Louis native made his way to Ann Arbor last week for an official visit and 247's Sam Webb has sources that believe Michigan did well enough on the OV to be a viable threat. Tarris himself said that player development will be key to his decision-making process in an interview last weekend. Nearly every prospect in the country drops the obligatory player development line, but if that truly is the criteria then Juwan Howard is a very attractive option given his own personal experience in tandem with the absolute beast that is Hunter Dickinson.

On my end I was told that Ohio State was the clear leader after a strong official to Columbus a few weeks back. Fast forward to now and Reed doesn't seem to be in any rush in terms of a timeline per the linked interview above, so this may give Juwan Howard and staff the requisite time to make up ground here, if they haven't already. For what it's worth, Oklahoma was making a strong push to get Tarris on campus for an OV, but they are now out of the picture per a source. Reading between the lines, this seems to be a case where Tarris knows his best fit is the B10, with Michigan battling Ohio State, Michigan State and Purdue. 

Still Alive

Top-10 prospect Dereck Lively has Michigan in a final 7, but it feels as though the Wolverines are really in the back-end of that group. Lively completed his blueblood tour fresh off an official visit with Duke after completing an OV with Kentucky a few weeks ago.

As if the competition wasn't already stiff enough, Lively is now openly entertaining the professional route per this interview with Pro Insight:

"It's definitely something I'm open to, but it's just going to take a while for me to figure out if I'm going to take the college route or the G-League/Overtime route. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet so I still have time."

When it comes to Michigan, the primary appeal is Juwan Howard per the aforementioned interview.

"When it comes to other schools like Michigan, I would be working with Juwan Howard himself and throughout my training."

Dereck using the term "other" when speaking of schools exclusive of Kentucky, Duke and UNC is telling in my opinion. And that has a correlation with my information that Kentucky is the team to beat here. This recruitment feels like Michigan is trying to hold-on to something that is likely slipping away, particularly with the pro-option now in play.

[Hit THE JUMP for Flip and the Wait-And-See Options]

Last Friday marked the first time in nearly two years that college coaches were able to evaluate HS prospects in person due to the health crisis. The Wolverine staff dispersed to various locations throughout the country to view several offers/targets and undoubtedly identify new talent. As such, I made stops in the DMV-area and New Jersey to get updated evals and the latest intel.

Guards

2022 Dug McDaniel won the race to commit when he verbally committed to Michigan on his official visit last week. And with that, the pursuit of 2022 guards has effectively ended with Jett Howard a lock to be his backcourt mate in the class. 

I was excited to see McDaniel in action for an updated look against legit competition when Paul VI Catholic squared off against a loaded DeMatha Catholic team (although not quite as potent as usual) in the marquee game on Friday night. I'm generally big on evaluating prospects against high-end competition (oversimplified translation = legit size + length + athleticism), because those settings most closely replicate a college basketball environment. 

I'll go more in-depth in the upcoming Hello Post, but it was a mixed bag for the most part. Let's start with the good. Dug looked great as a playmaker for others that created easy looks in ballscreen action and with dribble penetration as seen below.

[Hit THE JUMP for more on Dug + updates by position]

As we await the impact of Juwan Howard on the 2022s taking official visits to Ann Arbor, this seems like an ideal time to run down my own personal board by position. In the final piece of the three part series, I run-down my Bigs board today. We covered Guards and Wings earlier this week.

Bigs

A) Jalen Duren

Measurements: 6'10/230

School/AAU: Montverde Academy (FL)/Team Final (Nike EYBL/Pennsylvania)

Why: No explanation needed.

Where Michigan Stands: Necessary caveat - Duren is not coming to Michigan. In April, I was first to report that Jalen was considering reclassifying to 2021 with Miami being the frontrunner and things appear to be trending that way. Rumors swirled last week that the reclass was a done deal before Team Final quickly shot it down. I'm not going to get into the credibility of the conflicting reports, but it doesn't take a genius to ascertain the legit options here. Duren just completed an official visit to Coral Gables, where his former HS/AAU coach is now on staff. On the other hand, the GLeague offer is expected to be seven figures. I'll end this section in the same manner that it began.........this isn't happening for Michigan. 

B) Dereck Lively

Measurements: 7'0/215

School/AAU: Westtown HS (PA)/Team Final (Nike EYBL/Pennsylvania)

Why: NBA size + length. Game-changing defender at college level from the day he steps on the court. Rapidly developing skillset to compliment his elite finishing and rim protection. Highest long-term ceiling of the group. Yes, that includes Duren. 

Where Michigan Stands: Trending away at the moment. Took OV to North Carolina last week, with Kentucky and Duke scheduled to get the same later this month. Mom is marketing director at Penn State, where he took an unofficial this week. Wants to visit Michigan in the fall for a football game. Doesn't intend to decide until fall or winter. This very much has the feel of Kentucky/Duke/UNC being the top three with Michigan and Penn State firmly in tier two. Getting him on campus is the priority.

[Hit THE JUMP for Clingan + Plan B]