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Michigan locked in the first commit for the 2021 cycle when 4-star wing Isaiah Barnes made the call for Michigan last week. Full commitment post here. The Wolverines are surging with a few other wings and have made various top lists over the last week. Coach Howard and staff have taken full advantage of the dead period by replacing live evaluation period time with Zooms and the like.

Charles Matthews Part II?

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— Matthew Cleveland (@MCleveland35) June 29, 2020

Top 25 wing Matthew Cleveland included Michigan in his Top 5 on Monday. I hinted there was mutual interest back in May, and that was confirmed. 

The Atlanta native had a strong start to the travel season with 64 points over 2 games on Saturday suiting up for the Atlanta Celtics at The Opening. Having reviewed the film, it's hard not to see shades of former Wolverine standout Charles Matthews.

An explosive 6’5 wing that is a terror in transition, has the look of a real difference-maker on the defensive end and whose best facet in the half-court is a back-to-the-basket jumper from the elbow. Sound familiar? 

The final 5 has an odd flavor, with Kansas, N.C. State and FSU well-known for their off-court tactics. But I’m told Michigan has a legit chance here, as Cleveland is a Juwan Howard fan and his time at the prestigious Pace Academy has fostered a healthy consideration for academics. 

I’m on record as saying Cleveland doesn’t necessarily have the look of a top 25 type, but I’m also of the view that this would be a major pickup. I don’t think he’ll ever be a number one option on offense at the next level, but his two-way impact would give Michigan a ton of lineup flexibility and help the team win a lot of games. 

[After THE JUMP: More good news with wings. Chet! Notes on 2022.]

Michigan just completed its biggest visit weekend of the year with no less than seven top 100 prospects in attendance to witness the Wolverines come out victorious over in-state rival Michigan State. With the commitment of Jace Howard last month, it appeared the 2020 class was down to a final spot. But Michigan’s hot pursuit of multiple 5 stars along with fluidity in the scholarship status of Jace may translate to two openings.

The Big Fish

Consensus top 10 prospect Greg Brown hit campus for an official visit and tells me the possibility of teaming up with the high-end talent Michigan has coming in has captured his attention. A quote from my full article below captures that sentiment:

“Its intriguing, it would be a scary sight playing with those guys.”

In speaking with Greg, I didn’t get the vibe Michigan has catapulted to the top of his list, but the Wolverines certainly made a positive impression.

Juwan Howard entered the mix late here, but we’ve seen him close that gap and win races on prior occasion. The Wolverines were once considered an afterthought here, but I firmly believe Coach Howard has given Brown something to seriously consider at minimum.

That said, I still believe Brown ends up elsewhere as of today. Greg’s father played football for the Longhorns and his uncle suited up for the UT basketball team. Considering Kentucky, Auburn and Memphis round out the remainder of his final 5, it seems too much to overcome in tandem with being an out of region prospect.

[Ed-Ace: After Matt wrote up this post, Sam Webb published a long article on Josh Christopher's recruitment. While UCLA and Mizzou are both mentioned as contenders, Michigan and Arizona State, where Christopher's older brother plays, get most of the focus. In an encouraging sign, the brother factor is downplayed, and location apparently isn't an obstacle. Meanwhile, we get the biggest "Juwan Howard knows everybody" flex yet:

“Juwan is just a great dude,” Christopher said. “I think he is a real selfless person. He doesn’t have to be like that. He’s just a great person. He knows the game, (and) has great connections I’m sure. I think he texted Michael Jordan one day I was with him. I was like, ‘whoa, this is Jordan!’ He is just a really good dude, he wants to win like I do, and he knows the game.”

I need the inevitable Brendan Quinn 3000-word feature on Juwan Howard's contact list to hit sooner rather than later.]

New 2021 Offer

Farmington guard Jaden Akins took an unofficial visit Saturday and left campus with a scholarship offer in the aftermath. I caught up with Akins shortly after and he is definitely enamored with the style of play under Juwan Howard:

“I like their style of play. The way they get up and down and how Coach Howard lets you go if you prove you can do it.”

Jaden wasn’t really a priority under the previous regime, but this was his third time on campus since the Summer and things are obviously picking up. 

Your author has been advocating for Akins the last 2 years at this point. He was criminally undervalued until recently, as he’s now just outside the top 100 to both Rivals and 247. I would’ve placed him at 75ish last Summer, and with his recent play this year that may be too low as well.

With his combination of size, length, perimeter shotmaking and quick twitch athleticism, Jaden has a chance to shoot up into the top 50 with a strong Spring on the EYBL circuit with The Family.

Yes, please. 

[Hit THE JUMP for a roundup on other visitors and the latest on Isaiah Todd.]

As we head toward the early signing period in November, Coach Howard and crew have the Wolverines in good position with several upper-tier prospects. Despite getting in the mix late for every prospect on the current board, it appears the projected recruiting chops of Juwan Howard are very real. There is some real momentum at the moment, so let’s take a look at where things stand with several elite talents.

Todd Down to 2, Sets Commitment Date

I’ll be committing on October 17th ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EzBMLHZHkS

— Isaiah Todd (@zaytodd) October 7, 2019

Consensus 5-star forward Isaiah Todd named a final two of Michigan and Kansas yesterday, with an October 17^th announcement date. In a short piece with USA Today, Todd cited relationships with Bill Self and Juwan Howard as big factors but played it close to the vest otherwise.

“It’s gonna be very tough because both schools have great coaches, great opportunity and have great programs,” Todd said. “It really comes down to the details now. I’ve got a little over a week to get my thoughts together and make my mind up.”

Setting a decision date in the immediate aftermath of the Kansas OV would seemingly not bode well for Michigan. Unless, of course, your parents get a live view of the entertainment at Midnight Madness as Self and crew are potentially staring down sanctions.

Michigan is making a strong run on the crystal ball, receiving the last 5 predictions, including that of 247 National Director of Scouting Jerry Meyer.

Rivals' Cory Evans made the equivalent of a crystal ball prediction with his future forecast flip to Michigan, after initially going with Kansas.

Kansas and Michigan are very different on many levels, making this one hard to project. A skeptic by nature, I can't go any higher than a 50/50 chance with Self and rumors of the overseas option both in play despite the recent crystal ball run. What gives one optimism are the positive vibes from Mother Todd, as admiration for Juwan Howard and Michigan correspond with Isaiah's comments in the USA Today piece referenced above.

Can we have nice things, please?

[Hit THE JUMP for updates on other guard targets and two large human beings.]