Several Michigan signees and offers have been in action over the last few weeks in prestigious events such as the NIBC and the Montverde Invitational. The aforementioned settings provide a good evaluation tool, as each team faced the absolute cream of the crop on a daily basis. 

Perhaps the most-anticipated game of the year came a few weeks back when #1 Montverde (FL) faced #2 IMG Academy (FL). Michigan signees Moussa Diabate (IMG) and Caleb Houstan (Montverde) squared off against one another at the prestigious NIBC. In an absolute thriller, Houstan and Montverde came out on top to maintain their title as the best team in the country with a win streak approaching 40.

Stock Status: Same

Evaluation: Same. Not much to say here that I haven't covered in great detail on prior occasion. Houstan is an elite shooter with solid positional size and good defensive instincts with average athleticism. Caleb is about the best possible freshman replacement one can expect for the Isaiah Livers role. Much like Livers, Houstan doesn't project to provide much on-ball punch, but his ability to knock down perimeter shots is going to be an outstanding release valve for playmakers such as Frankie Collins and Kobe Bufkin in addition to any potential transfer additions. 

 

Moussa Bounces Back

After a sub-par effort against my #1 overall prospect regardless of class, Jalen Duren, Diabate was absolutely great against a top 5 team in the nation in Sunrise Christian Academy. Sunrise features Kansas signee Zach Clemence, Michigan State Jaden Akins, Tennessee signee Kennedy Chandler, Baylor signee Kendall Brown, Minnesota signee Kenny Pohto and 2022 top-50 prospect Gradey Dick among several other high-major prospects on the roster. 

I've heard few groans after that Montverde game that Moussa may lack skill. Does this reflect a prospect that lacks skill?

Stock Status: Slightly Up

Evaluation: Every time I see Diabate he adds something to his game and this was no different. My Future Hoops analysis detailed Moussa's face-up ability on the perimeter so the euro-steps in traffic were no surprise to me. But the up-and-under pivot at the :16 second mark above against an elite defender in Kendall Brown is something we haven't seen from him previously. Diabate's quick-twitch athleticism and defensive prowess pop off the screen and are beyond reproach, so I'll refrain from commenting on what is already understood.

I evaluated two more games of Moussa against slightly less intimidating competition in top-50 nationally Central Pointe Academy and a Victory Christian team that is top-15 in talent-laden North Carolina. I touched on my satisfaction with his passing ability in the aforementioned Future Hoops and these games definitely reinforced that view. Diabate was stellar as a passer from the free-throw line area as both a stationary passer and creating off the dribble. This bodes very well for projecting him as a passer on the short-roll in the mode of Bam Adebayo. You can see that passing ability below. 

I'd also implore you to look closely at the second possession of the clip below. That is the precise Motion Weak action that Juwan Howard runs for Hunter Dickinson post-ups. Much like Hunter, Moussa converts with an impressive jump-hook over the shoulder. He's developing at a very rapid rate. 

 

[Hit THE JUMP for new film on Jett and the IMG boys along with a few 2022 tidbits]

Jett Looks The Part of A Shooter

While Howard has always been renowned as a shooter, he hasn't necessarily knocked down a high percentage of his jumpers during my live viewings. It was good to see him connect on several jumpers in the aforementioned games against Central Pointe and Victory Christian. 

Stock Status: Same

Evaluation: Much like Houstan, nothing has changed here. With his mechanics, and more specifically his lightning quick release, I've always projected Jett as an above-average/good shooter. It was good to see the shots go in, but his misses on previous occasions were so close that this was to be expected. He continues to flash as a guy that can attack closeouts off the bounce and provide glimpses off the bounce as a playmaker for others. Howard is never going to be a primary on-ball option for Michigan, but the ability to go at a scrambling defense is a valuable trait for a floor-spacing shooter. 

Recruitment: Will inevitably end up a Wolverine

 

Eric Dailey Surging

Dailey has always looked the part of versatile combo-forward with good athleticism, solid vision and a capable shooter that is a mismatch nightmare for the opposition, but it appears he's made strides in terms of perimeter shotmaking.

Stock Status: Slightly Up

Evaluation: Dailey is shooting closer to 35-40% from distance recently rather than 25-30% and if that holds, he goes from highly touted 4-star type to a legit 5-star, top 25 prospect. His skill, versatility, athleticism and college-ready frame make him highly likely to be an impact player the moment he arrives on campus. 

Recruitment: Michigan among the programs he is hearing from the most. Duke was the dream school growing up. I'm not all that concerned about dream schools with Juwan Howard running things in Ann Arbor. He's proven he can close against bluebloods and with the way things are playing out on the court this season, the Wolverines are on equal ground with any other school here, at minimum. Also of note, Jett Howard is Dailey's teammate at IMG. 

 

Jaden Bradley More Than A Passer

Bradley is among the premier playmakers in the country regardless of class. His vision is special for a HS junior. My biggest question for Jaden is whether he's competent as a perimeter shooter. That's not to say I considered him a poor shooter based on my prior live viewings, but rather the lack of any jumpshot attempts gave me pause. The two games against Victory Christian and Central Pointe were encouraging.

Stock Status: Slightly Up

Evaluation: I'll reiterate that I've never thought of Bradley as a 5-star prospect. He's more of a 25-50 level kid based on my live viewings. From that perspective, these most recent performances would place him closer to the 25ish range. The shot mechanics look good here, with nice balance and a high release point. This makes it perplexing that he has been such a reluctant shooter prior to this clip above. I have yet to see Jaden attempt to pull-up triple, though that's not something he needs in his game when accounting for his ability to make others better. I'm interested to see his development as a shooter moving forward. If he continues to make strides, it definitely makes him a more desirable target. 

Recruitment: A flurry of Crystal Balls were placed in favor of Kentucky last month, which is generally indicative of an imminent commitment. I spoke to Jaden during that time period and he informed me he was not close to a decision at that time. In a recent piece with 247, he mentions 5 schools, not of whic are Michigan. There is smoke to the Kentucky interest, but the Wildcats on-court performance is definitely working against Calipari here. 

 

Tidbits Elsewhere

2022 4-star PG Dug McDaniel (Paul VI Catholic/VA) has been rumored to be a Michigan lean for quite some time. The speedy DMV product had this to say about Michigan in last week's article from 247:
 

"The point guard, (Juwan Howard) lets his point guard create. He lets them create and it is looking good for them. They are having a great season, so you have to look at that.”

The Wolverines are part of a functional top 5 here along with Florida, Georgetown, VCU and LSU. When asked about a commitment timeline, McDaniel says things could develop sooner rather than later:

“Me and my mom have been talking about it recently and I feel like I’ll be deciding soon. We don’t know exactly when yet, but sooner than later.”

While he's on the smaller side, Dug has elite straight line speed and playmaking ability as a passer. I need to see more before projecting him as a shooter/scorer though. In any event, potentially adding a top-50ish prospect to start off the 2022 class is a great thing.

 

Five-star junior Jarace Walker (IMG Academy/FL) told 247 Michigan is among three programs recruiting him the hardest.

“I like their playing style," said Walker. "I feel like they get up and down the court really well. They play well in transition which is where I feel I excel. I feel like (Juwan Howard) knows what it takes to get players to the league since he’s been there. I feel like he could help with my skill development and off the court.”

Often the subject of reclassification rumors, Walker deferred when it came to that topic. 

“I’m not focused on the decision as of now, that decision will come later," said Walker. “I’m definitely patient. I’m not forcing the process or anything like that. I’m focused on this high school season and feel like the recruiting process will pick back up when it needs to.”

The obvious connection here is Jett Howard and Moussa Diabate at IMG. Beyond that though, Jarace is originally from the DMV area, which has been kind to Michigan in recent recruiting classes. Juwan Howard is in solid position here, and the situation is becoming more enticing with the on-court performance. It feels like a deep tournament run could catapult the Wolverines to recruiting supremacy. 

 

2022 4-star offer Colin Smith (St. Mark's/TX) has been hearing from Michigan consistently. I speak with Smith on a regular basis and the Wolverines are definitely a serious contender here. Though I'd caution that his sister plays for the Stanford volleyball team and current HS teammate Harrison Ingram will suit up in Palo Alto next year.

Smith is criminally undervalued. I've evaluated him in person, and he has the look of a top-50 prospect that is undoubtedly superior to other combo-forward options such as Greg Glenn and Ty Rodgers.