Michigan is very likely to finish the 2021 cycle with the number one recruiting class in America with no further additions. The Wolverines currently sit at 69.44 points on the 247 team composite rankings. With Kobe Bufkin likely to get a solid rankings bump and Moussa Diabate probably getting a slight nudge upward, this class is likely to finish right around the 70 point mark. In four of the last five cycles, the number one class has hovered around the aforementioned 70 point threshold, so that's a fair barometer.

Michigan's current hold on the number one spot is so commanding that both Duke and Kentucky would need to add two 5-stars to their 2021 classes in order to surpass the Wolverines. 

With a star-studded 2021 class signed, the staff is turning the majority of their efforts to the 2022 class, while keeping the door open for adding another 2021 prospect. 

The Latest on 2021 Big Charles Bediako

Top-30 big Charles Bediako has seemingly been an Alabama lean for months now, but the early-singing period came and went without the Canadian inking his NLI with the Crimson Tide. It was widely expected that Bediako would eventually verbal to Nate Oats in December/January/February, but that has not come to fruition either. Given the prolonged recruitment and in the absence of the NLI/verbal commitment, things may be a bit more open here than initially thought. 

Bediaiko went on-record with Rivals over the weekend to say that things will be ending very soon:

"I know I said I was supposed to commit in January," Bediako said. "You know, stuff happened. I could commit at any moment now, but it will be at the latest March. Everyone will know by March."

In the same piece, Charles credits Juwan Howard as the primary factor in favor of Michigan, while also acknowledging that having a former AAU teammate in Caleb Houstan doesn't hurt things. 

"Coach (Juwan) Howard is a big reason they’re in there. I feel like he could develop me, help me get to the next level. One of my teammates, Caleb Houstan, committed there so that is also cool. They are great people."

I checked in with multiple sources over the weekend on where things stand with Bediako currently. You may recall that one of my Michigan sources claimed the Wolverines were on solid ground here despite the Alabama chatter back in October. I'm once again told the Wolverines remain in the hunt and are active in this recruitment.

Checking in with Alabama sources, I'm told Nate Oats and crew are no longer "cocky" and that Michigan is a "viable option" in their view. That is a far cry from where things stood just one month ago.

While I'm not overly optimistic that Bediako will ultimately land in Ann Arbor, there is now reason to believe that it is at least a possibility. Adding a prospect of this caliber would alleviate any concerns regarding the center position and provide a legit 7-footer that projects as an elite rim-protector. A trio of Bediako, Diabate and Dickinson would likely give Michigan the most imposing defensive frontcourt in the B10 (and perhaps the country). But to keep things in perspective, this would be icing on the cake rather than a necessity. 

[Hit THE JUMP for the latest on 2022, including a new offer]

 

Guard

 

4-star guard Knasir "Dug" McDaniel of Paul VI Catholic (VA) has been rumored as a strong Michigan-lean since the Summer, but has yet to commit. McDaniel shot down the rumors that he's close to a commitment in an article with Rivals this week:

"I'll probably be making it after summer after I see some schools."

Michigan is still prioritizing the lead-guard, with Phil Martelli playing an integral role with his DMV connections.

"It's gone very well. I'm still in contact with them a lot," he said. "I talk to Coach [Juwan] Howard probably twice a week, and coach [Phil] Martelli texts me every day."

Reading between the lines, it seems like McDaniel wants to see what options are available after the EYBL season is over. And while that may yield some additional offers/interest, it's hard to envision an abundance of blueblood interest considering his listed height of 5'10. This is a recruitment that Michigan should be able to win if the staff pushes. 

The other priority prospect at the PG spot is IMG 5-star Jaden Bradley. A flurry of crystal balls for Kentucky came in during January, but nothing came of it. Having spoken to Bradley at that time, he confirmed the reports of an imminent commitment were false. UNC is the other program to get a lot of recent buzz. Jaden lived in North Carolina prior to making the move to IMG, so there is probably some smoke here. 

A new name to the board is 2022 T.J. Caldwell of Faith Family Academy (TX). The staff has only put out preliminary feelers at this point, but I'm a fan of getting active here and monitoring things in the Spring/Summer.

The mainstreams have Caldwell criminally undervalued as a 3-star type. I saw T.J. live last Summer and immediately ranked him a 4-star prospect. Early notable offers include Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Nebraska and SMU. He is undoubtedly one of the most explosive prospects in the country, with elite athleticism at around 6'3. He has a solid handle, can create his own offense off the bounce and is capable of hitting perimeter shots. Great academic resume with Princeton showing interest as well. Tons of potential two-way upside here. I speak to Caldwell/his family on a weekly basis, and T.J. would be very interested if the Wolverines make a real push. 

Wing/Forward

4-star combo-forward Gregg Glenn (Calvary Christian/FL) picked up multiple crystal balls to land in Ann Arbor this week. Glenn is good friends with future Wolverine Jett Howard and refers to Juwan as uncle. Early January quotes to 247 were indicative of just how intriguing the Wolverines are to the Miami-area native:

"Michigan is like family to me. Juwan Howard is like my uncle so that's probably one of my top schools. I think it would be fun to play for coach Juwan because I would be able to have freedom while at the same time playing team ball. Being under him he could probably get me to the NBA. Their message has been the same thing, that they can help make my dreams come true. I've also been watching and I think this team can win a national championship this year.”

Glenn is a physically developed prospect that is a bit of a tweener. Measured in at 6'6 (without shoes) and close to 220 at the 2019 Nike Elite 100. Projects as a face-up forward that bullies his way to the rim in the half-court, rebounds at a high rate, finishes in transition and has solid vision as a playmaker. The potential concern here is that he's not quite big enough to bully PFs in the B10, lacks the requisite agility to defend the perimeter while being a below average shooter. In the four games I've viewed, Gregg went 0/15 from distance, including 0/11 at the Montverde Invitational. 

I'm higher on our other 22' offers at the wing/forward spot after having watched Glenn four times over the last three months. But when one is nitpicking over potentially adding a 4-star wing-forward with solid vertical leaping ability that can put the ball on the deck a bit while providing some playmaking and muscle on the glass, these are first-world problems indeed. 

Things continue to trend well for 4-star wing Eric Dailey (IMG Academy /FL). Speaking with 247 early this week, Dailey says Michigan is among the schools pushing the hardest and the pre-existing relationship with Coach Howard and Jett is a plus:

“I've known coach Howard before he was a coach because me and Jett have been friends since elementary school. That relationship has been there and they’re always keeping in contact with me. That's a pretty strong relationship right there. They're having a great season right now. I definitely could see myself playing in that conference with them. The way they play their bigger guards is the way I want to play. In the Wisconsin game, it showed me that they’re a strong group that fights through adversity. Those are definitely players that you want to be around, players who can fight through tough moments.”

Eric's stock is definitely on the way up, as he's made strides as a shooter this season and has become a lot more consistent as a catch-and-shoot floor-spacer from three. Dailey was already potent as an athletic mismatch wing-forward that can finish at the rim and create shots from the mid-post as both a scorer and facilitator. Would love to add him to the class. 

Michigan continues to push for 5-star wing Jarace Walker and he confirmed the Wolverines are among a functional top group of schools in an interview with Rivals last week:

"I would say UNC, Michigan, Virginia Tech, and a couple of other schools."

Walker has been hit with the injury-bug this season, so he hasn't played much. Those circumstances in tandem with the health crisis have compelled him to defer any potential reclassification decision. He's been rather consistent in saying that he wants to take visits before making a commitment and reiterated that again in the aforementioned Rivals piece.

Reading between the lines, Michigan and North Carolina seem to be in strong position as of right now. Jarace suits up for Baltimore-based Team Thrill in the Summer, so the DMV ties here are paying dividends. I would absolutely love to have Walker as a 21' or 22', he's an instant-impact player for any college in the country at the 3/4 spot and will undoubtedly be a one-and-done. 

Top-30 prospect A.J. Casey (Whitney Young/IL) lists Michigan among the programs that are currently prioritizing him, with Juwan Howard and his Chicago roots leading the way:

“It is great to hear from Coach Howard,” said Casey of Michigan. “We are two guys from Chicago, so we have that connection. He is a great coach and I love talking to him.”

Casey hasn't given his recruitment serious consideration just yet, as the Chicago Public School system will finally get their high school season underway next week. Movement here will likely be determined by Summer evaluations and performance.

4-star Colin Smith continues to hear from Michigan regularly. I speak with Smith/his family on a regular basis and it is my opinion that we are in a functional top group here along with Stanford (sister plays for the volleyball team/HS teammate Harrison Ingram is committed), Illinois, Texas Tech and Vanderbilt. North Carolina is getting involved here as well. Colin is a high-academic kid, the staff has a great relationship with his AAU coach and there is serious mutual interest. 

 

Bigs

4-star Donovan Clingan (Bristol Central/CT) picked up an offer on Tuesday. Clingan is definitely in the Hunter Dickinson mold of big in that he's a legit 7-footer with great touch and nice footwork, while being a bit limited as a perimeter defender. Donovan gave a few quotes to Zags Blog in the aftermath of the offer:

“It’s feels great,” Clingan said. “I am extremely blessed to get an offer from a school like Michigan.

“[Coach Howard] likes how I move and how I play in the post. He thinks I can fit really well into their offense and defense.”

As he doesn't play great competition in high school, the pursuit here will be determined by Summer performance in large part. But with the success of Dickinson, I can definitely see this one ending well in favor of Michigan because it projects as a great marriage for both parties. 

The staff is starting to pick-up the interest level in top-30 PF/C Jalen Washington (Gary West Side/IN). While there was various levels of contact over the last year, the pursuit has increased a bit in recent weeks now that Jalen is healthy after recovering from an ACL tear and shoulder surgery over a year ago. 

I've viewed Jalen live four games this season and he's definitely a skilled big that former Coach John Beilein would have absolutely loved. He measured in at 6'9 with 7'2 wingspan at the 2019 Nike Elite 100 and may very well be the best perimeter shooting big in the country, with good vision as a passer. Physically, he's starting to regain some of his pre-injury form, but still isn't as agile defending the perimeter, which is to be expected after such a lengthy layoff.

There are some connections here, as Director of Basketball Operations, Chris Hunter, attended Gary West Side before heading to Ann Arbor. I speak with Washington/his coaches 3-4 times per week and he's everything you want in a student-athlete. He's a high-academic kid (Stanford interest), humble and very coachable. Washington's recruitment will absolutely be dictated by his production on the EYBL circuit with Meanstreets this Summer. There is interest for sure, but the staff needs to see him against legit competition because there simply isn't much of a sample size over the last 2 years given the injuries. As of now, Alabama, Stanford, Purdue and Michigan State are the schools in consistent contact in recent months.