BBall Recruiting - New 19 Target/EM Top 100 Wing Max Agbonkpolo
New 2019 target from SoCal, Max Agbonkpolo. A 3/4 type with a LOT of upside. He's essentially everything I wish Pete Nance was. He's not an instant impact type, will need to add 25 pounds of muscle mass and refine his skillset..............but man this guy can be something in 2-3 years. I understand this approach by the staff, as we don't really need an instant impact type at that position in light of Livers, Johns, Iggy.
I can't help but to think of Nic Batum (Charlotte Hornets) when watching Max, tons of similarity there IMO in terms of style of play, size, frame, etc.
He has legit interest for sure, went to watch M in the S16 at Staples.
http://endlessmotor.net/2018/04/06/versatile-2019-prospect-max-agbonkpo…
Definitely a candidate for the all name team
in the body type. Does he have the same playmaking skills that made Batum special before he fell off?
but definitely similar to what I would envision a HS version of Batum to be. You can see that Max can change speeds and direction (To a more limited extent) with the ball, but his handle is a bit high/loose. His instincts and spatial awareness with the ball are pretty good.
saw him play twice vs mater dei in january, (partner's son plays for MD). was the best player on the court in the first game, was completely held in check in the second. he's gonna be a good one but seems as if a stiff gust of wind can knock him over. MD beat the shit out of him in their second game, rendering him useless..
needs to add 25 pounds of muscle mass and improve the motor. Not an instant impact type at all, but man is he intriguing long term. Interested to see his development this Summer.
Plenty of time to fill out.
that will graduate in 2019.
Matt, can you parse several different things that are mentioned in the link as being important? I have heard these more than once, and am curious.
- "Academics." It seems like this is virtually always mentioned. But what does it really mean? Mo Bamba mentioned academics prominently, but then he's a one and done. And the reality of being a high level basketball player is crazy, in terms of academics. I think basketball might be the worst sport of all for being academically inclined. Are players really interested in academics, or is this like mom and apple pie and thanking God for the opportunity to play, i.e., lip service, but take with a grain of salt?
- "Good basketball program." Ok, to us, Michigan has a good basketball program, good facilities, good coaching staff, etc. But what does this mean to players? That is to say, when are they really just looking at North Carolina, Duke, Kansas, Villanova, and on the west coast, maybe UCLA and Arizona? Does it mean historical, in which case you include the Spartans, Indiana, UConn, and Louisville? TL;DR, short version: is Michigan moving up into the bluebloods and elite programs, or not quite yet?
- "Style of play." In the past, Beilein has been criticized for style of play. While he never has been nearly as boring and painful to watch as say, Bo Ryan's teams, I wouldn't call Michigan "scintillating" in terms of their style. [Edit: I watched a clip of Webber's Michigan and pro highlights the other day. Wow. Such beauty and power and awesomeness. Love the current team, but it isn't that style!] What is Michigan's style? Who fits their style? Generally, I would say, someone with good basketball smarts who can pass, drive, and shoot the three. What would you add?
- "Immediate playing time." Is that realistic? Given your write up, this seems exactly what developmental projects like Agbonkpolo are NOT likely to get.
If I'm reading your comments correctly, you would call Max a raw prospect with a very high ceiling. That, to me, seems like the ideal Beilein candidate.
Lastly, yesterday you mentioned Keion Brooks and Tyrese Maxey (along with Weems.) We already know that 2019 will probably be a small class, maybe two kids. Do we go full bore after all 4 of them, and take the first two who will legitimately commit?
Academics - I think we all know this is PR talk and that 90-95% of prospects simply do not care about the academic side of things at all..........it is what it is. For Max in particular though, I think it probably is a factor. He has an offer from Columbia and is a well-spoken kid.
Good Program - this is very subjective for each prospect. Are we a blueblood, no. But we have recent history on our side in terms of the last 6 years with 2 NC games, an E8 and a S16. Kids are not history buffs in general and I think the recent success may finally start to pay off.
Style of Play - generally speaking, Michigan is going to appeal to non-athletes that can shoot and pass from a stagnant position. I don't think our offense is exciting for athletic types that like to get up and down the floor since our tempo is rather slow. We also appeal to skilled PGs that utilize a ball screen and playmake from that.
Immediate PT - not its not realistic at all in most cases unless the prospect is elite. But immediate PT is also subjective. All prospects want immediate PT, the question is how much? Coach Beilien has displayed the willingness to play freshman for 10-20, even 25 minutes per game if ready in the role that he deems best fit for the team.
2019 - I think we should be selective with the 1 or 2 prospects we can nab. Personally, I'd prioritize a shot creating, athletic combo/shooting guard over anything. From a depth perspective it might not be a bad idea to add a center. Other than that its best available talent for me. I simply could not turn down a guy like Samuell Williamson if he wanted to come irrelevant of positional need.
"I never have doubts about a teenagers ability to speak."
You clearly haven't met many teenagers. Also, random unprovoked hostility isn't healthy.
So you found a biased article to use as confirmation bias for your bias.
I thought commenters are supposed to avoid politics.
Not only are you heavily political, but your anger is palpable.
Please lighten up. :-)
Any concern about how he fits on the roster? Between Livers, Iggy, Johns already being on the roster, I would have some concerns adding another jumbo wing. A lot of things went wrong for MSU this yeat, but not the least of which was way too many frontcourt players on the roster.
is MSU has too many C on the roster as opposed to Michigan having too many wing players which isn't a problem since they'll play both at 3 and 4 anyway. They can at least run/move around unlike MSU where they're limited with Ward, Schilling, Goins, Tillman.
I'm not concerned about it at all especially if Livers/Johns can slide into 5 for small ball if JB wants to go to that route.
the wings sometimes play at the 5. think sims and smotrycz.
I don't see Beilein letting that happen.
That's not really how Michigan does it. Michigans 1-4 are all the same except the 4's are a little taller and the lower numbers need to be a little faster and better ball handlers.
about the fit of Max as a propsect individually, but I can see your point in terms of roster construction with Livers, Johns and Iggy already in the mix. That said, it makes sense for the identical reason that it concerns you. Basically Max is a guy that's going to need a year or two before he's ready to contribute..........which lines up perfectly considering the guys in front of him are all likely to be contibutors in 19-20. In other words stash and develop for a year or 2 then when the guys in front of him leave, he hits the ground rolling.
In terms of overall need, no doubt in my mind that a shot creating, athletic combo-guard is what we need. A lot shot clock guy that can hit jumpers off the dribble when the offense stalls. We missed that this year despite MAAR being that did it, but not as consistently as we'd like.
zero open scholarship for 2019 at the moment. It can always change within the year. Charles Matthews could be an early NBA entry or there's attrition depending on the season.
JB is recruiting just to keep his options open and to be ready for anything after 2018 season. I suspect JB might have a better idea right now.
2020 class will be a pretty big class with 4 open spots.
numbers look great but unless he can prove that he can put it on the floor, guard an athlete on the perimeter, create his own shot, and other things i dont think he ends up with a spot in the class unless there is a drastic change in the amount of open scholarships
From what I've heard from Matt D in previous threads, Girard's offer isn't committable yet. Yes, Duke has offered him, but apparently Beilein is worried about how a 6'0" unatheltic SG fits in at the college level. Yes, he can shoot the 3 but besides that, there is some concerns
I think his nickname makes people assume he's athletic, while in reality he's pretty much Eli Brooks.