Hoops recruiting: Yohan Traore, top 10 center prospect for 2022 just received a crystal ball to Memphis
Travis Branham has put in a pick for Memphis for Traore. Matt had said there was intel of an inner circle member of his trying to relocate to Kansas, Memphis or potentially Detroit area. He visited Michigan, then Kansas and recently Memphis. I don’t like the timing and I sure as hell don’t like how Penny recruit$. When Kansas and Memphis are involved, look out!
September 30th, 2021 at 4:40 PM ^
Well that really sucks.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
Yeah, I’m wondering if we don’t move on to Ernest Udeh now. He’s number 29 in the country. He’s one of the only other big power forwards I remember even being talked about and I’m not even certain of the interest. Not saying the race is over for Traore but I don’t know how much time Juwan will devote to a potential lo$ing cause.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:46 PM ^
He is definitely not a PF. hey could take him if they want but I'd rather get a transfer C to pair with Reed than just have two freshman Cs on our team.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:50 PM ^
Yeah, don’t know much about him so I was just throwing that out there as the only other big I’ve heard anything about in the Michigan recruiting circles. I guess if we were gonna wait until spring for Traore, we might as well see what the portal looks like then.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:37 PM ^
agree. i think juwan should always keep a scholarship open for a transfer portal guy to fill a position of need every year.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:50 PM ^
I think more likely Michigan is done assuming the get Jett and Glenn. I'm sure they'll try their hardest for Traore, but it seemed like more of a they'll reserve a spot for the talent.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:53 PM ^
Since it seems like Jett and Greg Glenn are committing relatively soon, I think its more likely UM is done if they dont land Traore (outside of a transfer after the year) rather than them going for Udeh or anyone else.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:03 PM ^
Agreed. Michigan will technically be full. If somebody leaves early/transfers, my guess is they'll use the transfer portal. Better to get some experience to pair with 9 freshman/sophomores.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:41 PM ^
Kansas likely has exquisite welcoming committees as well as that blueblood money. But who's bankrolling Memphis? Seems like they will deplete their capital at some point.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:42 PM ^
Fedex
September 30th, 2021 at 5:02 PM ^
Apparently FedEx. Why FedEx is throwing absurd amounts of money at high school recruits when they seem to be a fairly inelastic service is beyond my knowledge
September 30th, 2021 at 7:06 PM ^
The CEO grew up in Memphis and went to school at University of Memphis and founded FedEx in ... you guessed it, Memphis. That took about 30 seconds of research. There's absolutely zero mystery to this.
September 30th, 2021 at 9:27 PM ^
Kansas will welcome him with rappers and pole dancers, at least if the past is any indication.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:42 PM ^
We’ll, let’s go drop a bigger bag on his front door then and watch em flip
September 30th, 2021 at 4:43 PM ^
I literally just don't understand it. Why Memphis? Penny Hardaway has a horrible track record of developing his players.
And if it's about money (which let's be honest this is probably why) I would think the blue bloods of college basketball could outspend Memphis, plus give him exposure that just isn't possible there.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:48 PM ^
Yet somehow with his shit track record these elite kids keep lining up there to play for him. I’m sure it’s the lure of his coaching talent plus the awesomeness of Memphis as a city that makes them come there.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:25 PM ^
Never lived there but have visited Memphis numerous times. Pretty meh city in my opinion. Beale Street is fun… The first time.
September 30th, 2021 at 8:37 PM ^
Graceland. Those ducks that go to the roof of the hotel on an elevator. Sun Studios. BB King's.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:03 PM ^
I don't get it either, but apparently FedEx is throwing money at recruits that no other school company/school is able/willing to match
September 30th, 2021 at 5:10 PM ^
Hoops has always been even more dirty in recruiting than football was. I was hoping with kids like this, being from France, that we could land them and use NIL to help supplement.
October 1st, 2021 at 8:30 AM ^
The shocked nature of this board is so over the top. Maybe Traore really liked the school and culture and that Memphis was in an actual city, maybe he just really connected with penny as a person and knowing he will only be on campus for one year that was the most important thing, maybe he wanted to be part of a super team which Memphis is absolutely building in this recruiting class. There a million reasons for him to make the personal choice he thinks is best for him. It’s really not that hard to fathom
October 1st, 2021 at 10:29 PM ^
I’m not $hocked at all that Penny may land him. He $eem$ to be good at thi$ recruiting thing.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:45 PM ^
Branham has a 99% career pick projection score in case you were wondering if this guy might not know what the hell he’s doing and just throwing darts in the dark.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:57 PM ^
No, Travis Branham is no longer at 99%.
Travis Branham is down to 92.13% all-time (117/127).
https://247sports.com/User/Travis%20Branham/Predictions
In 2021 he was 61/69 (88.4%).
In 2022, he's 35/36 (97.2%) so far.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:05 PM ^
Oops I was looking at his average days correct at 98.93 and rounded up. Still, pretty good track record.
September 30th, 2021 at 8:12 PM ^
Yeah, but he's no Wingdings.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:48 PM ^
I wonder if Emoni is negative recruiting. #conspiracy
September 30th, 2021 at 4:49 PM ^
that's a shame.
Michigan did its best...just hope Memphis continues to be not so good under Penny...if they actually were good on the court, that would be tough to actually keep pace with them
Seems like Michigan is set with Glenn and Howard... maybe an outside shot at Dailey
September 30th, 2021 at 4:54 PM ^
Is Dailey not a little redundant with Glenn, Tschetter and TWill? Seems like we were looking for a bigger forward, Dailey is 6’7. I could be wrong though.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:44 PM ^
I don't get the sense that Juwan recruits like that...ie specifically avoiding redundancy.
If Glenn and Howard do commit, Michigan is technically full up...so it they do decide to over recruit, then it will be for a very high ceiling guy.
While Glenn, Tschetter and Twill may play similar position, I don't think they are similar players.
Dailey is as much as a long shot as Traore appears now to be, but if there's any other name I've heard being mentioned, its Dailey...Now I don't think its likely though...
September 30th, 2021 at 4:58 PM ^
Mais non, Yohan!
Dis que ce n'est pas le cas.
September 30th, 2021 at 4:59 PM ^
Wasn't there talk that Memphis was being investigated for NIL impropriety with Bates and Duren or am I just misremembering?
September 30th, 2021 at 5:08 PM ^
The good ol NCAA investigations lol. Yeah, even if they hit Memphis, it’ll be long after Bates, Duren and Traore leave. It might affect some other 5 star down the road and force them to get immediate playing time at Kansas or some other slimy ass school.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:32 PM ^
This is not, yet, a lost cause. Besides, this roster is going to be overflowing with talent. And then there is that elite coaching staff. We will see where the roster is next April/May and the adjustments will be made. It's a brave new world.
September 30th, 2021 at 5:47 PM ^
Fuck Memphis. The most clearly crooked program next to LSU
September 30th, 2021 at 6:33 PM ^
Yeah, with what we're seeing with Memphis recruiting, it has ALL the signs of being a massive corrupt recruiting dumpster fire a la Ole Miss. But now that college sports have regressed to the un-regulated, un-controlled days before there was any oversight, they're taking advantage of it. Michigan of course, won't respond in kind, so there it is.
September 30th, 2021 at 7:25 PM ^
Hooray for money going the the players, right?
September 30th, 2021 at 8:08 PM ^
Now regressed? You can’t be serious. It’s been this way for 20+ years.
September 30th, 2021 at 6:20 PM ^
Hardaway is going to always be able to recruit a team full of talent.
The question that still remains is can he coach them. Maybe he can. But the somewhat limited sample size thus far suggests he can’t. Not to the level that would be expected for a team with that much talent.
September 30th, 2021 at 6:23 PM ^
Let's get real here. There are always going to be many more players who are going to be lured to shady programs than will want to play by the rules at Michigan. Juwan's angle will, hopefully, be that he can develop kids to be top draft picks and that, by itself, will lure them to A2. That will take time though.
September 30th, 2021 at 6:37 PM ^
I have no problem at all with Juwan if he has decided to take the "high road" in recruiting. I still think that can work out very well for Michigan. It will just take some effort on his part to identify the "right" candidates to recruit who are more interested in developing their talents now and deferring their compensation for a bit. They're out there and with his team-building skills, it can definitely work.
September 30th, 2021 at 6:56 PM ^
5 star pg Jaden Bradley just committed to Alabama too. Nate Oats is cheating his ass off down there. Avery Johnson played in the NBA and won championships and he couldn’t recruit like Oats is at Alabama.
September 30th, 2021 at 7:43 PM ^
Time to get a transfer.
September 30th, 2021 at 11:00 PM ^
The money cannon can be shot around by anyone now
October 1st, 2021 at 1:04 AM ^
That sudden rumor about a relative moving to one of the cities being considered was ominous. There's little doubt the move was going to be to the city where the most money is waiting.