The Wolverine

October 2011

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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������ basketball recruiting Michigan Moving Up For Five-Star Mitch McGary C By Chris Balas oaches lined up recently to get in the gym at Wolfeboro (N.H.) Brewster Academy, and there were many prospects worth watching. Michigan head coach John Beilein, though, made one a priority ��� 6-10 power forward Mitch McGary, Rivals.com���s No.�� 3 senior nationally and No.��1 player at his position. He wasn���t the only one. It���s been an interesting ride for McGary, a former teammate of U-M senior captain Zack Novak at Chesterton (Ind.) High. He initially committed to Purdue during his sophomore year before opening his recruitment back up. He then transformed his body while at Brewster to go from borderline top-100 prospect to dominant big man, shining for coach Wayne Brumm���s SYF Players AAU program alongside U-M 2012 pledge Glenn Robinson III (6-6, 205, Rivals.com���s No.��34 player nationally). Now, everyone ��� Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and more in addition to the Wolverines ��� has the senior on their wish list. McGary enjoyed a great visit to Michigan on the Sept. 3 weekend for the football team���s opener with Western Michigan and was seen celebrating U-M���s success with Novak in the stands. Later that week, he visited Duke and North Carolina, after which CBSSports.com dropped somewhat of a bombshell. ���McGary didn���t deny the fact that his parents favor Duke, while his summer coach with the SYF team, Wayne Brumm, likes Michigan,��� they wrote. McGary didn���t confirm it, either. ���I���m keeping quiet,��� he said. ���I���m putting it down on paper and seeing what school fits.��� Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, North Carolina���s Roy Williams, Florida���s Billy Donovan and Kentucky���s John Calipari were just a few of the coaches who joined Beilein in the gym to see McGary in September. ���It���s brutal trying to figure it all 74��� the wolverine��� ������ October 2011 McGary, Rivals.com���s No. 1 power forward and No. 3 senior nationally, is being pursued by Michigan, Duke, North Carolina, Kentucky and Florida. photo courtesy rivals.com out, but I know I have great options,��� he noted, adding he might take visits to Florida, Kentucky and Maryland this fall, but wasn���t certain. When McGary initially narrowed his list this summer, some felt Michigan was No. 6 on the six-team list. Two outstanding visits seem to have put the Wolverines in serious contention. McGary visited unofficially in June and left with a great impression of the program. He returned with his family for a Labor Day weekend official, visit toured the campus with his parents and couldn���t have been more impressed. McGary���s father, Tim, reported that he and his wife shared their son���s sentiments. ���It was wonderful,��� Mr. McGary said. ���It couldn���t have gone better. The coaching staff and their wives extended their welcomes to us, and it was great. ���We were overwhelmed. We loved the school and the program. Coach Beilein, that guy is genuine, and my wife was really happy. She got along great with the coaches��� wives.��� McGary spent time with Novak, sophomore Tim Hardaway Jr. and senior Stu Douglass, and had dinner with the entire team and coaching staff one night. He watched film with Beilein and his staff, and was impressed with their vision for him in the offense. ���Coach Beilein surrounds himself with some quality people,��� Mr. McGary said. ���They showed us some video, and they already had it broken down for us. He would be used a lot and get a lot of touches on the ball ��� he would not just be a back-to-thebasket center type of guy. They will use him as a four. ���We know one thing: if he goes there, they are going to look after him like they���d look after their own sons. That���s what every parent is looking for.��� TarHeelIllustrated.com made the trek to Brewster this fall to see McGary at an open gym at the same time college coaches were in attendance. He didn���t disappoint despite showing some rust from an ankle injury that slowed him for the last month of the summer. ���The most impressive thing about McGary, despite his infamous motor of intensity, is his body,��� the website noted. ���He���s got powerful shoulders, a strong upper and lower body, and he uses his physical strength to lock his position inside offensively and prevent his opponent from getting their desired position defensively. ���McGary, a southpaw, is a skilled ball handler from the high post or the wing. Basically, he���s comfortable facing up and attacking the basket off the dribble. He���ll shoot jumpers from mid-range or long range, but appears to be more precise, at this point in his development, from mid-range. ���McGary is a very good rebounder on the offensive and defensive glass and plays with an angry edge when things get physical inside. ��� In terms of effort, sheer intensity and motor, he���s about as solid as they come.��� And a possible early contributor no matter where he goes, they added. McGary shook hands with each coach and media member that came to the practice, introducing himself with, ���Hi, I���m Mitch McGary. Thanks for coming.��� Soon he���ll have to make calls to a few to tell them he won���t be coming. Though there are no guarantees,

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