The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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50 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2018 BASKETBALL RECRUITING tinues to grow. One — five-star Cade Cunningham of Montverde (Fla.) Academy — is "one of the most well- rounded prospects in the country," according to Rivals.com's Evans. Cunningham already holds a Kan- sas offer and is interested in Duke, Virginia, Texas (he grew up a fan) and others. The 6-7, 215-pounder is Rivals. com's No. 15 junior prospect nation- ally. His older brother played at SMU. Though he doesn't like to talk re- cruiting, Cunningham did have great things to say about Michigan this summer. "Coach Beilein is a fantastic coach. He develops all of his players," Cun- ningham said. "It is amazing. It is a blessing to have them on me. I am obviously interested in everybody recruiting me, but he is a great coach, and we will see how it goes." Cunningham hails from Texas and has developed a relationship with Shaka Smart, the Longhorns' head coach. Another 2020 on the radar is an up and comer. Jayden Stone of Birming- ham (Ala.) Sacred Heart Catholic is a 6-3, 170-pound, three-star combo guard now, but he's likely to get a sig- nificant bump after a summer in which he stood out and earned offers from Georgetown, Kansas State and others, plus interest from the likes of North Carolina, Purdue and Michigan. Stone, an Australian-American, earned notice on the April adidas circuit playing with Team Carroll. He told Rivals.com that North Carolina, Michigan, Auburn, Iowa State and Vanderbilt are the schools that con- tact him most frequently. "They are just telling that they are going to be down to see me work out soon and that they are really inter- ested in me," he said of Michigan. "They are a great program with great history, and it is just great to be in touch with them. "I just want to be the best player that I can be, and I feel like their pro- gram elevates their players to get to the next level." Stone has two visits in mind, though he doesn't have dates set. "I am not sure yet about any visits, but I want to go to Michigan soon," he said. "I will probably be at UNC for Late Night with Roy in a few weeks, too." From Rivals.com: "The definition of a versatile guard that can score, think the game, make others better and defend his position, Stone is well worth the attention that he is receiv- ing. Look for more programs to jump into the mix for the Aussie guard in the coming weeks and months. "While his recruitment is just be- ginning, things could change quickly if Michigan or North Carolina extend an offer." MORE 2020 RECRUITS INTERESTED IN MICHIGAN Beilein and his staff have already gone one over the 13 allotted scholar- ships in the class of 2019, likely with the expectation that wing Charles Matthews will forego a fifth year to enter the NBA Draft. Center Jon Teske and point guard Zavier Simp- son will graduate before any 2020 targets make their way to Ann Arbor, so there will be spots for at least two prospects if the coaches don't sign any other 2019 recruits in the spring. Here's a look at more of the ris- ing juniors Michigan coaches were watching this summer and where U-M stands with them: Carlos "Scooby" Johnson 6-5 • 200 • SF Benton Harbor (Mich.) High Rivals.com No. 99 Junior Nationally Michigan, West Virginia and Butler were the initial schools to touch base with Johnson June 15, the first day contact was allowed with rising ju- niors. WVU and Missouri are among his offers. Johnson is still working on his shot, but he was on during the Michigan camp and dominated in stretches. He's also a 4.0 student. Johnson av- eraged 6.4 points per game in Nike Elite Youth Basketball League play and made 9 of 19 triples playing up for The Family. "I would say I want to continue to improve on my athleticism around the rim and be more of a defender," he told HoopGroup.com this sum- mer. "The offense is going to come, but I think defending and being more versatile will make me a better player." Cade Cunningham of Montverde (Fla.) Academy — a five-star talent and the No. 15 junior nation- ally according to Rivals.com — already holds an offer from Kansas, and has interest in Duke, Michigan, Texas and Virginia, among others. PHOTO BY JON LOPEZ/COURTESY RIVALS.COM