The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2018 THE WOLVERINE 51 BASKETBALL RECRUITING R.J. Hampton 6-4 • 170 • PG Little Elm (Texas) High Rivals.com No. 4 Junior Nationally Hampton is one of the elite pros- pects in his class. Michigan fans are excited about him because he's teammates and friends with pledge Jalen Wilson of Denton, Texas, but he's gone on record as saying he doesn't like cold weather. He might be a tough pull, and some close to it believe he stays in the South. Hampton's father told the Ken- tucky Rivals site that Kentucky, Kansas, Memphis, Duke, Texas and Michigan were recruiting his son hardest. They visited Memphis Sept. 13 and will see Kansas Sept. 28 and Kentucky Oct. 12. Dayten Holman 6-5 • 180 • SG Phoenix Bella Vista Prep Rivals.com No. 76 Junior Nationally Holman has begun to pick up high-major offers and has already visited Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. Tulsa was the first to offer, and Houston and Michigan have been involved. "Having Michigan interested means a lot. They have a lot of faith in me to recruit me throughout this whole process," he said. "They just want to see me play defense well, get better with my shot and rebound the ball." From Rivals.com: "Standing over 6-4 and with tremendous poise and pace in the backcourt, the upside with Holman is beyond intriguing. While he is not a tremendous athlete, he is a more than solid playmaker, facilitator and decision maker." Holman took a recent unofficial visit to Arizona. U-M coaches went to his school and watched him in early September. Dawson Garcia 6-10 • 200 • PF Savage (Minn.) Prior Lake Rivals.com No. 43 Junior Nationally Garcia would be a great fit in the Michigan offense, and he knows it. Texas, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Xavier are among those who have gotten an early start with him. From Rivals.com this summer: "A true modern big man who can shoot with range, put the ball on the floor and run for days in transition, Garcia is off to a great start. He's drawn of- fers from the likes of Texas, Baylor, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Butler and Marquette, and more will be coming soon. "He's in no rush to make any kind of decision, and there's a good chance that he sees the best of the best in col- lege basketball get involved." Michigan is very interested and will likely try to get him on campus. Zach Loveday 6-10 • 215 • C Gallipolis (Ohio) Gallia Academy Rivals.com No. 71 Junior Nationally Loveday visited Purdue, his first offer, in late August. Baylor, Florida and Gonzaga are potential visit des- tinations this fall. From Rivals.com's Evans: "Stand- ing close to 7-foot, Loveday can score out to the three-point line, convert over either shoulder in the post and has a solid feel for the game in play- ing within high-low sets." Ohio State, Louisville, George Washington and Stanford have of- fered Loveday. Michigan is very in- terested, and it's mutual. "I really like them. Coach Beilein is a great guy. I liked the way that they played with Moritz Wagner. I got the chance to watch them play a lot. I re- ally like the way that they used him and their bigs. "I have been there before. I re- ally like the campus. It is great with basketball and football, the two big things up there." Jaden Walker 6-4 • 165 • PG Lawrenceville (Ga.) Discovery High Rivals.com No. 107 Junior Nationally Walker visited Georgia Tech in June and holds an offer, but he's be- coming a national recruit. From Rivals.com: "It's his ability to run the team as a point guard along with his ability to score playing off the ball that has coaches really in- trigued. With his length and athleti- cism, he could become a high level defender if he commits to it. "A work in progress, but one to watch, he has interest in Florida State, Michigan, Syracuse, Duke, Kentucky and North Carolina." Caleb Love 6-2 • 175 • PG St. Louis Christian Brothers Rivals.com No. 41 Junior Nationally Love's offer list includes Indiana, Louisville, Illinois, Kansas State, Mis- souri, Xavier, Florida, Butler, Creigh- ton, Iowa, Texas and others, and Michigan is extremely interested. The U-M coaches have watched him at his school. He was Rivals.com's 'top stock booster' at the Nike Elite 100 Camp for underclassmen this summer. From Rivals.com: "Holding his city down is what Love set out to do. That objective was clearly met as no one bettered their national standing more than the local product. "Confidence never wavers with Love, nor does his scoring approach. He does have to become a more con- sistent perimeter shooter, but when it comes to putting the ball on the floor and getting to the basket, not only can Love do that but he can also finish. "He is more of an undersized scorer, but he combines an entertaining play- ing style, the willingness to compete on both ends and a massive scoring punch. He should see his regional of- fers from Kansas State, Missouri and Illinois take a massive leap." They were right. ❏ On The Web For regular reports on Michigan basketball recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com. Michigan is extremely interested in St. Louis Christian Brothers point guard Caleb Love, who was tabbed by Rivals.com as the "top stock booster" at the Nike Elite 100 Camp for underclassmen this summer. PHOTO COURTESY MADEHOOPS