The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2020 THE WOLVERINE 61 BASKETBALL RECRUITING He reiterated that stance Jan. 10, several days before Christopher 's scheduled visit to Arizona State, where his brother plays. "I don't see it ending soon. I expect him to take things out for a while," Evans said. "He'll take a couple more visits. It's still relatively early, and anything can happen in the next two or three months. "But Michigan is in the best shape, for sure. They did a great job with the visit, and they've been following Michigan … how they're doing well, their recruiting success. The guys committed there and headed there have done a really good job recruit- ing Josh. He likes the idea of Michi- gan being a national entity, all the attention Juwan has created there." As for Todd (6-10, No. 10) — the five-star out of Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God Academy — one source be- lieves his overseas options (Aus- tralia, specifically) might be more limited than Todd and his people en- visioned. Still, there are other options that could still emerge overseas, as well as (potentially) the G-League. Whether that means he'll play at Michigan remains to be seen, but it's clear the school is treating him as un- decided. They Wolverines are slated to host five-star Greg Brown (6-8, No. 7) of Austin (Texas) Vandegrift the week- end of Feb. 7. He's an elite bucket-get- ter, but U-M has ground to make up. "I'd be very, very surprised if he ended up at Michigan," Evans said. "Those close to him said North Caro- lina didn't do a good job recruiting him the last few months so they said, 'Why not give Michigan a look?' They're playing catch-up, though." In fact, Memphis now looks like it could steal him from home state Texas, once considered the strong fa- vorite. Still, Michigan will have its shot to change his mind with a strong visit in early February. All in all, it's been an extremely productive month for Howard and his staff. CLASS OF 2021 IN-STATE PROSPECT PICKS UP U-M OFFER Michigan head coach Juwan How- ard offered a handful of 2021 recruits in his first several weeks on the job, wasting little time in identifying and targeting some of the top junior pros- pects nationally. Though he's still working on adding to his elite 2020 class, Howard is also targeting more underclassmen. He recently offered 6-5 Detroit Fredrick Douglass Acad- emy wing Pierre Brooks, a frequent Michigan camper in his backyard. Former Michigan head coach John Beilein had Brooks, Rivals.com's No. 109 junior nationally and a four- star prospect, on his radar for the last few years, and assistant coach Saddi Washington helped bridge the gap between the Beilein and Howard eras. "Michigan has taken an interest in me since my eighth-grade year going into ninth grade," Brooks said. "I re- mained in contact with Coach Saddi when Coach Beilein left." Since then, the interest has only elevated. Brooks has kept a close eye on what the Wolverines have done since Howard's arrival, and like most, Brooks is extremely familiar with the Michigan coach's accom- plishments. "He's a legend," Brooks said. "He's a good guy, and I like what he's do- ing with the guys in his program. He's not only teaching them about basketball, he is preparing them for life after basketball as well. I'm sure people are surprised by the great job he's doing at Michigan thus far." He also likes the faster pace of play Howard has brought to Michigan program, believing it suits him. "They run an up-tempo game, and that's the style of play I like," he said. "I would describe my game as an all- around player. I can shoot, post and facilitate for my teammates." Brooks noted he communicates with Howard often, adding he's planning on getting back to campus in the near future. "I definitely plan on visiting, but I haven't set a date yet," he said. "I'm excited about the offer and want to continue to see the growth of the pro- gram under Coach Howard and his staff." Brooks admitted he's been a fan of both Michigan and Michigan State growing up, but he was quick to add he was in no hurry to decide. He was just as adamant that rumors of him being an MSU-lean were false. "Not really," Brooks said when asked if the Wolverines were play- ing from behind in his recruitment. "I know they've been working on getting their 2020 recruits locked in." Brooks joins five-stars Max Christie (6-5, No. 16) of Rolling Meadows (Ill.) High, Jonathan Kuminga (6-8, No. 1) of Elizabeth (N.J.) The Patrick School and Kennedy Chandler (6-0, 165) of Eads (Tenn.) Briarcrest Christian on U-M's list of junior offerees. ❑ New U-M offeree Pierre Brooks, of Detroit Frederick Douglass, is rated as the No. 21 small forward and No. 109 overall prospect in the class of 2021 by Rivals.com. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM On The Web For regular reports on Michigan basketball recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com.