The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1222671
APRIL 2020 THE WOLVERINE 63 BASKETBALL RECRUITING it, watching the Fab Five and rooting for them back in the day. His son also is familiar with it, thanks to ESPN's 30 For 30 documentary. All the Fab Five talk continues 30 years later — it's part of Howard's DNA, and he embraces it. Beyond the glitz, though, is a guy who is proving himself as a head coach. The Wolverines got off to a great start and battled through inju- ries to freshman Franz Wagner, plus juniors Isaiah Livers and Eli Brooks, to become a lock for this year 's NCAA Tournament before the post- season was canceled. Watching the fans react to Howard when they were on campus this win- ter and seeing how the squad played under its first-year coach were selling points for both Christophers. "Just the freedom of how they play, they're able to get up and down," Laron Christopher said. "Any time you have pro coaches and pro sets, if that's where you're aspiring to be, it makes more it more conducive to be able to adapt into that environment. "People know, and it's out there, that Josh isn't going to be in college for a very long time. You want him to be in a situation that can get you better in the time you should while you're there." Playing with other talented kids is a huge selling point, and the Chris- tophers have taken notice of the class Howard has already secured in Montverde (Fla.) Academy's Jack- son (6-3, No. 76), his son Jace, Wash- ington (D.C.) Gonzaga's Williams (6-6, No. 100), Hyattsville (Md.) De- Matha's Dickinson (7-1, No. 34) and possibly Todd. "That's critical. One of the No. 1 questions the NBA [brass] asks is, is this kid a winner?" Laron Christo- pher said. "Look at the NBA the past 20 years — eight teams have won. It's a popular question they ask the high school coaches, AAU coaches …" And soon, they'll judge Christo- pher on his collegiate experience. He has hinted the announcement could come April 13, but his father shot that down in early March. Rivals.com national recruiting ana- lyst Eric Bossi is among those who saw plenty of Christopher, who aver- aged 29.4 points per game as a senior. "Josh Christopher isn't just a tre- mendous basketball player, he's as savvy as they come in the social media world," Bossi reported. "The big-time scorer at Lakewood (Calif.) Mayfair isn't just a McDonald's All- American, he's as much of an influ- encer on Twitter and Instagram as a high school basketball player can be. "Recently, his posts have led to speculation that he's set a decision date for April 13. I called Christo- pher 's father, Laron, to see if that date was when his son would be announcing. "'No, there's no date set,'" the el- der Christopher told me. "The most specific that Mr. Chris- topher could get about a decision date was that it was 'coming soon.' He has seen all of [his finalists]. If he wanted to use them, Christopher also has two official visits remaining. "However, considering the college season is ending and Christopher [was] slated to play in four All-Star type games — Hoop Summit, Iver- son Classic, Jordan Brand Classic and the McDonald's All-American Game — between late March and late April, finding time to take any additional visits may be tough." It would be impossible now, of course, given the events that have transpired. Nothing else, however, has changed in Christopher's recruitment. "For the past few weeks, both colleague Corey Evans and I have pegged Michigan as the team to beat," Bossi added. "But I couldn't say I feel like that's a stone-cold lock to happen, and I wouldn't be sur- prised if Christopher — who has made it a habit of breaking his own news about visits, school list, etc. — comes up with something unique when he commits." His father told The Wolverine the decision is "totally on him." "He's a different kid, embraces being different," Laron Christopher said. "I'm just kind of glad … he's out here with all of these offers, now it's down to a couple. Now it's on you and not them. In ninth and 10th grade you're looking for offers. "Now offers are looking for you, and people are waiting to see what he does. That's kind of cool to me. Everybody wants offers, but it's ulti- mately where do you want to go, not where everyone else wants you to go. "If you have a chance to make that choice for yourself … he's in this situation where he can choose. He's blessed." Blessed in many ways, with talent and a support system around him that's helped him navigate the re- cruiting waters. Through it all, his father 's advice hasn't changed. "You don't have to rush into any- thing," he said. "Most times when you rush, you make mistakes. I've said this over and over — it's better to measure 10 times and cut once. Ultimately, it's basketball, but it's also education and people you'll be connected to for the rest of your life." TERRANCE WILLIAMS FOUND A HOME IN ANN ARBOR Michigan pledge Terrance Williams of Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga ini- tially committed to Georgetown, but he was never fully comfortable with his decision. When he decommitted from the Hoyas, many believed U-M would be one of the first schools he'd consider. They were right. Not only did Wil- liams immediately schedule a trip to Ann Arbor, it would be his only visit. He quickly bonded with Michigan head coach Juwan Howard. "I first started talking to him af- ter Peach Jam, literally like the day after," said Williams, Rivals.com's No. 100 senior nationally. "We were on our way back home when he first made the phone call and officially offered me. That's when our relation- ship really started." His relationship with U-M, though, really started earlier. "Coach [Phil] Martelli … as soon as he went to Michigan, I was one of the first people he contacted," Williams recalled. "I was at the Top 100 camp, so they both came to see me there. That's when Michigan really started picking it up." Williams had seen ESPN's 30 For 30 documentary on the Fab Five fea- turing Howard a few years earlier and was anxious to get to know U- M's first-year coach better. He was impressed from the get-go. "I like his personality," he said. "He's a very outgoing person. When I was up there, I really felt like he cared about the team, everybody on it and especially the players. He was always checking on them, always asking them how they were doing. "That's one thing I liked about Coach Howard. He was very interac- tive with his players, really outgoing."