The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1298950
50 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2020 BASKETBALL RECRUITING forts on the recruiting trail. Martelli, though, said it starts with the man at the top. "I speak for [assistant] Howard [Eisley], myself and Saddi in saying and knowing that Juwan, he is push- ing the sled, too," Martelli explained. "He's not sitting there saying, 'Let me be a closer.' He's knocking on doors, making the first connections with people. "He's just been impressive — very impressive." Those closest to him say he's also genuine and without ego, willing to take advice and listen to the guys who have been fighting the battle on the recruiting trail for years. Wash- ington, too, has been around the pro- gram for a long time and proven his worth, while Eisley is well-respected. Martelli, of course, did it for years as a head man himself before joining Howard in Ann Arbor, and he has plenty of wisdom to impart. "The guys who are out there look- ing for something … you just decide you don't want to deal with that and just take them out of your Rolodex," he said. "We spend time talking to kids and their families and making sure there's a connection. "We don't want anybody at our ta- ble saying, 'I don't really know those guys.' You might have somebody say, 'I don't really like them,' and that's fine. But to not have an opinion … if that's the case, shame on us." But it never is, and that's one of the reasons Howard and his staff have been so successful. The kids they're landing are similar to those Beilein brought in — in a number of ways. They're talented, but have also been respectful and astute in The Wolver- ine's conversations with them despite constantly being bombarded with texts and phone calls from so many in the profession. Hearing that did not at all surprise Martelli. "You are right on about the beauty in these kids," he said. "And when you talk about Jace and [Howard's other children], they have a beautiful spirit. So do Juwan and [wife] Jenine. "It doesn't matter how much money they have, the possessions they have, the titles they have. They're good people, and they're raising their sons to be extraordinary young men." It's not a coincidence that many of the kids they've brought in have many of the same characteristics, he continued. "I can talk about all those guys the same way," Martelli said. "Some kids just go to a school because that was the biggest school that offered them, or they have all these reasons. All these freshmen want to be at Michi- gan, and all of them wanted to play for Juwan. I think that bodes well for future success. "We're not riding a roller coaster with them, like, 'Coach, you sweet talked me the whole time; now you're on me about my defense.' No. We're going to coach you the way we recruited you, recruit you the way we coached you, and they know it." They seem to appreciate it, too, which is half the battle when it comes • Henderson (Nev.) Coronado four-star point guard and U-M commit Frankie Collins will be playing alongside one of the best players in the nation this winter in five-star shooting guard Jaden Hardy. The 6-4 Hardy is listed No. 5 in the class of 2021 by Rivals.com, and the two will team up on a Coronado club viewed by many as the favorites to win a state title. The Las Vegas basketball scene (Vegas is just a 22-minute drive from Hender- son) produces plenty of outstanding high school basketball talent on a yearly basis, thanks in large part to power- houses like Findlay Prep (also in Hen- derson) and Las Vegas Bishop Gorman. Coronado's gauntlet of a schedule will give Collins and Hardy a battle-tested résumé during their final year on the high school level. "I'm buddies with Coach [Jeff ] Kauff- man at Coronado, and he raves about Frankie," said Henderson Basic Academy head coach Leonard Taylor, a head coach on the Las Vegas scene since the 1990s. "He says Frankie is a tough, tough kid. He was actually at Clark High School last year, and the old coach ended up leaving. That dynasty wound up falling apart a little bit. "I think Coronado is the favorite to win the state championship, though Bishop Gorman will be right there again, too. They were the ones who knocked us out of the playoffs last year. Coronado is loaded and will be better than Bishop Gorman on paper." Las Vegas hasn't exactly been a hotbed for Michigan recruiting throughout its history, but Taylor shared what he heard as to why U-M won Collins over. "It's all Juwan Howard and the incred- ible job he's doing there so far," Taylor said. "He relates with the kids. Who wouldn't want to play for him? " The Fab Five was one of the most famed college teams ever. You always hear about Chris Webber, but you could make the case Juwan was the most suc- cessful of them all. Even during his later years in the pros, his salary was through the roof and he was in the NBA forever." • Four-star Charles Bediako, a 6-10, 220-pound center, included the Wolver- ines among his top five, released Oct. 10. The nation's No. 25 overall prospect in the 2021 class currently plays at Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy and also has Alabama, Duke, Ohio State and Texas in contention. • Former Michigan point guard target and five-star J.D. Davison of Letohatchee (Ala.) Calhoun chose Alabama over U-M, Auburn and others. — Chris Balas Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star cen- ter Charles Bediako, the nation's No. 25 overall prospect, recently put U-M in his top five. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Class Of 2021 Notes