The Wolverine

June-July 2013 - Wolverine

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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2013 basketball recruiting issue Point Guard Derryck Thornton Jr. Among Those Heading 2016 Watch List Michigan coaches have already made inroads with some outstanding rising sophomores, with one — Henderson (Nev.) Findlay Prep point guard Derryck Thornton Jr. — listing the Wolverines among his favorites. Thornton's father, Derryck Sr., played for assistant Jeff Meyer when Meyer was head coach at Liberty in the 1990s. Thornton remembered him as a man of integrity, something as important as anything in choosing where to send his son. "Watching what they've done with their point guards helps, too," he said. "Everyone can talk about Trey Burke and should, but Darius Morris was in the [NBA] playoffs and he's playing substantial minutes. "Then you watch what Coach Beilein did with Trey. I'd get on the phone with Coach Meyer and he'd say, 'Look at what we're running for Trey.' They're putting the ball in his hands and they have plays for him, but they let him be really creative, too. It always helps that he had the National Player of the Year playing the position. They run some good stuff for the point guard. "One of the best things about Beilein, though, is he lets them play through their mistakes while he coaches them up. Beilein to me, when you watch him on the sidelines, he's always calm. Other coaches it's, 'Oh my God!'They're going absolutely haywire. As a parent, watching the guy let them ride this thing out — it's beautiful to see." Three other high profile freshmen to watch on what's sure to be an expanding list: • Josh Jackson, SF, Detroit Consortium: Jackson was named MLive.com's Metro Detroit Freshman of the Year, after averaging 17 points, six rebounds, four assists and four blocks per game. Ohio State, Kansas, Oregon, Florida State, Memphis and Texas A&M have offered, and U-M will likely join them next year. "There is nothing he can't do," Dorian's Pride AAU coach Paul Carmona said. "He can post up, he can shoot it and he can dribble. He can guard almost every spot on the floor. He's really a complete player." • Cassius Winston, PG, Detroit U-D Jesuit: A versatile point guard, Winston holds offers from UMass, Iowa State and Colorado, and lists Michigan, Michigan State, Georgetown, Xavier, Ohio State and Iowa as other schools showing significant interest. He has developed a relationship with U-M assistant Bacari Alexander and has the Wolverines and Michigan State among his early leaders. Michigan's point guard heavy offense puts the Wolverines in good, early position. • Justin Jackson, Eastern Commerce High in Ontario, Canada: Jackson is 6-7 and plays like former Michigan State great Magic Johnson, his idol. His playmaking and passing ability are the strengths of his game — he boasts great vision to go with excellent size and strength. Michigan and Illinois are the two schools that were in on him the earliest, and U-M figures to be a player.

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