The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2021 THE WOLVERINE 65 BASKETBALL RECRUITING Poole, they were bringing the ball up sometimes in transition, so that's right up my alley. I like that a lot. You lock in on defense." It's a great school to help him get to the next level, he added, regardless of who is there. Should all go how most believe it will, he'll begin that quest in Ann Arbor next summer. WOLVERINES AIMING FOR FOUR IN 2022? With point guard Dug McDaniel already in the fold, head coach Juwan Howard and Co. are concentrating on wings and big men to fill out the rest of their class. It's highly unlikely they'd take another ball handler, especially with as well as the 5-10 McDaniel has played this summer. The Fairfax (Va.) Paul VI standout was one of Rivals.com analyst Rob Cassidy's top five stock risers of the summer as of July 22. "Some Michigan fans scratched their heads when the Wolverines landed McDaniel and not fellow point guard Seth Trimble [a four-star North Carolina pledge ranked No. 34 nationally], for whom the Wolver- ines long seemed to lead," he noted. "This summer has made it clear that the gap between the two prospects is smaller than some once thought. "McDaniel lacks elite size at just 5-9, and while that holds him back, he's made the case to climb sig- nificantly in the next update [from No. 75 nationally]. His quickness has always been his calling card, but his jumper has come a long way in the past few months, as well. "McDaniel has slid a bit in past rankings because his limited size is difficult to overcome, but it's hard to argue with the progress he's made and the results this summer." Two Michigan 2022 big man targets recently came off the board. Jalen Duren, the nation's top player out of Montverde (Fla.) Academy released a top five of Kentucky, Memphis, Mi- ami, the NBA G League Ignite and the Australian NBL. Most believe he'll opt for one of the professional routes. Bristol (Conn.) Central 7-1 cen- ter Donovan Clingan, Rivals.com's No. 44 prospect nationally, opted for Connecticut over Michigan, Ohio State and others. McDaniel will sign in the fall, and if Tarris Reed and Jett Howard join him, U-M coaches can be very picky with their last scholarship. A few at the top of the wish list: KYLE FILIPOWSKI 6-10 • 230 • PF Wilbraham (Mass.) Wilbraham & Monson Academy Now in the conversation as the na- tion's top 2022 prospect, Filipowski — Rivals.com's No. 48 senior nation- ally — continues to play outstanding basketball. Though he's got several ties to Duke, Kentucky recently of- fered and he's said he'd like to take a visit to Michigan. Syracuse, Ohio State, Indiana, Duke and Connecticut got visits in June. New York Rens AAU director Andy Borman provided some in- sight. "The thing with Kyle is that there are not a lot of people on the con- tinent that are kind of built to do what he can do," he told Kentucky's Rivals site CatsIllustrated.com. "He's a true 6-11. He can play inside and out. He can handle the ball. He can pass the ball, and he can shoot the ball. "The best word to describe him is that he is just a playmaker. He's got a really high basketball IQ, so he's constantly making the right reads. A lot of guys who can do that are 6-2, 6-3, 6-4, and not necessarily 6-11. So he's just a unique kid." Michigan is playing catch-up here, primarily to Duke. "I think he'll be an early signing period kid," coach Mike Mannix of Monson Academy said. "I think there is a good chance he signs his Letter of Intent in November and makes up his mind before that with a verbal commitment." But there should be official visits in the fall, including one to U-M. Still, our money is on Duke. ERNEST UDEH JR. 6-10 • 232 • C Orlando (Fla.) Dr. Phillips Currently rated as a three-star re- cruit, Udeh — Rivals.com's No. 115 senior nationally — is another due for a huge move after an outstanding spring and summer. Juwan Howard noticed and offered him a scholar- ship after seeing him play. "At the top would be my confi- dence and aggression," he said of where he's improved. "Everyone is seeing me expand my game and de- velop my game — everyone is talk- ing about that — but in reality, I al- ways did what I do now in workouts and in practice. "The problem was with me just not being confident enough to do it in a game." He doesn't plan on taking any vis- its until fall. "After the live period I'll do all my research and whatnot, then narrow down my list," Udeh said. "I really haven't sat down and taken the time to look at my options. "I'll be doing that this upcoming fall." Alabama, UCLA, much of the Big Ten, as well as several others, have offered. While he likes Howard and has bonded with him, this one re- mains wide open, and U-M could well have its big man in the class by the time he decides. ❑ Kentucky and Duke are among the programs recruiting four- star power forward Kyle Filipowski, and Michigan appears to be in position to host him for an official visit in the fall. 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.