The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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OCTOBER 2021 THE WOLVERINE 59 BASKETBALL RECRUITING said. "He's a dominant force in the paint at 6-foot-10, with great athleticism, strong hands and soft touch around the rim." He wasn't at his best at the NBA Play- ers' Association Top 100 Camp, but few were. Many were dragging after the long summer on the AAU circuit, and Udeh was among them. "In the reps he had, he did what he does," Rivals.com's Jamie Shaw said. "He's not doing anything outside of 10 feet, not switching ball screens and moving his feet, but he's a good shot blocker, a good rebounder and finishes viciously around the rim." He's also open between his final 10, ProInsight.com's Andrew Slater said after speaking with people in the know. Given Juwan Howard's work with big men, it appears U-M will have a shot. YOHAN TRAORE 6-11 • 227 • PF Glendale (Ariz.) Dream City Christian Rivals.com's No. 4 senior nationally Traore came out of nowhere in the last year to move from outside the top 150 to No. 4 nationally. He has a final 10 of Oklahoma State, Memphis, Louisville, Tennessee, Texas Tech, LSU, UCLA, Michigan, Utah and the NBL (Australian professional league), and he's been hard to pin down for interviews. "This is a tough one because visits are going to determine so much in his recruitment," said Rob Cassidy of Rivals.com. "I'll use a bit of a cop out on this front and go with either Texas or UCLA. I'm not confident enough to put in an official pick for either school just yet, but based on past conversations, those two pro- grams seem like the most logical guesses. "I'll give the slight edge to the Bruins if I have to choose right now. Could all this change after he takes additional trips? Of course. But that's where my head is for now." Traore has a 'Giannis Antetok- ounmpo' type of game, per ana- lysts, and is so skilled he's almost a sure bet as a one-and-done. Michigan will host him on a Sept. 24 official ac- cording to reports. "Taking the opportunity of going pro out of this one, I'd put some money on Texas coming out on top here," McDon- ald said. "The Longhorns were one of the first high-major offers from the five-star post player and it's really hard to count out Chris Beard and his staff in any recruitment right now. This will likely be one of the more fascinating recruitments in the 2022 class." ERIC DAILEY JR. 6-7 • 220 • PF Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy Rivals.com's No. 38 senior nationally U-M has ties and an 'in' here given Dailey plays with head coach Juwan Howard's son Jett, but it's tough to get a read on his next move, or how the Wol- verines see him in their potential plans. He does like Michigan, but many believe he could play overseas rather than at- tend college. His dad played for a long time in Europe and has ties there. "I've known Coach Howard for a while now," Dailey said in June, at which point he mentioned being recruited by Virginia Tech, Dayton, Miami and "a little bit by Florida." "I've actually known Jett since ele- mentary school. That connection right there is pretty good," he continued. "Coach Howard is a good coach, and he's been where I'm trying to go. That's a plus. He's like family. We talk more about life lessons. He actually cares about me as a person." While Dailey is listed as a power for- ward, Howard has talked to him about playing more of a wing role in his NBA- style offense. "He said I would play wing," Dailey said. "He said I would be able to play freely, push the ball up the floor and come off pick and rolls. He would let me play my game within the offense, which is something I want to do." TY RODGERS 6-5 • 175 • SF Grand Blanc (Mich.) High Rivals.com's No. 66 senior nationally Rodgers moved up 16 spots in the rankings after a solid summer. His energy on the court is one thing that stands out, but he's not much of a shooter. U-M has other options and players in the fold at his position, and it seems as if the Wolverines have cooled a bit — and that he could be waiting until Jett Howard decides before making a decision, too. Michigan State, once down on his list, and UConn were two of the schools on him hardest this summer. Houston is also a possible destination. "Rogers comes equipped with a good motor and notable athleticism, but he's a hard-nosed, willing rebounder as well," Cassidy said while calling him "underrated" at the Peach Jam. "In the semifinal, he showcased his full range of skill taking defenders off the dribble bounce to the tune of 14 points on 6-of- 12 shooting and grabbed 12 boards in a semifinal loss. Rogers has had an im- pressive summer." ❏ On The Web For regular reports on Michigan basketball recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com. Five- star Yohan Traore went from outside the Rivals150 to No. 4 in the country over the last year, and has Michigan on his top-10 list. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM