The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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64 THE WOLVERINE NOVEMBER 2021 BASKETBALL RECRUITING them doesn't take just one phone call," Howard said. "Spending time watching them play, high school and AAU, getting to know the parents, the background, what makes them tick in a lot of ways … we're really good at identifying what fits our culture." The culture fit goes beyond the sim- ple "can you play?" The coach looks for growth mindset and a team-first buy- in. It starts with recruiting character, and of course there's an academic com- ponent that must be met at Michigan as well. Through two classes, Howard's been able to strike the perfect balance, just like his predecessor. The program ap- pears to be on solid ground for years to come as a result. SEVERAL 2023 OFFERS HAVE BEEN EXTENDED Juwan Howard and Michigan are al- ready well on their way toward identi- fying future Wolverines. Here's a quick look at the 2023 offerees: • SF Mackenzie Mgbako, 6-8, Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard, Ri- vals.com's No. 3 junior nationally: "Mgbako owns a quick-release pull-up jumper, and [has the] ability to get to the rim using a rare blend of quickness and strength," Rivals.com's Rob Cassidy reported. "He has the potential to be a matchup nightmare at the next level." He enjoyed a great visit to Kentucky recently, but others are on tap — includ- ing Michigan. "I have Memphis at the end of the month, and then I'm looking to go to Michigan in early November," he said. "Then I have one more college I need to discuss with my parents." • PF J.J. Taylor, 6-7, Chicago Ken- wood, No. 5: Kentucky seems to be in solid shape early — he's already visited a few times — but U-M has offered along with Duke, Illinois, North Carolina and others. "Everybody kind of falls in love with the potential there," Rivals.com's Jamie Shaw said. "He's got the length. He de- fends. He's a nightmare on the perimeter because of his length. He can shoot it. He's a freak athlete, too." • PF Omaha Biliew, 6-8, Branson (Mo.) Link Year, No. 7: Biliew attends the same school as 2022 U-M pledge Tarris Reed. Kansas, Iowa State and many others have offered. "Offensively, Biliew can line up at multiple spots on the floor," Shaw said. "He has good floor vision both in the half court and when pushing the break. As he continues to develop his jump shot, the sky's the limit with his poten- tial." • SG Kylan Boswell, 6-2, Chandler (Ariz.) Compass Prep, No. 9: Boswell has visited Illinois, Arizona, USC, UCLA and San Diego State, and he hopes to schedule more soon. U-M will need to get him on campus to have a shot. "I'm looking for a college that wants to win as much as I do, looking for a coach that understands I want to play in the NBA and can help me get ready," he said. • SF Matas Buzelis, 6-8, Wolfe- boro (N.H.) Brewster Academy, No. 27: Buzelis took unofficial visits this summer to DePaul, Kansas, Providence, Purdue and UConn. He also took offi- cials to Wake Forest and Florida State. "The 6-8 wing has the length of a slasher but also shoots the ball from dis- tance and can function as a facilitator," Cassidy reported. "The main thing is just that it's big- ger than basketball for me," Buzelis said. "It's having a relationship with the coaching staff, and even if basketball doesn't work out, I have somebody to lean on, and they have my back." • PG Jeremy Fears, 6-0, LaPorte (Ind.) La Lumiere, No. 41: "Fears is a tremendous passer and is very creative with how he delivers his passes," Indiana Rivals reported this summer. "His vision is great, and you can clearly see why he is a top point guard prospect in the 2023 class." He's visited Indiana a number of times, and the Hoosiers seem to be in good shape. Memphis, MSU, Illinois, Kansas, UConn, Missouri and IU join U-M in his top eight. "I like Coach Howard," Fears told Tipton Edits. "He has a lot of talent all around and he gets a lot of good guards, good wings and good bigs. They're just a winning program." • SF Sean Stewart, 6-7, Orlando (Fla.) Windermere, No. 58: "The 6-7 forward gets up and down the court and never seems to tire," Cassidy said this summer. "He also brings a smooth mid- range jumper to the table and plays tena- cious defense." Arizona State, Alabama, Maryland and others join U-M on his list. He's looking for "a system that plays fast, be- cause I like to run fast. I just want a place that gets up and down and lets the bigs get involved in the offense." • PG Gabe Cupps, 6-2, Centerville (Ohio) High, No. 141: Cupps visited Michigan in early September, proving he was serious about the Wolverines. He's been to Indiana a number of times, however, and the Hoosiers seem to be in a good position. From Indiana Rivals: "Cupps helped lead Centerville to a state champion- ship last year. He averaged 15.2 points, 4.9 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 35 percent from three and 82 percent from the free throw line. He also played up with the 17U Midwest Basket- ball Club AAU program. "While he wants to see some of the regular season before making a decision, Cupps is also willing to make that call whenever it feels right." • C Cyr Malonga, 6-11, Louisville (Ky.) Evangel Christian, not ranked: Malonga is from the Congo and has been playing basketball for only a few years. Illinois, Notre Dame, Georgetown, Georgia and others have offered, in ad- dition to U-M. He's intriguing in that he could pos- sibly be a 2022 recruit. "Michigan, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Virginia, Western Kentucky, and they're still coming. Notre Dame called yester- day," his mentor, Brandon Bender, said. "He's taken an unofficial to Memphis and Kentucky. Everybody is intrigued because he is a great academic student who has the option of going 2022 if he wants. "He has tremendous athleticism. He can block shots, and his timing has improved very much. Offensively, he's coming around. He gets a bunch of tip dunks and finishes around the rim. His game is evolving." ❏ On The Web For regular reports on Michigan basketball recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com.