The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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JANUARY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 59 BASKETBALL RECRUITING Glenn dropped 18 points and 10 re- bounds in Game 1 of the City of Palms Classic, a win over Greensboro Day Dec. 17. Finally, Michigan class of 2024 pledge Christian Anderson (5-8, 140) out of Atlanta Lovett High, is off to an incred- ible start in his sophomore year. The di- minutive but deadly scorer put up 33, 38 and an eye-opening 55 points in his first three games of the season Nov. 20-23. Per MaxPreps.com, Anderson was one of the top three-point produc- ers in the nation heading into Decem- ber (through five games), averaging 31 points per game. He was shooting 45 percent from three-point range (on 57 attempts) and 57 percent from two (on 52 attempts). Anderson then put up 32 points in a 73-41 victory over South Atlanta and hit an incredible 7 of 9 triples (includ- ing three straight in the first quarter) on his way to 38 points in a victory over McNair Dec. 7. Anderson hit three straight triples again on his way to 28 points in a Dec. 12 victory over Atlanta Kipp. JUWAN HOWARD AND STAFF ARE WATCHING 2023 PROSPECTS The Michigan basketball staff's duties extend beyond coaching during the sea- son — they also need to keep recruiting. Head man Juwan Howard has been hit- ting the road between games to watch potential 2023 signees, and his travels took him to Wolfeboro, N.H., Dec. 15 to see five-star forward Matas Buzelis. He checks in as the No. 10 junior na- tionally in the On3 Consensus rankings, which also list him as the country's No. 6 small forward. Duke, Michigan State, North Carolina and Florida State are among his most recent offers, and he took officials to Wake Forest and Florida State in August and September, respectively. "Buzelis is considered one of the most versatile players in the junior class," Kentucky Sports Radio wrote. "At 6-10, he possesses true guard skills and play- making abilities, but has the size and length to guard multiple positions. Bu- zelis is comfortable handling the ball, passing, shooting, and scoring from all three levels." On3.com analyst KJ Smith compared him to Brooklyn Nets standout Kevin Durant. "Durant is the only player in NBA history that we have seen move with such fluidity at this height," he said. "Although Durant is a couple of inches taller than Buzelis, Buzelis is still grow- ing. Just this past summer, he grew two inches. "Buzelis and Durant have similar play styles. They can shoot the ball at a high- level percentage off the catch and shoot or the bounce. Both are unstoppable when they get one-on-one isolation." Buzelis is working on an official visit to Michigan, but Kentucky and Duke are considered his early frontrunners. North Carolina is also reportedly high on his list, while Purdue and DePaul have received unofficial visits. U-M assistant Howard Eisley, mean- while, checked in on Gladstone (N.J.) Gill St. Bernard 2023 prospect MacK- enzie Mgbako Dec. 13. The No. 2 junior nationally per the On3 rankings is truly elite at 6-7, 185 pounds, a wing who can do it all. "Mgbako is arguably the best wing prospect in the class," On3.com's Joe Tipton said. "Competition is stiff for Mgbako … He also holds offers from Duke, Kentucky, Memphis, amongst others. "Mgbako has visited Kentucky, Duke and Ohio State, but Duke might be the early favorite," Tipton added. He played for the NJ Scholars on the Nike EYBL circuit this summer and averaged 17.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting 43 percent from the field. The junior scored a game-high 22 points and had seven rebounds for Gill St. Bernard's, No. 4 in the NJ.com Top 20, in a 70-58 loss to Chicago Whitney Young Dec. 16 in the first round of the City of Palms Classic in Fort Myers, Fla. "Mgbako showcased why he is ar- guably the top player nationally in the 2023 class," Phenom Hoop Report wrote. "The versatile forward can do it all. He has the ability to finish with either hand around the rim. He can create off the bounce and knock down shots off the bounce. He's a threat from the perimeter, knocking down multiple shots from behind the arc. "He's also a mismatch nightmare. Even more importantly, he really gets after it on the defensive end. He plays with a high motor, gets on the floor for 50-50 balls and cleans up the glass." MICHIGAN AMONG FOUR SCHOOLS ELITE 2022 RECRUIT IS FOCUSED ON Michigan continues to watch a few 2022 prospects, though the Wolverines would have to make room to add an- other to their class. Five-star Yohan Traore of Napa (Calif.) Dream City Christian is among them. The 6-10, 225-pounder, who visited this summer and is listed as On3.com's No. 11 senior nationally, told Kentucky.com he's getting closer to a decision. "I don't have an exact decision date decided yet, but I will be committing pretty soon," he said. "December or January." Kansas, Memphis, Michigan and Texas Tech are the four schools he's most interested in. He was once consid- ering the pro route but has eliminated that option. "I have a great relationship with Ju- wan Howard. I love the way they play, and they have my boy [freshman] Moussa Diabate from France, so I think we can be good," he told On3. "I've been talking to him about Michigan and he just says, 'You've got to work hard and you can earn your place.'" ❑ Juwan Howard made the trip to watch Wolfeboro (N.H.) Brewster Academy five-star Matas Buzelis, the nation's No. 10 junior per the On3 Consensus, play in person Dec. 15. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM