The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1468055
JUNE / JULY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 39 2022 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE JUNE / JULY 2022 THE WOLVERINE 39 "What attracted me to them is Coach Howard, of course. He's a player's coach. I get a great vibe from him. I feel like he's a guy I could build a relationship with." Elmarko Jackson 6-3 • 185 • PG Richland (N.J.) St. Augustine Prep On3 Ranking: No. 70 Jackson compares his game to NBA star Russell Westbrook. He was named the On3 Awards Most Valu- able Player of the UAA Ses- sion 1 for his play with We R 1. "Coming into this weekend, Elmarko Jackson was already the 2023 On3 Con- sensus No. 76 overall player. He did noth- ing but improve his stock in front of our eyes at the event," Shaw reported. "Jackson has an elite frame with elite speed; that got him this ranking. Now, he is playing with pace and — most im- portantly — consistently knocking down shots. The first live weekend could not have gone any better for Jackson." Michigan could be in a great spot here if the Wolverines turned up the heat. The coaches saw him play extremely well in person this spring but have yet to pull the trigger on an offer. "I grew up a fan of Michigan," Jackson said last year. "My uncle, [former U-M and NFL defensive back] Marlin Jackson, went to school there. He also played in the NFL. I like Temple, too, that is where my mom went." Several others are now getting involved, with Notre Dame and Syracuse the latest to offer. "I hear a lot from St. John's, Seton Hall, Maryland, VCU and Cal," he said. "I have visited Seton Hall, Maryland, St. John's, Miami and VCU. I have talked with the new staff at Maryland, but that visit was with the old staff. "I don't have any official visits set yet — and I'm not sure if I will take any ju- nior year officials. I hear a lot from UConn, Wake Forest and Michigan. None of them have offered yet." Shaw loves his game and believes he's still getting better. He voted Jackson his "best paint touch point guard" of the first half of the AAU season. "His speed sets him apart from most other players in his class," he said. "End to end, with the ball in his hands, few — if any — can keep up with his pace. When you combine that speed with his frame, Jackson's unique upside begins to make sense. "He has cleaned up a lot in his game during the last year with his pace, deci- sion-making and jump shot. He is now playing a point guard's game with his unique physical traits. Watch for a bump to come in On3s upcoming 2023 rankings update." — Chris Balas U-M 2024 Commit Christian Anderson Continues To Impress The Wolverines currently have one pledge in the sophomore class —Atlanta guard Christian Anderson, who committed last October. He had a big year at the Lovett School, averaging 30 points per game. Though not big (only 5-foot-9), Anderson is a deadly shooter and one of the best in any class. He has legitimate range to 30 feet and should continue to grow. His father played professionally at 6-foot-6, and if Anderson adds some size, On3's Jamie Shaw told us he has tremendous upside. "He is a jet-quick, confident point guard," Shaw told us. "He gets to his spots in the halfcourt, and his range extends out to 30 feet. "While the size will come into question, the competitive fire is there. He has put up some monster numbers recently." The MaxPreps sophomore All-American led his CP3 EYB AAU squad to an 8-0 show- ing in their first two 16U sessions on the Nike EYBL (Elite Youth Basketball League) circuit. They've qualified for Peach Jam, the top Nike AAU event of the summer (held in July), and he's a big reason why. "He's small, but he's got the quick twitch and is very confident," Shaw said. "If he does grow, he's a top-50 player in the country in his class. He gets in the paint, has great footwork, finds space for his shot. He can do all that stuff." — Chris Balas Anderson averaged 30 points per game for Atlanta's Lovett School last season and was named a MaxPreps Sophomore All-American. PHOTO COURTESY ON3.COM