The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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40 THE WOLVERINE ❱ JUNE/JULY 2023 2023 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan class of 2024 point guard com- mitment Christian Anderson is fully committed to U-M and excited to make it to campus next year. He'll play his senior season at Oak Hill Academy in Virginia and is off to another great start on the AAU circuit this year. The Wolverines are still in search of others to join him in the 2024 class. Here are the current offerees along with our take on where head coach Juwan Howard and Michigan stand with each of them: JOHNUEL "BOOGIE" FLAND 6-3 • 175 • PG White Plains (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac On3 Industry Ranking: No. 8 player The No. 1 point guard nationally and No. 8-ranked player overall in the On3 Industry Ranking is a teammate of How- ard Eisley Jr., son of Wolverine assistant coach Howard Eisley. Fland is averaging 15.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game for PSA Cardinals on the EYBL circuit. Fland also was a member of the 2022 USA Basketball U17 National Team and helped lead Team USA to a gold medal in Spain on his birthday. He aver- aged 18.1 points (along with 3.7 assists and 2.0 steals) per game as a high school junior, up from 14.4 points per game as a sophomore in 2021-22. The Wolverines have been playing from behind here — Fland recently said, "It doesn't get any better than Kentucky," for example. He's visited North Carolina, Villanova and others. Alabama also appears to be high on his list. But the five-star point guard did express his interest in U-M in the form of an official visit in early May. VJ EDGECOMBE 6-6 • 180 • SF Long Island (N.Y.) Lutheran On3 Industry Ranking: No. 38 Edgecombe is one of the fastest risers in his class, coming off a breakout junior season in which he moved up 39 spots in the On3 Industry Ranking. On3 rates him even higher than the other recruit- ing media services, tabbing him as its No. 22 player overall and No. 9 small forward. "He is a speedy, athletic guard and has shown the ability to knock down the three-point shot," said On3's Joe Tipton. "His motor is always running high. An elite de- fender. Miami, Ohio State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Seton Hall, and others have offered." Michigan offered April 6, and he's working on scheduling a visit. TRAVIS PERRY 6-2 • 170 • PG Eddyville (Ky.) Lyon County On3 Industry Ranking: No. 87 Perry took an official visit to Michigan in Septem- ber and has visited Ole Miss unofficially. In addition to U-M, he holds offers from Ohio State, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Iowa, Purdue, Creighton, Stanford, Nebraska, Wake Forest, Missouri and Virginia. An outstanding shooter, Perry said in late March that Indiana is "probably re- cruiting me the hardest right now, along with Purdue, Kentucky, Cincinnati, Vanderbilt and Michigan." He's already visited Purdue, Michigan and Ole Miss officially. Perry earned Gatorade Player of the Year honors in Kentucky after leading Ly- ons to a 30-5 overall record this season. He averaged 32.2 points, 6.2 rebounds, 5.8 assists, and 4.7 steals per game. SIR MOHAMMED 6-6 • 200 • SF Lexington (Ky.) Myers Park On3 Industry Ranking: No. 88 Sir is the son of Nazr Mohammed, an 18-year NBA veteran and former Kentucky Wildcat. The younger Mohammed listed his top six schools at the end of March — Marquette, Oklahoma, Penn State, Stan- ford, Villanova and Virginia Tech — and recently said the five schools recruiting him hardest are Marquette, Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, Stanford and Villanova. Mohammed subsequently dropped Penn State after head coach Micah Shrews- berry left for Notre Dame. He's still open to other pro- grams recruiting him, but it's clear Michigan is playing from behind. "I want to play for a coach who knows my game as well as I know my game," he said. CALEB WILLIAMS 6-7 • 215 • SF Washington (D.C.) Sidwell Friends School On3 Industry Ranking: No. 119 Williams is from the DMV (DC/Maryland/Vir- ginia) region where current Michigan players Dug McDaniel and Terrance Williams once played. He grew up watching them play and spent part of his summer with the same AAU team — Team Take- over — as the duo. He visited Michigan in October and has the Wol- verines very high on his list. Indiana and Villanova have offered and are recruiting him hard, too. Williams suffered a knee injury that kept him off the court much of last year. IU is his only other of- ficial to date, and he enjoyed that, too. Johnuel "Boogie" Fland from White Plains (N.Y.) Archbishop Stepinac is rated as the No. 1 point guard and No. 8 overall player in the 2024 class according to the On3 Industry Ranking. He took an official visit to Michigan in early May. PHOTO BY JAMIE SHAW/ON3 EYES ON THE RISING SENIORS Class Of 2024 Boasts Many Talented Options For Michigan