The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1504445
AUGUST 2023 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 51 ❱ BASKETBALL RECRUITING wrong, too, and holding me accountable for everything." And — most likely — a program that is going to help him take advantage of his name, image, and likeness. There's time, but the U-M program needs support in landing him and other elite recruits. MICHIGAN MAKES THE CUT FOR TWO ELITE VISITORS • Five-star center Flory Bidunga of Kokomo (Ind.) High (originally from Kinshasha, Democratic Republic of the Congo) visited Michigan recently and then cut his list to four schools, including U-M. The 6-9, 215-pounder has Duke, Kansas, Auburn and Michigan in his final four and has visited each of them already. He'd like to make his decision before his senior season, and at this point, it appears Duke and Kansas are the two leaders, with U-M and Auburn playing catch-up. Bidunga, the No. 4 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, is the No. 1 center and the No. 1 player in the state of Indiana per both On3 and the On3 Industry Ranking. "Flory Bidunga is a physical specimen … he has long arms, broad shoulders, and a lot of burst," On3's Jamie Shaw noted. "He is an excellent shot blocker, both on the ball and from the weak side. He has natural timing and can get up to the square quickly, even through contact. "Bidunga runs the floor quickly and purposefully. He can push the break with his handle but does not get too deep and out of control. The jump shot extends out to about 10 feet, so we would like to see him work on stretch- ing that out some. But he has touch as a roll man to finish with floaters and short corner jumpers." He plays with a high IQ , Shaw added, is smart in dribble hand-offs, and able to post wide and deep on the block. "If help comes, he is able to find the open man and deliver a good pass. He is a good offensive rebounder. Bidunga is left-hand reliant, but his IQ and ex- plosion allow him to get away with that for now. Physically, he is like a college upperclassman and is already one of the premier explosive athletes in high school basketball." • Point guard Boogie Fland, mean- while, has cut his list down to eight schools — Alabama, Indiana, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, North Carolina, St. John's and Connecticut. He's visited North Carolina, Michigan and Indiana officially, and UConn and St. John's unofficially. He'll also visit Kentucky, Alabama, UConn and Mary- land in September. Fland, On3's No. 7 overall prospect in the 2024 cycle, is also the No. 1 point guard and the No. 2 player in the state of New York. "Boogie Fland plays with a New York flair. He has a good handle and is able to shoot the ball from each level," Shaw reported. "He has deep range off the bounce and will pull up if you give him an inch. "He sees the floor well, gets his teammates involved and takes care of the ball, valuing possessions. There is a floater game in there as well, with a one- and two-dribble pull-up. "He will need to continue getting stronger, and he is a solid athlete and has average length. The confidence is sky-high, and the skill set is obvious. He has a comfort playing on the ball or off the ball in a two-guard lineup. He's never afraid of the spotlight." He also seemed to enjoy his Michigan trip. "I got a great feel for the environment and the campus. Everyone around was nice people," Fland said. "The staff is great. They've let me know they want me there. They play a pick-and-roll of- fense and spread the ball around." He's not sure if he'll sign in the early period in November. "When I feel like it's right, I'll do it … I'm not sure if that will be early or late, though," he said. "The feel I get with the program when I'm on the visit will play a big role. "The fit within their system and the coaching staff will play a big role for me, too. I'm going to be running someone's team, so I want to have a good under- standing with them, a trust." U-M OFFERS TARRIS REED JR.'S YOUNGER BROTHER, TRISTAN U-M has extended several offers to class of 2024 and '25 prospects, and now also has a 2026 offer out … and it's an intriguing one. Tristan Reed, U-M sophomore big man Tarris Reed Jr.'s younger brother, received his offer, and his brother took delight in retweeting it. The younger Reed is a 6-foot-8, 2 1 0 - p o u n d p owe r fo rwa rd o u t o f St. Louis John Burroughs school. The rising sophomore picked up his first Di- vision I offer from Kansas State, and it didn't take Michigan long to follow its lead. His brother contributed last year as a freshman and will be the Wolver- ines' starting center this season. Tristan Reed notched double-figure scoring in five games as a freshman last year for the John Burroughs varsity, including a career-high 12 points on two occasions. He's a post player — he didn't attempt a three-pointer last sea- son — who finished the last five games of the season 16 of 16 from the floor. He shot 50 percent or better from the floor in 18 of 27 games played. Reed made an even bigger impact on the glass. He notched 6 or more rebounds in 19 games and had three games in double digits. He's also a good shot blocker, notching 3 or more blocks in nine games and a career-best 6 twice. Reed is playing this summer with the MOKAN Elite 15U team, where he's emerged as one of the up-and-comers in his class. He's athletic, continues to get stronger and should be a force when his body fills out. ❏ Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's Trey McKenney, a 6-foot-4 shooting guard, is listed as the No. 9 overall player in the junior class in the On3 Industry Ranking. PHOTO BY ZACH LIBBY