The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/1525654
56 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2024 BY CHRIS BALAS F irst-year Michigan men's basket- ball coach Dusty May and his staff have already begun hosting visitors on campus. Here's the latest scoop on the priority prospects who have visited and are scheduled for this fall: TREY MCKENNEY 6-4, 205, SG Orchard Lake (Mich.) St. Mary's No. 16 On3 Industry Ranking McKenney, who grew up in a Michigan family and rooted for the Wolverines, visited Ann Arbor in August. Even after the visit, On3's Joe Tipton believes Georgetown might lead. "… But the Flint native grew up a fan of Michigan and my gut tells me U-M could make up ground fast," he reported. "Michigan State is another school I would continue to monitor as he is the Spartans' top priority." Shaw gives a nod to Michigan with 25 percent confidence. "Sources close to the recruitment say to watch Georgetown, Michigan and Michigan State head- ing into the final six visits," Shaw wrote. "… The Michigan staff has made up a lot of ground quickly in prioritizing McKenney." BRAYLON MULLINS 6-4, 180, SG Greenfield (Ind.) Central No. 26 On3 Industry Ranking Mullins will visit the U-M campus for the Texas football weekend Sept. 7. He'll also see UConn, UNC, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee. He told On3 he still plans to sign during the early period, but they write, "with these new offers in hand, the process of elimination may have been pushed back a little. … He seems set on taking visits." From Tipton: "For Mullins, programs like Ken- tucky, UConn and Duke pose the biggest threats for Dusty May." XAVION STATON 7-0, 210, C Las Vegas Sierra Vista No. 35 On3 Industry Ranking Staton recently narrowed his list of schools to six — Michigan, Arizona, BYU, Stanford, UNLV and USC. He'll visit U-M Sept. 21 and has visits set up with the others through Nov. 2. "They have shown some of the top support, whether that's coming to games 3-4 deep or con- stant check-ups and calls," Staton said of the Wol- verines' recruiting efforts. "They have great facili- ties, an amazing staff, as well as great academics." With Staton, the hometown UNLV program has always been viewed as "the school to watch," Tipton wrote, adding, "but I think Michigan has a decent shot here. USC, Stanford and BYU also remain involved." Shaw predicts BYU with 25 percent confidence. ACADEN LEWIS 6-1, 170, PG Baltimore Sidwell Friends School No. 36 On3 Industry Ranking With Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga's Nyk Lewis reportedly off the table, a different Lewis becomes a bigger priority at this point. This will be a tough pull, though, given the competition for his services. KSR.com, On3's Kentucky fan site, reports UConn, Syracuse, and Duke are the frontrunners here, with Kentucky also involved but "falling behind." From On3's Jamie Shaw: "Lewis has a final eight that includes Michigan, Syracuse, UNC, UConn, Kentucky, Duke, Tennessee, and Auburn. In speak- ing with sources around the recruitment UNC, UConn, Kentucky, Duke, and Michigan are the schools I hear talked about the most. "While the dates have not been made public, Lewis tells me that he has — or will have — official visit dates set with each school." MAZI MOSLEY 6-4, 165, SG Montverde (Fla.) Academy No. 51 On3 Industry Ranking Mosley just transferred to prep powerhouse Montverde from St. Francis (Calif.) La Cañada Flint- ridge this summer for his senior season. He has set his first official visit to Ann Arbor for Aug. 31, U-M's season-opening football weekend with Fresno State. May and his staff have made significant progress with Mosley, giving him plenty of attention on the recruiting trail this summer. Mosley played well at the June NBPA Top 100 camp, according to Shaw. "Mosley has long carried the reputation as a shooter," Shaw reported. "… The shot was clean off the catch and off the bounce." "I also like their chances with four-star shooting guard Mazi Mosley," Tipton wrote Aug. 14. ISAIAH DENIS 6-5, 170 PG Davidson (N.C.) Day No. 64 On3 Industry Ranking Denis has taken an unofficial visit to Wake Forest, and has a final 10 of Cincinnati, Kansas, Miami, Michigan, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Ohio State, Pitt, Tennessee and Wake Forest. He intends to visit five schools, including Michi- gan Sept. 21, for the USC football game. "They've been watching me since they were at FAU, and then they got the Michigan job," he said of May and his staff. "They've been reaching out pretty consistently. … I've been building a good relationship with them." WINTERS GRADY 6-6, 200, SF Napa (Calif.) Prolific Prep No. 66 On3 Industry Ranking Grady, a sharpshooter who originally hails from Lake Oswego, Ore., knows Michigan assistant Justin Joyner well from the coach's days at Saint Mary's — he'll visit Ann Arbor Aug. 29 and has a final nine of Arizona State, Colorado, Creighton, Iowa, Michigan, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon and USC, having visited the latter two. "Michigan is a newer school for me," Grady said in early August. "Coach Joyner was on me at Saint Mary's and that relationship transitioned over." KAREEM STAGG 6-8, 225, PF Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy No. 112 On3 Industry Ranking Stagg will visit Michigan Sept. 4, a week after a Georgia visit — he already holds offers from West Virginia, Maryland, Providence and others after a strong spring and summer. He has a relationship with U-M assistant coach Akeem Miskdeen from the coach's days at Georgia. "Stagg is a physical presence with a lot of burst," Shaw reported from the NBPA Camp. "… He shot the ball well, which makes things intriguing. It will be interesting to see if he continues this trend." ❏ ❱ BASKETBALL RECRUITING The Latest Regarding On-Campus Visitors: U-M 'In The Mix' For Top Point Guard U-M is in the mix for four-star point guard Acaden Lewis of Baltimore Sidwell Friends School. PHOTO COURTESY NIKE ELITE CAMP