The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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DECEMBER 2024 ❱ THE WOLVERINE 55 ❱ BASKETBALL COMMIT PROFILE BY CHRIS BALAS F irst-year Michigan basketball head coach Dusty May got to work on the recruiting trail immediately when he ar- rived in Ann Arbor. It paid off with an outstanding first team between the portal and the prep ranks, and he's continued the momentum by landing some excellent class of 2025 high school talent, as well. A native of Lake Oswego, Ore., small forward Winters Grady became the first senior pledge, choosing the Wolverines over Iowa and Oregon, among others. The No. 60 player overall in the On3 Industry Ranking, a weighted average of the four major recruiting services, has honed his skills at Windsor (Calif.) Prolific Prep, be- coming one of the top shooters in his class. "Michigan fans should be very excited. Winters Grady is a really good scorer," On3 national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw said. "He can just get buckets. I think he's going to be fun to watch transition to the college game. "What he is, is a shot maker. That's where he really shines on the basketball court. He has good length and carries a sturdy frame. … He has range on his shot, is able to space the floor, and he pulls gravity to the corners." The 6-foot-6, 200-pound standout visited Michigan for the first football weekend of the year against Fresno State. He went into it looking for a "family type of feel," he said this summer, looking for "a connection with the players and a comfort with the program." He wants to earn time as a freshman, not be relegated to being just a shooter, and was looking for "a coach that believes in me." He also made it clear he had big team goals wherever he ended up, too. "I want to win … that is big for me," he said. Grady visited Oregon, Creighton, Okla- homa and others, but found all that at Michigan. "I think the program is 100 percent headed in the right direction with Coach May taking over," Grady said even before his pledge. "He's super precise and knows exactly what he wants in his players. The facilities were also really nice, and a lot of them were still being renovated." He also formed a bond with his future head coach. "I've never had a bad interaction with Coach May," Grady said. "And every time I've been around them all together, the whole staff seems to mesh really well. I think the fit is there purely because they've said they are going to let me be me from Day 1." Grady averaged 19.5 points and shot 37 percent from three-point range while playing on the Adidas 3SSB Circuit for his Jalen Green Elite program. May made it clear to him he would get every oppor- tunity to contribute early at U-M if he earned it. "Their plan for me is to play in the two/ three spot where I shoot the ball, come off dribble handoffs, and just be the scorer that I am," he said. "They don't want to have me change my game to be there and are going to let me be me." Grady committed on Michigan bas- ketball's media day Oct. 18. Though he couldn't talk about recruits, including Grady, May was asked about how the process was going and indicated he was extremely excited. "We like where we are. We're pleased," May said. "We have a staff that's very connected, and they work well together. You factor in how aggressive our players are in recruiting and wanting good players to join this program … it's been fun to be in the recruiting foxhole with this group." And he's just getting started. ❑ Oregon Wing Winters Grady Is Dusty May's First 2025 Pledge Grady, who is the No. 15 small forward and No. 60 overall player in the class of 2025 in the On3 Industry Ranking, announced his commitment to Michigan Oct. 18. PHOTO COURTESY WINTERS GRADY ❱ On3 national recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw on Grady "What he is, is a shot maker. That's where he really shines on the basketball court."