The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/213966
basketball recruiting than anybody, Wilson told the Sacramento Bee, which sold him and his mother on his visit. "They had all their assistants out here, including LaVall Jordan, who recruited me," Wilson said. "Then Coach Beilein came and met with the faculty and staff of the middle school and the high school. He toured the campus. That all took me by surprise. It showed that they were really in- Rivals.com lists Sacramento (Calif.) Capital Christian late-bloomer D.J. Wilson, a 6-8 forward who possesses a 7-3 wingspan, as the No. 135 overall player in the nation. photo courtesy rivals.com terested in me. That was a big plus." There was one summer game in particular that put Wilson on the map — a one-game matchup against Oakland's 6-9 Ivan Raab, one of the nation's top five recruits in class of 2015, in a summer camp at Cal. "Going into that game, there really hadn't been much interest in D.J.," Capital Christian coach Devon Jones, Wilson's coach since elementary school, told the Bee. "He didn't have a good junior season, he was still growing into his body and there were the injuries. A lot of people had backed off. "Ivan had just come back from playing with the USA [Under-16] National Team, but D.J. won the matchup. He was the more versatile player, and he had never been that physical before. You could see the confidence." Three-star Fort Myers (Fla.) Bishop Verot 6-9 big man Ricky Doyle, meanwhile, wasn't in top shape over the summer due to an injury that sidelined him most of the season, and it showed at the NBPA Camp in Charlottesville, Va., in mid-June. He struggled at times — not surprising, though, given that he doesn't play much AAU ball and wasn't accustomed to the environment. Purdue and many others showed interest in Doyle, but the big man with a 7-2 wingspan ended his recruitment early after a great trip to Michigan last year. "We love that Ricky can play in both the high and low post," Beilein said. "He has a tremendous feel for the game whether he is on the perimeter or with his back to the basket. He loves contact, so he is a great fit for Big Ten basketball. Our fans will love Ricky's 'old-school approach' to playing the game." Doyle finishes well with both hands and has an excellent midrange shooting touch. He has helped Bishop Verot to three straight 4A Dis-