The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/315684
2014 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE 'Okay,'" Thornton Sr. said. "He'll get shots up and then say, 'I'm go- ing to work on this,' or ask, 'What do you see that I need to work on in my game?'" Thornton Sr. knows plenty about basketball, having learned much from Michigan assistant Jeff Meyer when Meyer was the head coach at Liberty University in the 1990s and Thornton Sr. was one of his players. The two have picked up the solid relationship where it left off, the focus now on Thornton Jr.'s recruitment. For Rivals.com's No. 20 rising ju- nior prospect nationally, the focus is on team and improvement. He's ahead of the curve in just about ev- ery part of his game, and where he's not he probably will be soon. "I've really improved my shoot- ing," he said. "Right now I'm con- centrating on my floor leadership, and I just want to keep on learning because of my desire to win. I'm learning how to make any plays I have to in order to win." He's found a new AAU home with Simply Fundamental coached by Greg Lockridge out of Las Ve- gas, and when he's not playing the game he's studying it. "He'll watch Chris Paul, Tony Parker, all the great point guards in the NBA and how they read things," Thornton Sr. said. Thornton appears to be on his way to that level as one of the most sought-after point guards in the country. Outlook: Michigan is a frontrun- ner, and Thornton Jr. plans to visit for four days in June while attend- ing the June 7 Michigan Elite Camp. "I don't really have a list, but I love Michigan," he said. "I love the style of play, the way the coaches push you and how they always get up and down the floor." Arizona has been mentioned as a possible favorite, but both Thorn- tons denied such rumblings, though they added the Wildcats would also be a great option. "Michigan is way up there," Thornton Sr. said. "Few schools separate themselves from others, but Michigan's one of those few schools. They have a terrific shot." Jon Teske 6-11 • 210 • C Medina, Ohio • Medina High School Not Yet Ranked Jon Teske might have been one of the better-kept secrets in the Mid- west until late April — that's when he picked up an offer from Ohio State. His recruiting floodgates haven't yet opened, but they could soon since he's only scratched the surface of his potential after aver- aging 12 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots per game last season. The lanky, near seven-footer 's body is still filling out, but his co- ordination and timing indicate a potential beast in the paint, the rea- son Miami (Fla.), Dayton and OSU have offered, while others like U-M and Notre Dame are paying close attention.