The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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BASKETBALL RECRUITING are the main ones," he said in late De- cember. "There have been a few more here and there, but those are the regu- lars." Iowa, Michigan, Ohio State and Purdue have offered. Five schools stand out, he added: Michigan, Ohio State, Harvard, Iowa and UCLA. "It's a really good program. I really like the style they play," Towns said of OSU. "I really like the way they play defense, too. I really like the coaches and their enthusiasm. I like how the players carry themselves on and off the court. It's a definitely a program I'm going to look into." Michigan, once his leader "is a great program, too," he added. He's been on campus a number of times. "They have a lot of history and tra- dition," he said. "The basketball pro- gram has been on a spectacular run lately. They have had some tough losses this year, but that happens to everybody. They have an awesome engineering program. "I'm definitely looking at their success with having players drafted, especially at my position. Caris [LeVert] is being looked at by NBA scouts and [Nik] Stauskas just got picked high last year." Towns won't decide until after his season at the earliest. Forward Tyler Cook of St. Louis Chaminade (6-8, 240, No. 93 junior in the land) is quiet, but he's still on the radar. Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Purdue, Missouri and many others have of- fered in addition to U-M, but Cook — a summer visitor — is in no hurry. "I don't have any favorites yet," he said. "I'll start breaking it down after this season. I'm going to try to get out to some college games, but I don't know when yet." He's forged a relationship with Illi- nois and plans a visit after his season. A coaching style that will allow him to play free and loose is a priority. Class Of 2016 Notes • Among those who have yet to be offered, Flint, Mich., native and current Huntington (W.Va.) Prep standout Miles Bridges remains one to watch after he visited U-M for the Illinois game. The 6-6, 225-pounder (Rivals.com's No. 20 junior in the country) has listed Michi- gan State as his dream school, but he's warmed up to the Wolverines. "I've taken three visits there so far, and I really like them," Bridges told The Louis- ville Courier-Journal. At the Cancer Research Classic Jan. 3, Bridges accomplished a feat not previ- ously achieved in the tourney's eight- year history, notching a triple-double with 13 points, 11 rebounds and 11 as- sists. He also added a pair of steals and blocks in an 89-49 win over Chicago Whitney Young at the McDonough Cen- ter at Wheeling Jesuit University. Bridges listed Connecticut, Iowa State, Michigan State, Oklahoma State, Kan- sas, UNLV and Michigan as schools re- cruiting him. ❏ On The Web For regular reports on basketball recruiting, plus videos of all the top prospects in the nation and Michigan's commitments, visit TheWolverine.com.