The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/510942
2015 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CHRIS BALAS Medina (Ohio) High product Jon Teske became a Michigan priority at the center position in his sophomore year, well before he found his way to many coaches' radars. U-M head coach John Beilein watched him at an out-of-the-way gym off the beaten AAU path, saw a lanky 15-year-old with great hands, excellent shooting touch and potential well beyond his seven-foot frame, and started recruit- ing him heavily. After a slow start to his junior season, Teske started to realize his promise. Medina went 8-7 in its first 15 games with Teske averaging 8.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 4.9 blocks per game — not quite the breakout junior season many had envisioned. He turned it up for the meat of the schedule, however, and when head coach Chris Hassinger challenged him to dominate, he stepped up with a 28-point, 11-rebound showing against a loaded Garfield Heights team. Teske notched 27 points, 10 re- bounds and eight blocks in a district title win over Massillon Jackson, con- trolling the post on both ends. He av- eraged 16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.7 blocks in his last 12 games against teams with a combined 155-69 record, six league championships and at least 10 potential D-I college recruits. Helping him keep the momentum is now on Team Work AAU coach Collin Barth, Teske's coach the last few years. "I had a talk with Coach Beilein [April 29] after he watched one of our games," Barth said. "Jon played pretty well, but you're always looking for a little extra. After Coach Beilein spoke to him and I spoke to him, this past weekend [May 1] he had just a com- pletely different motor. It was great. "Now he has no reason to ever play less than that. I know what he can do now — not that I didn't before — but now he has no excuse if he doesn't." Teske averaged around 10 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks per game at the Spiece Run-n-Slam event in Fort Wayne, Ind., showing a variety of Teske posted averages of 16.8 points, 10.3 rebounds and 6.7 blocks per game over Medina (Ohio) High's last 12 contests. PHOTO BY BRIAN BISHOP Junior Center Pledge Jon Teske Seeks Consistency