The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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BASKETBALL RECRUITING academic side of it. They answered all of Trevon's questions." Beilein and his entire staff were present with Bluiett's family at the end of the day when the coach ex- tended the offer, joining Purdue, Xavier, Illinois, Virginia, Notre Dame, Louisville, Indiana, Butler and others. The family will sit down in August for the first time and "really look at things," the elder Bluiett said, adding Michigan's offense is a great fit for his son. "That's a great style," he said. "They spread the floor, dribble and kick, attack, make basketball plays. It's a high IQ offense." Bluiett won't start narrowing his list until he takes visits. "You can't commit to a school before you see it," he said. "It's all about the campus, how the coaches treat the players. Sometimes, I go around and go to surprise practices when coaches don't know I'm com- ing, to see how they really treat the players." The Wolverines figure to be in Blui- ett's discussion until the end. "The coaches kid around with me all the time," Bluiett said, adding he saw all of them following him at the June adidas Invitational in India- napolis. "When you have that, you already know they're open with me. That's the type of relationship I want with my coaches, so they already have a head start in that." overall player in the class of 2014. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM prospects in the nation and Michigan's commitments, visit TheWolverine.com. For regular reports on basketball recruiting, plus videos of all the top Rivals.com rates Indianapolis Park Tudor small forward Trevon Bluiett as the No. 47 forward Luke Kennard was 2 years old when his love for basketball be- gan, and it's continued to grow. The passion for the sport has made the 6-5 standout one of the top players in the Midwest regardless of class, a coveted scorer who will probably have his choice of schools when it's time to decide. It's God-given ability that has put LUKE KENNARD ENJOYS VISIT Franklin (Ohio) High class of 2015 CLASS OF 2015: FORWARD him in such a position, Kennard's fa- ther, Mark, said recently, including his 6-5 frame. His court instincts and awareness, passing ability and deadly jumper first caught the Michigan coaches' eyes at their team camp last year, making him an early priority for the Wolverines in the 2015 class. Kennard was even better at this Scan this code with your smart phone to stay up-to-date with recruiting news on the go! 80 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2012 year's June team camp, notching three games of 40-plus points in leading Franklin to the semifinals. He had a chance to take an unofficial visit and a tour of the campus a day before the camp started. "It was great," Mark Kennard said. Luke Kennard, a rising junior forward from Franklin (Ohio) High, is one of the top play- ers in the Midwest regardless of class. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM made an early impression as one that provides much of what the Kennards are seeking in a program. The deci- sion is ultimately his son's, the elder Kennard said, but there are plenty of things to like about the program from a parent's standpoint. "Coach Beilein lets them play. He lets the guards make decisions and lets everyone play," he said. "I think that fits Luke well. He's a better player in the open floor, in my opinion, but he can also do a good job in a struc- tured offense. But the faster game fits Luke, and they've got a great system. "Also from a parent's standpoint, the academics, the staff and the tra- dition — those are probably the top three factors. Coach Beilein and his staff are awesome, and they obvi- ously have the basketball tradition and great academics." Ohio State, Indiana and Louisville have already received visits, while West Virginia, Dayton and Xavier are among the growing list of schools showing serious interest. All will get their chance to recruit him. "It's all about developing relation- "I think I've said this 100 times, but the staff, the facilities — they are just unbelievable. It's really a neat place." Though Kennard would fit nicely in many programs, Michigan has ships now and getting comfortable with where you would want your son to go," Mark Kennard said. "You want your kid to fit the program, and you want him to enjoy the experience. That doesn't mean one day he won't say, 'I'm ready to end it here, or there.' Until he makes that decision, we want him to enjoy it." Michigan continues to watch other 2015 prospects closely, as well.