The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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60 THE WOLVERINE AUGUST 2017 COMMITMENT PROFILE Clarkston (Mich.) High standout forward Taylor Currie (6‑9, 205, Ri‑ vals.com three‑star prospect nation‑ ally) might have grown up close to Columbus and Ohio State University, but the offer he was always wait‑ ing for resided a few hundred miles north. When Michigan head coach John Beilein offered him June 15 — the first day the coach extends offers to rising juniors — Currie didn't wait long to pledge. Currie, formerly of Worthington (Ohio) Christian, was raised in a Michigan household. His mother 's dad went to U‑M, and his mom grew up a huge Michigan fan in Marshall, Mich. Currie's father hails from Al‑ bion, Mich., only 45 minutes or so from Ann Arbor, and he, too, is a Wolverine at heart. Currie was so entrenched in every‑ thing Michigan, in fact, that he knew he would end up at U‑M if offered. The tender came at 1 p.m. June 15, and he literally committed on the spot. "I talked to my parents about it," Currie said. "I was hoping I'd get an offer, and I knew if I kept work‑ ing hard and improving there was a pretty decent chance they'd offer a scholarship. "Everything turned out like I hoped." Currie helped lead Clarkston to the Class A state title, a win over Grand Rapids Christian, with a 16‑point, 12‑rebound performance, his best game of the year — and it came against MSU big man pledge Xavier Tillman. He averaged 11.7 points and 8.0 rebounds per game on the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League 16‑and‑un‑ der circuit, and was hearing from Michigan State and Wisconsin the most in addition to U‑M, with Pur‑ due and Iowa also in the mix. Beilein had already been plan‑ ning how to use him down the road, but even the best‑laid plans change quickly. A few weeks later, Currie re‑ classified from the 2019 class to 2018. Once a rising junior, he is now con‑ sidered a senior. "I'm very excited," Currie said, noting Beilein was excited for him, too. The coach has compared him to a current Wolverine junior who has blossomed in his first two years. "They consider me a Moe Wagner type," Currie said. "They see me as being able to score both inside and outside, rebound, defend, a lot of the same things Moe does now. "Right now they see me coming in as a five, but they believe I have the ability to defend multiple posi‑ tions, the four and even the three in some cases. A lot depends on how I develop, but they hope I can play the five, four or even the three for them." The similarities to Wagner were on display several times this summer. He made six triples in one game at the Spiece Run‑n‑Slam AAU event in May on his way to 33 points and shined in several other games this summer. "Currie had a solid outing for All Ohio Red in a tough loss Saturday evening," NY2LASports.com re‑ ported from Spiece. "Currie showed his range with a three‑point bucket, hit some from about 15 feet and fin‑ ished a couple plays inside also. He had 15 points. "He wrapped his weekend early, but impressed while he was there. A high‑major impact talent with a nice ceiling, Currie is skilled and instinc‑ tive, and he pairs that with size and feel to make for a highly intriguing Division I prospect." Brian Neubert of the website GoldandBlack.com, which covers Purdue sports in the Rivals network, said he also was impressed after see‑ ing Currie at Spiece. "He plays his butt off," Neubert said. "He's got long arms, can score … I like him." He'll be even more effective when he adds some weight, but that's not his only goal. "I don't try to focus on one area too much," Currie said. "I have to get in the weight room, get stronger, but I want to develop my all‑around skills, keep working on what I do well and what I don't do so well. Hopefully when I get to Michigan I'll be a com‑ plete player." He's in good hands at Clarkston playing for former Wolverine Dan Fife. "We had a great year. Coach Fife is one of the best of all time in this state," Currie said. "Winning is al‑ ways fun, but I've really developed under Coach Fife and his assistants. … I saw major leaps in my game from the beginning of the season to the end." Even Michigan State writers liked what they saw of him at the June Tom Izzo Shootout in East Lansing. SpartanMag.com's Jim Comparoni called him, "tough, gritty, skilled and effective" in comparing him to for‑ mer Purdue and NBA big man Brian Cardinal. Currie will spend one more year at Clarkston and hopes for one more title before arriving in Ann Arbor. For now, though, he's happy to be a future Wolverine. "My family and I are all very ex‑ cited," he said. — Chris Balas Currie helped Clarkston (Mich.) High win the Class A state title this past year while play- ing under former Wolverine Dan Fife. PHOTO BY JORDAN WELLS In-State Forward Taylor Currie Commits To Wolverines Currie "They consider me a Moe Wagner type. They see me as be- ing able to score both inside and outside, rebound, defend, a lot of the same things Moe does now."