The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: https://comanpub.uberflip.com/i/917835
62 THE WOLVERINE JANUARY 2018 BY CHRIS BALAS T he five members of Michigan's out- standing 2018 basketball recruiting class have all hit the hardwood this fall, and they're off to great starts. Two of them, Mono (Ontario) Or- angeville Prep's Ignas Brazdeikis (6-7, Rivals.com four-star prospect nationally) and East Lansing (Mich.) High power forward Brandon Johns (6-8, Rivals.com's No. 65 player nationally) already have multiple 30-point games under their belts, while another — Daytona Beach (Fla.) Father Lopez center Colin Cas- tleton (6-11, No. 121) had a game for the ages Dec. 7. "Colin had a monster game last night," Michigan head coach John Beilein said Dec. 8 in speaking about his recruiting class. "I did go see Ignas [Dec. 7]. I've been watching them, and I'm pleased with what we hear. I want to see every one of them in person once … it helps me judge as we come out of this year where they are in their development. "I'm really pleased with what we hear about them." The following are updates on each of Michigan's five signees in the early going: Ignas Brazdeikis: The talented wing punt on a clinic at the 10th An- nual Coventry Health Tournament of Champions Nov. 24-28 at Washing- ton (Ill.) Community High School. FloHoops.com reports he was on his game in a victory Nov. 24. "Brazdeikis dropped 28 points to lead Orangeville Prep to a 71-60 win over St. Louis Christian and showed once again why he is one of the best scorers in the high school game with his unlimited range and ability to fin- ish around the rim," the website wrote. Brazdeikis earned tournament MVP honors after averaging 29 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game. He followed up one great tourna- ment with another at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Benton, Ky. Oran- geville Prep beat Believe Prep (Tenn.) 88-66 in the final. For the tournament, Brazdeikis averaged 30 points, four rebounds and four steals, and went 13 of 23 from three-point range. Brazdeikis had another outstand- ing game, notching 37 points and nine rebounds in an Orangeville Prep win Dec. 8. He also scored 24 in a win over Virginia Episcopal Dec. 15. Brandon Johns: The 6-8 forward notched 33 points, nine rebounds (all after halftime), seven steals, two assists and two blocked shots in a season-opening 67-58 victory over DeWitt Dec. 5. From one onlooker and subscriber to TheWolverine.com: "Johns looks a legit 6-8. If you want to squeeze 6-9, then maybe … Where Johns has con- tinued to grow is weight. He is jacked. "He scored in the flow of the game. He took and hunted plenty of shots, but was not close to overshooting. He scored in transition, off dribble drives, and with deep threes and put- backs. His handle is much better than [Michigan freshman] Isaiah Livers. The game was muddy, and Johns had no problem getting physical." Johns scored 30 in a win over Jack- son Dec. 8. He added nine rebounds, four steals and one blocked shot in a 70-43 win. "He's a great teammate. He'd rather someone else score than him score," East Lansing head coach Steve Finamore told Mlive.com. "We took him out with 5:47 to go in the game, and that's the right thing to BASKETBALL RECRUITING Class Of 2018 Signees Are Off To Great Starts U-M signee Ignas Brazdeikis, a 6-7 forward at Orangeville (Ontario) Prep, was named the MVP of the Coventry Health Tournament of Champions in Washington, Illinois, in late November after averaging 29 points, 10 rebounds and three assists per game. PHOTO BY JORDAN WELLS Future Wolverine Brandon Johns, a 6-8 forward, opened the season with a bang, scoring 33 points, grabbing nine rebounds, recording seven steals, dishing out two assists and blocking two shots in a win. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM