Updating 2013 Commit Mark Donnal

For the second consecutive year, Michigan will be bringing in a ESPN100 "big man" for their recruiting class.  In 2012, the Wolverines brought in Mitch McGary and now they will be bringing in Mark Donnal for 2013.  Donnal hasn't received the same hype or rankings as McGary, but he is a very talented player and will complement what already should be a pretty solid team in 2013-2014.  The most exciting thing about Donnal, however, is the fact that fans could potentially see him on the floor at the same time as McGary, which would be a lineup that should leave fans mouths watering.

Donnal has a multitude of talents that will make him a great pickup for the Wolverines.  He has the ability to play above the rim and shoot from distance.  In fact, his shooting ability is one of the main reasons he should fit into Beilein's offense so well.  In a post by UMHoops,it was said that, "A lot of guys can step up and shoot, but [Donnal] can set a ball screen, pop, set a side ball screen and pop, and he's getting better on the block."  This shooting ability will separate him from many other big men and should hopefully pay dividends for Michigan.  He's also been improving on his rebounding abilities, which could make him even more deadly once he arrives on campus.  If this part of his game improves, he may also move up in the 2013 rankings.  This does little to help his actual game, but it is pretty exciting for fans to witness.  Donnal has also been cited as having a great motor, the ability to shot block,and as a good low post scorer.  All things that make him into one of the best players in Michigan's 2013 class.


Here are the basic listings for Donnal:

	ESPN	Rivals	Scout	247Sports	Future150
Height	6’9”	6’9”	6’9”	6’9”	6’9”
Weight	225 lbs	200 lbs	215 lbs	N/A	200 lbs
Position	PF	PF	C/PF	PF	PF
Rating	4*	4*	4*	NR	3*
Position Rank	#17	NR	#14	NR	#36
National Rank	#64	#103	#83	NR	#119

Right now, Donnal's ratings are pretty much all over the board.  ESPN has him ranked as the highest in terms of national ranking, but Scout has him higher up in the positional rankings.  Of course, when you add in weight differences and look at the other sites, things can get even more confusing.  Let's start with what seems to be shared among the services.  Donnal is listed at 6'9" and as a power forward on all of the major recruiting services.  His weight is a little different, but he's probably around the 215 lbs range.  


Future150, which is primarily a basketball site, has Donnal listed as a 3* recruit, but I highly question this rating.  He is a 4* recruit in my opinion and has been moving up the rankings, which only helps to solidify that argument further. I also tend to side with ESPN and Scout in terms of his position rankings and think he's somewhere around #15 in terms of his position.  As for national rankings, we will probably just have to wait and see with Donnal.  Yes, most of the sites have him lower than ESPN's #64 ranking, but we also have to consider the fact that he has been moving up on the other lists.  I anticipate he will end up pretty close to ESPN's rating when all is said and done.


Overall, Donnal should fit in very well with Michigan's depth in 2013.  Yes, he will likely have to compete with Mitch McGary, Jordan Morgan, and Jon Horford for playing time, but I think he could make immediate contributions.  He's easily more talented than either Morgan and Horford and I think once he and McGary are playing consistently enough, they should split the starting lineup.  Obviously, a lot of this depends on all of these players' development, but hopes should be high for Donnal.  His great shooting skills along with his low post scoring should make him a fantastic power forward.  If he also improves on his rebounding, McGary and Donnal could be one of the best front courts in the Big Ten in a few years.


Here's his highlight video: