Introducing 2013 Prospect Vitto Brown

One of the more interesting recruits for Michigan in 2013 has been Vitto Brown.  Beilein and his staff keep an eye on numerous prospects, but this is a recruitment that has sort of "come out of the blue" so to speak.  He had a great camp performance, which has really changed the dynamic in terms of Michigan.  Michigan was not in the race whatsoever, but after his camp performance and some meetings with the staff, now is firmly entrenched in Michigan's recruiting radar.


Unlike fellow 2013 Michigan prospect Reggie Cameron, Vitto Brown is a big man that makes his name in the paint.  He is a great low post player, a great rebounder, and a great shot blocker.  Imagine a Sullinger-esque player that can be felt on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.  He's clearly not as talented as Sullinger, but they play with a similar style.  Another skill he's been linked to is a high basketball IQ, which is something Beilein and company look for in all their recruits.  The one area that really needs some work for Brown is his shooting.  He has been improving his mid-range jumper, but he is not a great 3-point shooter.  With his position, size, and style of play, he wouldn't be expected to attempt shots outside the arch very often, but if he can improve on that shooting, he could become a better version of Evan Smotcryz.

Here are the basic listings for Brown:

	ESPN	Rivals	Scout	247Sports	Future150
Height	6’7	6’8”	6'7"	6’7”	6’8”
Weight	205 lbs	225 lbs	215 lbs	215 lbs	200 lbs
Position	PF	PF	PF	PF	PF
Rating	2*	3*	3*	NR	3*
Position Rank	#65	NR	NR	NR	#44
National Rank	#100+	#150+	#99+	NR	#147

Brown's ratings certainly don't jump off the board.  At best, according to the major scouting services, he's a 3* recruit.  The sites also agree on his height, size, and position.  Overall, there is a pretty wide consensus about his skillset.  The thing that could be a little misguided in believing the ratings in this case is that they often don't take certain aspects into account.  Is Brown a recruit like Glenn Robinson III or Mitch McGary? Certainly not.  He is not ready for the college game right now and probably won't be when he arrives on a campus in 2013.  However, he's been improving and is a high ceiling type or player.  He may never reach that potential, but he has the size, basic skills, and knowledge of the game that could allow him to thrive in a place like Ann Arbor.  We're already seen players like Zack Novak massively outperform expectations.  In my opinion, Brown is player that has the potential to massively exceed his ratings.


Despite jumping onboard with Brown's recruitment so late, Michigan actually seems to be in relatively good position.  Brown has said that he wants to wait until the end of the summer to declare a final group and wait until after his official visits to commit.  That gives Michigan plenty of time to "catch up" and get into the race for Brown.  The two schools that seem to be in good shape with him right now are Minnesota and Wisconsin.  Beating them out will be tough, but Brown has said positive things regarding Michigan.


Michigan has also not offered Brown a scholarship at this point, which should be a bit unsettling, considering that Minnesota and Wisconsin have already done so.  However, the main reason for this is that Michigan has only recently entered the mix for Brown.  They hadn't even communicated with Brown before his recent visit to Michigan.  How can they offer somebody they aren't really recruiting?  Will this play a factor in the end?  Who knows.  Recruits usually seem to favor schools that offered them earlier, but if he is blown away with Michigan, there's no reason to think he won't commit.  He wouldn't be an instant impact player for Michigan in 2013, but I think he could be a great addition to the team and give solid contributions for years.

Here's his highlight video: