2014 Michigan Commit Spotlight: Aubrey Dawkins (SG)

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

A piece composed for Wolverine247 of 247Sports analyzing the recent commitment of Aubrey Dawkins to Michigan's 2014 recruiting class.

Commit Spotlight: Aubrey Dawkins http://t.co/aqolMYkXPB #Michigan #GoBlue
— Thomas Beindit (@tbeindit) April 28, 2014

Target Spotlight: Devin Booker

Atlanta, a place Kentucky did not go this year.

Michigan missed on what I believe was the best recruit they were going after in the 2014 class.  Devin Booker selected Kentucky over others.  However, I had a preview already written up, so here's a breakdown on him if you can stomach it:

Booker is listed at 6'6" and 194 lbs.  He is currently ranked as a 5* according to the 247Composite rankings, as the #5 shooting guard in the nation, and as the #1 player in Mississippi.  Booker committed to Kentucky over Michigan, MSU, Missouri, and others.

Skills: 
Booker's bread and butter is his shooting.  He's not only a very good outside shooter, but he's a very good spot up shooter and has a deadly stepback jumper.  Defenders have to stay completely dedicated to Booker because if they give him any space, a shot's probably going up.  Along with his shooting, he can effectively use ball screens to drive the lane.  When he does this, he also protects the ball well to avoid turnovers.  Add in a decent crossover and he becomes a really good offensive weapon.  When he does get to the rim, he can make some impressive dunks and can adjust to finish at the basket.  He can also move well without the ball and make cuts to the basket that really threaten defenses.  Finally, he has solid athleticism, can run the court, and can use his hands and length to disrupt a lot of shots on the defensive end of the floor.

Limits: 
As with most 5* recruits, this list is pretty short.  The biggest things that Booker needs to do to improve his game are to improve his defense and strength.  His defense is certainly not bad, but there are times when he allows an opponent to get to the edge of get enough space to do some damage.  Of course, this happens to everybody, but being aggressive and physical is important when playing against lengthy college players.  Along with this, his frame is pretty small considering his height.  To be able to be a threat driving to the lane in college, he could definitely use a little more weight and strength.  Finally, there are times when he can't quite finish at the basket and opponents will try to be physical with Booker to disrupt his game.  This is where the added strength will help, but of course, this is a minor note since he often goes to the free throw line as a result of these plays and hits upwards of 80% of his free throws .

Quick Prediction:
Booker is going to be a really good college player and will probably be selected pretty highly in the NBA Draft sooner rather than later.  Booker has the potential to be a deadly outside shooter like Stauskas, but also handle the ball like a Hardaway.  He has a very bright future in the college game.

Commitment Spotlight: DJ Wilson

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

Here's a great breakdown on Michigan basketball's latest commit.  He may not be perfect yet, but he has a high ceiling:

Commitment Spotlight: DJ Wilson

Commitment Impact: Kameron Chatman

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

I breakdown Michigan's newest commit, Kameron Chatman:

Commitment Impact: Kameron Chatman

2014 Basketball Target Hotboard

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

Michigan basketball has been on the upswing for the past few years, but its recruiting has also been improving.  Whether it was landing underrated point guard Trey Burke in 2011,  5* recruits Mitch McGary and Glenn Robinson III for the 2012 class or 5* recruit Zak Irvin in 2013, the Wolverines have been on the upswing in recruiting.  The 2014 recruiting cycle has been in full swing for awhile and Michigan is in on some big players.  Check out the list below and links to breakdowns on each target:

• Point Guards
• N/A
• Wings
• Kameron Chatman
• Donte Grantham
• Austin Hatch
• Bigs
• Ricky Doyle

Target Spotlight: Justin Tillman

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

A breakdown on 2014 PF Justin Tillman:

Target Spotlight: Justin Tillman

Michigan Basketball: A Scholarship Update

Photo Credit: Thomas Beindit

In early June each year, Michigan basketball begins offering the next cycle of recruits.  This June, Beilein and his staff began offering the class of 2015 recruits.  As of now, only a handful of recruits have received offers including Luke Kennard, Jalen Coleman, and Jalen Brunson.  However, something that is incredibly important, but often gets swept under the radar, is the scholarship situation.  Michigan has finished recruiting in the 2013 cycle, but the 2014 and 2015 cycles are in full swing, which makes this an interesting discussion.  So let's take a look at where things stand:

2014 Cycle:
Currently, Michigan is set to have 10 scholarship players for 13 open spots for the 2014-2015 cycle.  This means that the Wolverines can take up to 3 commits in the 2014 class.  As of now, Michigan has 2 commits in the class (Austin Hatch & Ricky Doyle) and 1 open spot.  With numerous offers out this begs the question of how Michigan will make room for potentially 2 or 3 recruits for 2014 class.  The clearest answer can be found on the current roster.  Mitch McGary and GR3 nearly left Ann Arbor following the 2012-2013 season for the NBA Draft.  In all likelihood this will happen following the 2013-2014 season, which would give Michigan 5 open slots for the 2014 and beyond.  With 2 recruits already committed, that means the Wolverines could add 3 recruits to its 2014 class assuming McGary and GR3 leave following the season as expected.  However, I'm not completely convinced Michigan will max out the scholarship slots for 2014.  Verdict: 4 member 2014 class

2015 Cycle:
As we get farther out in the predictions, things always become tougher to predict.  There are some major questions about how the 2014 class will end, but there are even more about the 2015 class.  If we continue using the verdict listed for the "2014 cycle" that means Michigan will start the 2014-2015 season 1 scholarship short.  This team would feature a bunch of seniors and Derrick Walton and Zak Irvin as sophomores with an even bigger chance of a jump to the pros.  It's hard to believe that the 2014-2015 season will end without at least one player jumping pro.  This brings the scholarship numbers to roughly 10 out of the available 13 for the 2015-2016 season.  It wouldn't be too difficult to imagine another person jumping pro or transferring, which would open up 4 slots for this class.  Many of the players look committed now, but if they aren't getting playing time in roughly 2 seasons and Michigan lands some big 2014 recruits, they may start looking around for playing time.  With this in mind, the class will probably end up around the same size.  Verdict: 4 member 2015 class

2016 Cycle:
If predicting the 2015 class wasn't hard enough, for some reason I've taken the challenge of looking at 2016, which is nearly impossible.  Using the predictions listed above for the 2014 and the 2015 classes (which will probably prove faulty), it would leave 3-4 open scholarship positions for the 2016 class.  This depends on whether one of the older players transferred or one of Irvin or Walton jump pro as listed in the 2015 description.  For this, we'll just assume that it was not a transfer and both Irvin and Walton jump pro.  This would leave Donnal as the only person on the current roster left for the 2016-2017 season.  This gives you an idea of how far we are looking into the future.  Along with Donnal, there would be 4 scholarship players from 2014 and 4 scholarship players from 2015.  So this leaves a class of 4 assuming none of the 2014 or 2015 recruits leave, which seems to be a virtual lock to occur.  For instance, if Michigan lands Devin Booker, will he make it through 2 full seasons and not jump to the NBA?  Seems unlikely.  With this in mind, here's a way too early 2016 prediction.  Verdict: 5 member 2016 class

Introducing 2014 Prospect Edmond Sumner

Although Michigan's 2014 recruiting has not gone completely according to plan with Keita Bates-Diop and Jae'sean Tate committing to Ohio State, there are a multitude of tremendous prospects still on the board.  One of the best players in the state for 2014 is point guard Edmond Sumner out of Detroit Country Day.  Michigan has not offered him a scholarship at this point, but they have expressed genuine interest in his abilities and could end up offering him sometime soon.

Sumner has a multitude of skills that make him one of the top prospects in the state.  Of course, as a point guard, he has good vision of the floor and has the ability to pass at will.  His greatest skill, however, is probably his ability to attack the basket.  He's not the greatest driver to the basket out there, but when he does drive, he has a knack to find wide open teammates that can either knock down the shot or drive it effectively.  Add on the fact he's a tremendous shooter, has a lot of motor, and is an aggressive defender and you have the makings of a very good prospect.  He has the ability to play multiple positions on the floor and I really have a feeling that he will move to the 2 spot in the future.  One thing that is for certain, he has some room to grow.  He will definitely have to get bigger before college.  I would also like to see him become a little more consistent on defense and work on his handle, which can be a bit sloppy at times.

2014 QB Shelby Spence Visit Reaction

Photo Credit: 247Sports

Yesterday was the last home game of the 2012 season for the Michigan Wolverines and as always, they had a pretty big list of recruits.  One of the players on hand was a 2014 QB out of De La Salle Institute in Chicago, Illinois.  Shelby is 6'1" and just shy of 200 pounds.  He's somewhat of an under the radar guy, but he does have interest from big programs such as Notre Dame, Duke, Illinois, and Michigan.  I was able to catch up with Shelby today to talk to him about his first visit to Michigan for the Iowa game yesterday.



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Hokes Mad Magicians:  How was your first Big House experience?
Shelby:  I came away very impressed with Michigan.  They had a true family atmosphere, great facilities, and the fans were amazing.


Hokes Mad Magicians:  What's the biggest factor in your recruitment? Early playing time, academics such as a specific major? 
Shelby:  Ultimately, I am looking for a place where I will feel comfortable.  I'm also looking for a strong mix between academics and football.

2014 PF Keita Bates-Diop Picks Ohio State

For many, Keita Bates-Diop had become the most desired prospect in Michigan's 2014 recruiting.  When I posted on him visiting campus a few months back, he was already receiving rave reviews from the scouting services and he has only went up from there.  He performed very well during the summer and to no surprise, had been receiving some major attention from multiple programs including Michigan, Ohio State, Illinois, Purdue, and Wisconsin.

When I first talked about Bates-Diop, there seemed to be a few schools that were really recruiting him hard, but Michigan and Purdue definitely seemed to be high up on his list.  However, Ohio State got in the mix and really recruited Bates-Diop pretty hard and ultimately, recruited him very effectively.  He tweeted earlier today that he committed to Ohio State.  He is now Ohio State's only commit for the 2014 class and will surely do a lot for them in the coming years.

Denzel Ward Becomes Commit #2 For 2014

Yesterday, before the game even started, Michigan fans received some great news as big time Offensive Tackle Denzel Ward from the 2014 class pledged his commitment to Michigan. This kid is 6'9" and 300 pounds. He's just an absolute monster and what many are calling a huge pick up for the Wolverines. Denzel made his first trip to Ann Arbor last weekend for the Illinois game and came away very impressed and with a scholarship offer from the coaches. I had a good feeling about him because he struck a very good bond with 2013 Commit Logan Tuley-Tillman. Sam Webb alluded to it this week that a commitment this weekend was certain and he was right. There's not a ton of coverage on Ward yet, but what scouts have said is that he is very raw and has a ton of upside. He joins Michael Ferns in this class and Michael is one of the top linebackers in the state of Ohio so with the addition of Denzel, Team 135 is off to a great start.

What next for the 2014 class? Well Michigan, has made it clear they want to be deep on the offensive line. Look for the staff to take at least 3 more offensive linemen, if not 4.  Depth at the OL is important and I know Coach Hoke is a firm believer in that. The 2012 and 2013 classes were both very loaded and with this Denzel Ward commitment, that's a good start. A Top-50 player in the country, OL Mason Cole visited as well and Michigan sits very well with him. In my opinion, I think he's blue in the end, but it could be down the road.  It was a big time list of visitors and Cole's teammate, WR Artavis Scott, has Michigan high up there and these two could possibly be a package deal. 2014 DB Damon Webb was also on hand and he came away impressed. I think he's one of the coaches' top priorities for this class. He's a big time player and would be a huge get for Michigan.

Getting To Know Ore Arogundade

There are a multitude of recruits both on Michigan and other school's radar for the 2014 recruiting class.  One player that is beginning to receive some heavy attention is Ore Arogundade out of Illinois.  He is certainly not the most heralded recruit in the country, but he has continued to improve his game and has attracted the attention of many schools including some in the Big Ten.

Whether he ends up actually committing and playing basketball in the Big Ten is something only time will tell, but what is sure is that he is a quality shooting guard that can make an impact both on and off the court for his team.  Rankings are pretty scarce on Arogundade at this time, but I anticipate that attention will be picking up in the future and he could end up being a pretty highly regarded player in the class.  He agreed to chat with me and I've included the interview below.

Reggie Cameron Picks Georgetown Over Michigan

In one of the more unsurprising updates on the recruiting trail, 2013 prospect Reggie Cameron has selected Georgetown.  Cameron was Michigan's top remaining target in the 2013 recruiting class and his decision to go elsewhere will likely wrap up recruiting for this year.  Michigan may not have been his leader, but the Wolverines were in the race for quite awhile for one of the best players in the country.  ESPN had him rated as a 4* and #66 in the class.  There's no doubt that for those holding out hope for a final pick-up in the 2013 class (myself included) there has to be some disappointment.

So, now the obvious question.  Where does this leave Michigan's recruiting and depth chart for 2013 and beyond.  Well, in my opinion, 2013 recruiting is done.  As I tweeted earlier today, the only way I see someone else joining the 2013 recruiting class is if Beilein decides to offer a new recruit.  Most likely, this would be a 3* or below and a "project" type player.  Think of the two late additions to Michigan's 2012 recruiting class, Caris LeVert and Spike Albrecht.  I think both can be good players, but they will have to develop some before they can truly contribute to the team.

Introducing 2014 Prospect Sean Sellers

One of the recruits that hasn't received a lot of coverage in this recruiting cycle has been Sean Sellers from Greensburg, Indiana.  He's received some attention from some larger programs, but he hasn't received much coverage and appears to be more of a "project" player, despite having a pretty good amount of talent.  He's certainly not going to be one of the most hyped recruits for 2014, but he could be one to keep an eye on as the 2014 recruiting process continues and as Michigan looks to fill its roster and class.

While reviewing Sellers' play, it becomes pretty clear that his major asset is his shooting.  However, he has a multitude of skills that helps his impressive outside shooting.  He can certainly drive the basket, play in the post, get others involved, and is a decent rebounder.  When UMHoops interviewed his AAU coach, he argued that Sellers projected to be a 3 at the next level and has been improving his defense.  I'm not completely convinced that Sellers will actually play the 3 in college, but he is definitely a versatile player.  He has the ability to play anywhere from 1-4, but obviously, the 2 and the 3 are where he would be most comfortable.  If he can work on improving his size, strength, and defense, he will become a much better player and might have a shot at getting a Michigan offer and a jump in the rankings..

Introducing 2014 Prospect Darius Austin

One of the recruits that has been starting to receive a lot of attention has been Darius Austin.  Austin comes out of Illinois and is certainly one of the better shooting guards in the state.  His game is certainly not perfected yet, but with his raw ability, he could be one of the players fans see shoot up in the rankings as his recruitment process continues, especially once more of the big name programs start seriously offering him.

As I said, Austin plays shooting guard, but I think it will be interesting to see where he actually plays once he reaches college.  In reviewing some of his tape, it quickly becomes clear that his major attribute is his ability to get to and attack the basket.  He isn't a bad shooter, but most of his impact comes in the lane and on the free throw line, where he's a pretty consistent shooter I will add.  If we were going on Scout's numbers (6'5"and 170 lbs), I would say that he probably needs to bulk up.  However, MaxPreps has him at 195 lbs and in a recent interview with UMHoops, he said he weighs 204 lbs.  He might need to improve a little more on strength, but size shouldn't be an issue since Tim Hardaway has been pretty good at Michigan and he has nearly identical body size listings.  He is also pretty active in transition and has the ability to get other players involved with his passing, especially when going to the basket.  He's a decent rebounder, but I didn't think he was quite effective enough to call him "great".  The big things I think he needs to improve on are becoming a more consistent shooter, whether creating more space for himself with his impressive speed or while being defended, and I think he could get a little bit stronger.

2014 Prospect Vincent Edwards Offered By Michigan

In some exciting recruiting news for Michigan basketball, 2014 forward Vincent Edwards has been offered by Michigan.  I previewed Edwards earlier this summer and he is a player that will likely end up on every Michigan basketball fan's radar over the next year.  So far, Michigan has only offered a few prospects in the 2014 recruiting class and has only secured one commitment (Austin Hatch).  Edwards could very easily shake up Michigan's 2014 recruiting class and be the first real commitment for Michigan in 2014, since Hatch originally committed in 2013.

Edwards shared the news on Twitter and also noted that he would be soon be making a visit to Ann Arbor.  Only two of the major scouting services have rated him at this point, but their ratings have been pretty solid so far.  Scout has him as a 3* and Rivals has put him as a 4* recruit and the #66 player in the nation.  In my preview, I said that Edwards "seemed" like a 4* recruit to me and I thought he would end up closer to his ranking on Rivals than to his ranking on Scout.  I definitely still feel this way, but either way, he definitely is a quality player and could be an impact player for Michigan, if he commits, for a few solid seasons.

2013 Commit Austin Hatch To Delay To 2014

A lot has been made of the events surrounding Austin Hatch and his attempts to recover from the tragic plane crash that destroyed his family.  So much in fact that the IHSAA has decided to allow Hatch an extra year in high school.  This has a multitude of effects on both Hatch, Michigan, and the team's future recruiting plans.  I will break down that impact below, but I first want to congratulate the IHSAA on making the right decision.  Much like the situation involving DeAnthony Arnett, it doesn't matter whether it will benefit one school or another, it was the right thing to do for both the NCAA and the IHSAA.  Not only for athletic reasons, but also for academic reasons.  The recovery time put Austin significantly behind in his studies and an extra year will allow him to regain his standing and get ready to attend the University of Michigan.

Now, to get into some of the impact of this decision.  The first impact will be on Austin himself.  Obviously, the extra time to get settled both academically and athletically will be a great benefit, but it's going to go a long way towards preparing him for college and specifically, basketball at the collegiate level.  To be frank, Austin's injury during the plane crash put him behind schedule in his college preparation.  While most athletes are preparing during the summer and their senior year to be ready for college, Austin has to recover to simply get himself back on the court.  There are still doubts about how much time he will even see this basketball season.  For a player trying to step in and contribute at a school like Michigan, high school preparation is key to making a great transition.

Introducing 2014 Prospect Vincent Edwards

One of the more versatile players in the 2014 class is Vincent Edwards.  He plays small forward for Middleton, Ohio and has been starting to pick-up some serious attention from bigger programs and Michigan during the summer.  Michigan still has no commitments for the 2014 class and Edwards has the potential to change that in the future, if things go right for the Wolverines.

The first thing to note when analyzing Edwards is his impressive shooting ability.  He's an extremely difficult player to defend because he can shoot from just about anywhere on the court.  TripleDoubleProspects even staets that "you cannot leave him open within 25 feet".  This is true not only because of his shooting ability, but because he also has a great ability to attack the basket at a moment's notice.  Along with this, he has solid speed and is great in transition.  He's just one of those players that has the type of "feel" it takes to make it work in transition.  His defense is solid and I even saw a few plays where he single-handedly stopped a sure-fire scoring drive because of his great defensive play.  He is 6'7", which goes a long way towards helping his rebounding, but that's not the only reason he's good at rebounding.  If you watch him play, he fights desperately for every rebound, which makes a big difference.  One interesting thing to note is the fact that he can easily play multiple positions on the court.  TripleDouble thinks he can play point guard.  I'm not sure if he would be solid at the college level at the position, despite some good passing skills, especially in transition, but I could definitely see him moving around the wing.

Introducing 2014 Prospect Kalil Gray

Recently I was able to have a nice talk with 2014 Linebacker out of Langston Hughes High School in Georgia.  Not many of the recruiting services have done their rankings for the 2014 class yet so there's not much analysis as far as breakdown from the experts.  But Kalil told me he is at 5'11" 205 pounds.  Some of the sites have him listed at 5'10" and 205 pounds but I'll take his word over theirs.  Kalil does have highlight film out there and I have to say, I was pretty impressed.  Every year there seems to be guys that fly under the radar (2013 commit Channing Stribling for example) and I think Kalil has the potential to be one of those guys. This post is going to be a 2-for-1 special as I am giving a breakdown first and then I will share our interview also. 

My Personal Breakdown:
Kalil shows great speed and tackling ability.  Kalil shows good gap discipline and is very good in run support when he's filling and playing around the line of scrimmage.  He's one of those guys that has great athletic ability and has good football skills.  His area to improve would definitely be in pass coverage, as sometimes he's not as quick in getting back into his drops.  He's not the biggest guy either, weighing only 205 pounds. However, he's got plenty of time to grow and put on some weight.  Kalil is one of those kids that is a great athlete so that will help him out and he has ability to chase people down in open space.

Michael Ferns Is Commit #1 For 2014

Team 135 recruiting has begun and Michigan sure did pick up a good one.  One of the elite players in the state of Ohio and arguably the #1 in the state when it's all said and done is linebacker Michael Ferns out of Saint Clairsville, Ohio.  Michael is marked at around 6'3" tall and 235 pounds.  He is an elite playmaker and has said from the start that his top three were Michigan, Notre Dame, and Penn State.  Michael has gone about his commitment the right way and I believe that when the Penn State sanctions came out that it became a two horse race.  Michael never officially said so, but that's just my personal opinion.  Not all of the scouting sites have done their rankings for the 2014 class but I'll still chart them out and give a general breakdown.

There's not a whole lot of analysis on Michael so I apologize for the lack of expert feedback.  But this commitment is HUGE for Michigan.  There wasn't much room at the linebacker position given the great prospects they picked up in the 2012 and 2013 recruiting classes, but Michigan is still going to take at least a few prospects in 2014  I literally only see them taking possibly one more linebacker in 2014 and to steal the top player in Ohio was massive.  Brady Hoke is pure genius and he is continuing to snatch top talent out of that state.  Say what u want about the team that plays in the red and gray, but I'll tell you what nobody can deny the great talent that comes out of the high schools there.  Michael is a tremendous player that has ability to go sideline to sideline.  Add on that he's a great tackler and you're talking about one of the best linebackers around.  I have watched his highlights and I was immediately excited when I heard of his initial interest in Michigan.  He took a couple of visits to Ohio State and it's great that Michigan could get him away from Urban Meyer.