Buckle Up: Jordan Poole Announces Friday
Michigan waited longer than most programs to hand out offers to 2017 basketball prospects, but their selectiveness may help them land a commitment—and very soon, at that. Four-star WI SG Jordan Poole picked up his offer when he first visited campus for the BYU game; at the time he told The Wolverine's Chris Balas that the distinction of being M's first offer recipient in the class wasn't lost on him ($):
"I thought it was great," he said. "I really didn't know they hadn't offered anyone else until I got there. It shows they look for certain people and qualities as far as basketball and personality.
"For me to be the first …. Coach Beilein doesn't just give out offers. Some schools give out offer after offer. Coach Beilein really takes the time thinking about the right fit, if a kid really likes school and is thinking about going there. Being the first in the 2017 class is amazing."
Poole visited campus again last weekend; he told Scout's Brian Snow it was a "great" trip ($). Yesterday, he set his announcement:
Four-star 2017 SG Jordan Poole will announce his decision Friday at 5:30 CT at his school https://t.co/NMMKxikYOX
— Brian Snow (@BSnowScout) October 20, 2015
All signs point to Michigan. Poole would be a nice pickup; he's the #92 overall player in the 247 Composite and holds offers from the likes of Auburn, Illinois, Indiana, and Marquette.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
M Offers Jaren Jackson
Michigan's second offer of the 2017 class went out to an Indiana prospect, which should come as little surprise for those familiar with John Beilein's recruiting history. Four-star forward Jaren Jacksonadded the offer while visiting campus a couple weekends ago. The competition looks to be fierce: Butler, Georgetown, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Purdue, Vanderbilt, and Xavier have also extended him an offer.
Jackson's father discussed his son's visit and offer with Scout's Brian Snow ($):
About the trip, Jackson Sr. said, “They don’t give out offers to a lot of people, and are very particular with the type of kid they offer. They preach academics and want to make sure that the recruits they bring in are up to par academically as well as being a good fit for their program.”
He continued about the Wolverines, “We understood everything they do and what they say. They recognize his upside, and they saw him recently at two open gyms and feel he can bring a lot to their team. Every time they see him, they say they like him more and more, and are sure that Jaren would be a perfect fit for their program.”
At 6'9", 215 pounds, Jackson would likely be a four in Beilein's system; as the video above shows, he's got skill to go along with that size.
One more player to keep an eye on is Ohio wing Maishe Dailey, who's mulling a decision to take a prep year and reclassify to the 2017 class after fielding a ton of late interest, per Scout's Kyle Bogenschutz. Dailey has a couple options—namely Wisconsin and Rutgers—if he wants to stick in the 2016 class, but Michigan could be a major player if he takes that prep year.
Happy Trails, Brendan Bailey
Source: Four-star wing Brendan Bailey commits to Marquette | Story: https://t.co/AGdswUjfFypic.twitter.com/HCIHqkn6N7
— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) October 20, 2015
Happy trails to Brendan Bailey, a 2016 wing who'll be a freshman in 2018 after a Mormon mission. Bailey had Michigan in his final group but ultimately decided on Marquette:
"A couple of days ago I sat down with my family and we talked about it," Bailey said. "It was between Marquette, Michigan and Gonzaga. We just thought the best place for me would be Marquette."
It's safe to say Michigan has plenty of time to unearth other options for the 2018 class.