Brazdeikis Nearing Decision
It's getting to crunch time for the 2018 basketball class with visits ongoing and decisions upcoming. It's still mostly quiet on the football recruiting front, so today's roundup will focus entirely on the hardwood.
Scout's Evan Daniels caught up with Michigan's top realistic target, four-star Canadian wing Ignas Brazdeikis, to get his thoughts after his recent official to Ann Arbor:
I really enjoyed it, there was three other recruits with me, two of them committed. It was a great time, just a family feel in Ann Arbor and the coaching staff and the players, I felt like that went really well. They had a big football game against Cincinnati and that was a really cool environment. Getting to see that and talk with Derrick Walton a bit, and seeing what they had to say about Coach Beilein and Michigan, and it was really cool.
He's also visited Vanderbilt, and had good things to say about them too, and there's still an official to Florida on the docket. Both Daniels and Sam Webb, however, suggested that Michigan is in the driver's seat (no gut feeling yet, however). Brazdeikis would be the crown jewel of a pretty impressive class should John Beilein reel him in. Vandy, which is heavily involved with his AAU teammate, five-star Simi Shittu, appears to be the primary competiton. We won't have to wait long to find out which way this one goes:
What’s the plan from here? Are you thinking an early decision after that third visit?
I’m definitely not going to drag this decision on too long. I probably will, yeah, not long after this third visit I will be close to making my decision for sure.
That third visit, to Florida, is set for the weekend of the 30th.
[Hit THE JUMP for the rest of the roundup.]
Locked In?
Last weekend's official visitor, Maryland sharpshooter Noah Locke, hasn't emerged for any interviews, but Rivals's Corey Evans told The Wolverine's Chris Balas that "Michigan is the leader."
There's some concern a prospect like Justin Ahrens could grab Locke's spot before he finishes his visits, which makes this news quite intriguing: Scout's Brian Snow reports Locke moved his Florida official visit up a week to this weekend. Snow expects a decision next week, and Michigan is his "gun to my head" pick. Ohio State, Providence, and Xavier are also in the mix, but it's usually a good sign when a prospect changes his visit schedule after checking out your school.
New Names Emerging
While Michigan has several irons in the fire for the 2018 class, they're not short on backup plans, either. Four-star Chicago Simeon wing Talen Horton-Tucker will be on campus today for an unofficial visit, and while he doesn't (yet) hold a Michigan offer, his sheet includes the likes of Illinois, Iowa State, Kansas, Michigan State, Ohio State, and Purdue. At 6'5", 210 pounds, he could fit in as a two or a three at Michigan:
"During the summer, I remember a few conversations with coaches whose question was, "What's his position?" My response was always "on the floor." I don't care about labeling him a small forward or a shooting guard, I just know he's savvy, plays hard, is very productive and is still only 16 years old," Rivals.com's Eric Bossi said this summer.
This could get interesting in a hurry if he gets an offer. Michigan has the last two picks on his Crystal Ball, including one from 247's director of basketball scouting, Jerry Meyer.
Meanwhile, Beilein dropped in to visit 6'10", 215-pound four-star FL big Colin Castleton recently, and despite coming off an unofficial visit to "dream school" Florida, Castleton is looking to set up an official visit to Ann Arbor, per The Wolverine's Chris Balas:
They're high up there," Castleton said, noting U-M had moved up his list "for sure."
"I had a great time meeting Coach B. I'm planning to make an official visit. I'm just working on dates now."
He's repeatedly called Florida his dream school, but he said last month he'd keep his options open, even after getting an offer from the Gators.
“I want to feel out this final eight and get to know all the coaches more. Yeah, it’s a dream school, but at the end of the day, I want to go to a school that I can fulfill my dreams," he said. "It has nothing to do what my dream school is. I just want to go where I can be successful and go to the next level after college.”
Castleton is a stretch four who Beilein may be eyeing as a stretch five in the Moe Wagner mold. He's taken an official to Illinois and has others set to Purdue and Florida.
Happy Trails, Duane Washington
Happy trails to three-star CA PG Duane Washington, a Michigan transplant who held an offer and committed to Ohio State yesterday. While Washington unfortunately continued the trend of top Michigan hoopers heading out of state to finish high school ball, the in-state talent is as good as it's been in a while:
Counting Duane Washington and with Taylor Currie bumped up a class, Michigan's 2018 class has 9 Big 10 recruits most since 1995, also 9.
— Steve Bell (@BankHoops) September 21, 2017
Washington had been on the fringe of Michigan's recruiting radar, so this doesn't affect their current recruiting much.