You are distinguishing between Chicago and the suburbs, right? In any case, I have great confidence in JB’s ability to filter out the bad apples. And even if you completely exclude the city of Chicago, there’s still another 3 million people living in the suburbs.
I think the problem was that my post was missing a word. Should have said “easy area” to recruit. I’m all for expanding the Midwest base beyond OH/MI/IN where the majority of the recent targets have come from, but it can be tricky.
This is off topic from this discussion but why does it seem that basketball is a more of regional recruiting sport compared to football? Is it because of the number of scholarships available or the styles of play in different areas? Does it have to do with recruiting budgets? It just seems to me football for the bigger programs is a more national recruiting landscape compared to basketball.
It’s not so much recruiting budgets because high-majors have virtually unlimited budgets and also have the ability to see so many kids at the same venues (which at the highest levels aren’t very geographical – i.e. EYBL games in VA, IN, GA, NY, etc.)
I think it is moreso just a smaller number of kids in each class so the trends are more illustrated. You can’t find a 25 person class in the closest three states in football whereas you can fill out a basketball class.
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On the subject of Chicago, it’s my understanding that getting players from there involves ethical compromises that are antithetical to how UM chooses to undertake recruiting.
Don’t think that’s always the case… But it certainly has been thought to be the case in some recruitments there in the past.
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I don’t think its a coincidence that Sanderson is tweeting out pics of Mo and Duncan and their weight gains when we’ve got a bunch of '17 and '18 guys (many of whom would probably benefit from added bulk) making decisions and visiting other programs right now.
*Yes I know this is nothing new, but I like that he does it at a strategic time
I think it has more to do with the fact that everyone just got back on campus for the start of the summer semester.
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Indiana recruiting board update:
Ha, suppose that makes more sense. But I’m still happy he’s tweeting them 
It seems pretty unlikely to me that he would win the job outright over Simpson, especially considering the complexity of the offense we run. But I do think he would be a significant contributor from day one. I see him as an athletic version of Chatman with a much better handle, which, if you think about it, could be a pretty nice player.
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Doesn’t look like this one is happening
Justin Smith 6-7 SF Adlai E. Stevenson High, Buffalo Grove, IL (2017)
Smith was a major surprise for me at the camp. I’ve seen him quite a few times, but boy did his game take a major leap. He plays within himself and always seems to make the right decisions. He has a silky smooth game that doesn’t overwhelm you, but was very impressive. He may not be ranked as high as some of the other stand out players from the camp, but regardless, the young man balled. He knocked down the three, hit the midrange and got to the cup and finished with either hand and above the rim. He really impressed me on the defensive end as well. He stayed in front of his man, for the most part, and was very good at help defense. NBA Comparison: Terrance Ross
I have to confess to being a bit confused by the statement that “he knocked down the three” given that Smith was, if I remember correctly, 3-24 from 3 at the camp. I’ve seen him live, and I’m on record here and elsewhere as saying that there’s a lot to like about his game, but he’s not a confident shooter from distance, and he doesn’t make many. The form isn’t broken, but it needs some work.
This is one issue with rankings–when the services or evaluators see a kid can make a world of difference.
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Completely agree here - I think the same (opposite side of the coin) argument could be made for Poole, who by most accounts is a pretty darn good shooter…yet his April shooting slump left a lot of the services questioning just how good he is.
One to keep an eye on.
Isaiah Livers
Rusty LaRue?
Eli Brooks… 2017 G
Michigan has watched him this week and it looks like he’s visited.
https://twitter.com/jmverlin/status/751762191183994880
Each performance is becoming more and more critical with just a few weeks left of the AAU season before Brooks returns to Spring Grove for his senior season. He already has roughly 15 Division I scholarship offers in hand including offers Kansas State and George Mason. He’s also been on visits to Michigan, Villanova and Ohio State in recent weeks.
“I think there’s more pressure on parents and coaches to try and let everything work out,” Jersey Shore Warriors head coach Tony Sagona said. “I think the kids just go out and play and a great player like Eli just goes out and does his thing. Toward the end of July if they don’t see the coaches calling, then they put more pressure on themselves. But in Eli’s case, as he sees more of the top schools calling in, he’s getting more relaxed because he has offers.”
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