2016 Wing Recruiting (Ibi Watson)

Love Cumberland and think he would be a great fit. The shooting, ball skills and dog/physicality in him will suit him well in the B1G.

Love Cumberland and think he would be a great fit. The shooting, ball skills and dog/physicality in him will suit him well in the B1G.

What ball skills?

King James defeats Wolves for 17U title 53-37. Nate Kennell 17. Jarron Cumberland 21. Derek Funderburk 10. Xavier Simpson 6.

— Scott Burgess (@scottybscout) May 3, 2015

Cumberland… If what I am seeing is correct, 6ft3 and a shooting guard? I just do not see it and hope coach does not either. The latest video shows very little athleticism and his jumper is more of a set shot, hardly B1G worthy IMO.

I think he’s big 10 worthy but not necessarily a difference maker. We have more pressing needs.

Your not seeing it correct. First of all you have never seen a 6’3 SG in college? Russ Smith was 5’11. Kenny Williams who just committed to UNC is 6’3 at most. Cumberland is a 6’5 210 lb bully SG who can score in every type of way. If his shot isn’t falling he has the ability to penetrate and get to the tin. He uses his body to get to the hole which certainly translates in the B1G. He has a very good handle and has great body control when finishing.

Ok, your right Matt, he has no ball skills…

I feel like you guys are set on one type of player/system and can’t see anything else working. “He’s not a 6’6 athletic freak with ‘no lateral movement’!” Lol. You have to be able to see different types and styles of players working for a particular system on a year to year basis if you want any success in recruiting.

‘He has a very good handle’ - no offense, but that is ridiculous. ‘He can score in every type of way’ - that’s a pretty big stretch in my view. It’s pretty clear Cumberland can shoot, but to think that he can 1) bully his way to the rack by lowering his shoulder against B10 defenders and 2) finish against B10 level bigs at the rim considering his limited athleticism is a pretty big question mark for me and probably most others. It’s ok to take a no athlete in the backcourt if he can handle the rock well, shoot off the bounce, and create shots for teammates. His film doesn’t display any of those abilities. Catch and shoot, bully against weaker HS defenders. His body is already college ready, not much Sanderson can do there.

He’s a top 100 kid who has had a great spring …is he not better than some under the radar kid nobody has heard of?

At this point with how things are going I’m going to take any top 100 kid that wants to come to mich.

There is a lot that Sanderson can do…the kid obviously doesn’t need to add weight but highly unlikely he’s 2% body fat chiseled beast, he’s still going to have to tone and get stronger… Verticality and explosiveness are just 2 things that Sanderson would immediately help

And yes this kid might not have a higher ceiling than some but improvements can always be made

He's a top 100 kid who has had a great spring ...........is he not better than some under the radar kid nobody has heard of?

At this point with how things are going I’m going to take any top 100 kid that wants to come to mich.

There is a lot that Sanderson can do…the kid obviously doesn’t need to add weight but highly unlikely he’s 2% body fat chiseled beast, he’s still going to have to tone and get stronger… Verticality and explosiveness are just 2 things that Sanderson would immediately help

And yes this kid might not have a higher ceiling than some but improvements can always be made

Now if you want to make the argument that we should essentially take any kid that wants to play at UM…im ok with that because you’re laying your position out there explicitly. But to suggest Cumberland is dynamic with the ball is rather absurd.

Can Sanderson aid Cumberland…sure he can, but Cumberland is going to be an average athlete at best in college. He will have to create separation with change of direction…and he has a LONG way to go in that regard in my opinion.

To your initial question - no, he’s not better than Devon Daniels in my view. Rankings mean nothing, it’s all about skillset/talent.

Cumberland is a nice player. Kid is a scorer. If he’s a good passer, he’ll fit nicely.
Michigan doesn’t have a player like him so I guess I can see a fit. Zak Irvin would be the nearest on the roster, and he will be a senior or gone in '16.
Saying Sanderson can’t do much with him is a compliment; not necessarily one I would agree with.
Not an exciting player, but possibly a very efficient one.

Again, I think Cumberland is a decent player, but with our current needs all available scholarships need to be used on good ball handlers and perimeter speed. We need help in those areas after this year in a very bad way.

Seems like Cumberland could be a decent fit as a power guard, certainly would be a unique skillset on the roster.

Seems like Cumberland could be a decent fit as a power guard, certainly would be a unique skillset on the roster.

Dylan you’ve been pretty adamant that be need ball handling, and I think you know Cumberland doesn’t give much in that department. Decent player just think we have more pressing needs.

He can put the ball on the deck and get to the rim, has a lot of strength (something the whole roster is lacking) and has played well this spring. Looks kind of like a Purdue guard to me. He obviously doesn’t get a lot of elevation on his jumper, but seems like he can knock it down. Not really sure how you are judging his ball handling, but he seemed like a fine ball handler on highlight film.

I know a lot of people have been wishing Michigan would cast a wider net sooner than later and Cumberland would fit that bill. Going after a good player in June rather than wait.

He’s not Tyus Battle or Josh Langford, but could certainly bolster depth on the wing.

He can put the ball on the deck and get to the rim, has a lot of strength (something the whole roster is lacking) and has played well this spring. Looks kind of like a Purdue guard to me. He obviously doesn't get a lot of elevation on his jumper, but seems like he can knock it down. Not really sure how you are judging his ball handling, but he seemed like a fine ball handler on highlight film.

I know a lot of people have been wishing Michigan would cast a wider net sooner than later and Cumberland would fit that bill. Going after a good player in June rather than wait.

He’s not Tyus Battle or Josh Langford, but could certainly bolster depth on the wing.

Seriously - are you really going to say his film displays good ball handling ability?

I mean, I guess that’s just my signal to call it a night. I mean, wow…smh

Goodnight gentleman.

For his size, combined with the limitations of a 3 minute video, Cumberland does show a nice handle. He’s similar to Juwan Howard Jr.

He can put the ball on the deck and get to the rim, has a lot of strength (something the whole roster is lacking) and has played well this spring. Looks kind of like a Purdue guard to me. He obviously doesn't get a lot of elevation on his jumper, but seems like he can knock it down. Not really sure how you are judging his ball handling, but he seemed like a fine ball handler on highlight film.

I know a lot of people have been wishing Michigan would cast a wider net sooner than later and Cumberland would fit that bill. Going after a good player in June rather than wait.

He’s not Tyus Battle or Josh Langford, but could certainly bolster depth on the wing.

Seriously - are you really going to say his film displays good ball handling ability?

I mean, I guess that’s just my signal to call it a night. I mean, wow…smh

Goodnight gentleman.

Are you the only one allowed to be correct when it comes to film evaluation, coach K?

It looks like Cumberland is playing on x0.8 speed.

Took a look at the advanced metrics for Cumberland in EYBL (caveat applies because only 4 games for him so far), assist rate is VERY low for a guard, but FT rate is pretty good (3 times better than Huerter), but not approaching Derrick Walton level. Usage rate is approaching 30%, which is very high. His stats and advanced metrics combined suggest Cumberland isn’t a playmaker for others, but when he gets the ball…it’s probably a catch and shoot 3 or put the head down and go to the rim to draw contact. This pretty much is in tune with his film. I do think Cumberland is a decent player that has some good qualities, just think we need ballhandling creators far more than any other trait.

Looking through the metrics, it seems his teammate, Xavier Simpson (PG), may be one to watch.

LaGerald Vick just decommitted from SMU. Don’t know if the staff will give him a look, but there are talks that he is reclassifying to 15. He’s from the Memphis area, so not all that far. Some film below…doesn’t look to be a great ballhandler, but does display the ability to shoot off the bounce, and finish at the rim. AAU stats indicate he’s a very good rebounder from the wing spot. Reminds me of Damien Jefferson a bit, but probably without the academic issues.