Well, if he was ready to make a decision you would be the first to know.
5 Likes
I see what you did there!
That’s reasonable. Is why I said I’d be a little bit skeptical rather than something more extreme. At this point you accept that it’s simply too late to get in on most of the guys you want to keep/bring back/bring in, but you do want to see a flash of recruiting prowess to come. Fair to recall that the 2015 Harbaugh recruiting class included misses on late additions, but it also included a few flips of guys late, like Zach Gentry. Maybe it’s reasonable to say that Bajema counts there. Dunno. Best guess at this point.
As for Wilson specifically, he doesn’t have any more of a relationship with Self or Wiliams than he does with Howard, it seems. He’s not reverted to other schools he took official visits to. He already likes everything about Michigan that he saw. Howard just has to make him comfortable as a coach in comparison with two other coaches he has only just recently met in person. He does have a problem in that he can’t sell a specific role in a known offense that he runs, however, like Poole was sold on being a Stauskas-like two-guard, or like how the football team tells viper kids that they envision a Peppers-like role.
Totally agree, depending on how you pitch it, playing time is a fragile selling point to a player of Wilson’s caliber and mindset. Maybe it’s more role-focused. I might speak to their top recruits last year and how unhappy they were when the season ended, Nassir Little never started and played 18 minutes a game and Quentin Grimes was so frustrated with his role he transferred. I think Juwan has the opportunity to sell Wilson on being his guy from day one, his first featured scorer on a team where the surrounding parts fit perfectly
1 Like
I don’t think that’s at all a similar situation. Harbaugh came on in late December/early January, and had a month until signing day. Signing day for this basketball class started 8 months ago.
Also, re: the relationships with Self/Williams/Juwan, I believe Kansas recruited him before he committed to Michigan, so Self definitely has a leg up there. Also I think it’s pretty fair to say that Jalen committed to Beilein, not Michigan. Don’t think much about the school had any part in it, and I think that’s evident by his quick decommitment and the schools he’s considering now.
1 Like
Among the issues that we can’t have a clue about are what he thinks of the towns, schools, their proximity to his people, academic support if he or his parents seek it for him, and–maybe crucially–how he likes the kids he might be playing with. I assume that he’s gotten to know X, Teske, and Livers a little, and can compare his level of comfort with them with the kids he’s meeting in passing at NC and KS. I’m prejudiced, but–historical atmosphere at Allen fieldhouse notwithstanding–I’d take Ann Arbor and the UM over either of the other two schools (I was surprised by how tiny, if pleasant, Chapel Hill is).
By a reckoning of the kids he’d play with and playing time–chance to star/stand out–I’d reckon UM could continue to be a lure.
1 Like
I don’t think it has to be an exact comparison to have some degree of use, but that’s me.
I think my point about Wilson is that he didn’t take official visits to the schools he’s now considering before committing to Michigan. He’s not reverting to any runner-up school that he had investigated as thoroughly as he did Michigan via an official visit. The coverage says he’s comfortable with the KU assistant that was his lead recruiter during an unofficial, but that in advance of his KU visit was still looking to hear details from Self on how he would be used, etc. So it stands to reason that whereever he ends up, he’ll have created a relationship with that coach in the time since Beilein quit.
1 Like
I can’t remember wrt UNC, but I know Kansas recruited him and was in his top schools list before he committed to Michigan. He obviously had some kind of relationship with them.
Here it sounds like he had a lead recruiter he was comfortable with, as he was with Yaklich, but that the unofficial he took before committing to Micihgan was less involved, and that his goal for the officical visit to Kansas that he took in May was to hear from Self how he would be used.
I didn’t do an exhaustive search but didn’t see anything about him taking an unofficial to UNC before committing to Michigan.
1 Like
If we get Wilson or Wagner we’re still searching for an effective two, right? I guess we were if Beilein was here as well. . . Does trying to press either into service there make coming less appealing?
1 Like
Getting one of Wilson/Wagner would allow the staff to focus on Bajema as a 2guard instead of potentially trying to cross train him as a 2/3 … or focusing Bajema only as 3. So the trickle down, IMO, would provide more depth/options at the 2 without directly adding another 2, if that makes sense?
6 Likes
That makes sense to me. Dylan, your thoughts? With Beilein it seemed the difference between 2 and 3 was primarily experience and ball skills. This is perhaps why Nunez is seen as more of a 3 than a 2? I don’t know if it would be the same under Howard.
I think the conversation about “development” missed a crucial thing - Kansas has definitely developed players, they just haven’t always been made into NBA players. Perry Ellis became an excellent college player - but the NBA today doesn’t really need a 6’8" power forward who can’t guard on the perimeter. They even got him shooting threes - he made over 40% as a senior on close to two attempts a game. Devonte Graham became a great college player. It’s not like these guys are staying in stasis.
4 Likes
Yes I was going to add that, but felt I had made my point haha. Same could be said of UNC. They both love 6’8" PFs that run the floor like mad men
1 Like
I realize it was only one year for both, but Andrew Wiggins and Josh Jackson are pretty awful in the NBA. And Cliff Alexander was pretty mediocre at Kansas, then flamed out in the NBA. It’s not often you see three top 10 recruits that turn out to be so bad.
I think Self is a pretty atrocious coach, to be honest.
3 Likes
Wiggins is awful?
1 Like
He’s had a few guys get better but on the whole, I feel like their player development is extremely underwhelming.
1 Like
Not a Bill Self fan either. If I was Wilson, I would go with the opportunity that is present at Michigan with Juwan who COULD be really good vs. Self who is a pretty known commodity at this point
2 Likes
Bill Self, noted awful coach.
“He’s stepping into 25 minutes minimum at Michigan from day one with a legitimate chance to lead the team in scoring IMO. That’s not happening at either alternative.”
Agree with this 100%, and was going to say something to this effect earlier today. In addition someone discounted Michigan’s advantage in NBA connections. UNC and Kansas may have some connections to the NBA, but, frankly I don’t think those connections are comparable to Juwan Howard and Howard Eisley connections!
Again, we don’t know what is in the kid’s heart, and we really don’t know what he is thinking, but it is hard to argue that he wouldn’t have a GREAT opportunity to play right away, and get to the NBA, fairly quickly, if he came to Michigan!
4 Likes