The early signing period is roughly six weeks away and we're going down the home-stretch of a few recruitments while gaining steam with newer targets on the board. The uncertainty of stay/go decisions on the horizon after the 2022-23 season in tandem with the portal means the net is a bit smaller in relation to the past for HS recruiting. Let's take a look at where we stand. 

 

GUARDS

Isaiah Collier

Height/Weight: Listed height in the 6'2 - 6'4 range, with listed weight ranging between 170 - 205. Eye test says he's probably a legit 6'2 and 190-195.

High School/AAU: Marietta Wheeler HS (GA)/Nike EYBL The Skill Factory (GA)

Mainstream Ranking: Now a consensus top-6 overall prospect

EM Ranking/Projected Impact: 5-star/#8 overall. Expected projection/production of a true 5-star prospect, even if it isn't necessarily what is expected of a consensus top-10 prospect as a freshman. Think consistent rotation player that plays 15-20 minutes per game at minimum, with the potential to be a starter by the time February/March comes around. Has positional size/frame that NBA covets, but lacks the desired twitchiness/acceleration and has some unnecessary motion on the shot mechanics that may give GMs some pause. Will likely be all-conference level player in year two if he sticks around in college.

Latest Recruiting Intel: Isaiah has been at the very top of Michigan's recruiting board for the majority of 2022 and continues to be with a decision coming soon. Rob Cassidy of Rivals switched his FutureCast from USC to Cincinnati yesterday, while On3's Jamie Shaw still has the Trojans as the leader with the Wolverines surging and now in second place. Michigan's entire staff has completed home/school visits with Collier twice since the fall recruiting period opened on September 9th, so Juwan Howard and crew definitely believe they have a legit shot. I sound like a broken record, but nobody has a real grasp on things here, as Isaiah keeps a low-profile on his recruitment and there haven't been any leaks. It's a three-team race battle between USC, Michigan and Cincinnati. Hopefully the Wolverines cross the finish line first. 

 

 

George Washington III

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'2 and in the 165-175 range. Likely 6'1 - 6'2 and 180 based on my eye test. 

High School/AAU: Chaminade-Julienne HS (OH)/Nike EYBL All-Ohio (OH)

Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/60-135 range overall

EM Rankings/Evaluation: 3-star/#121 overall. Above-average/good volume perimeter shooter with outstanding shot mechanics. Averaged over 5 attempts per game from distance during all five EYBL sessions. Aggregate percentage is around 33%, but that isn't really indicative of the shooter he is because it doesn't account for shot difficulty. Washington can knock down jumpers off movement via pull-ups and screens from both distance and midrange. He's an average secondary ballhandler, but not a kid that is going to run ballscreens with any sort of volume. Physically, he's a tad undersized for the SG spot and is only an average athlete. Not likely to be an instant-impact player, but can provide valuable floorspacing while sticking around four years. A bit reminiscent of some Beilein-era targets.

Latest Recruiting Intel: As first reported by your author earlier this month, the Wolverines have been in heavy pursuit of the former Ohio State commit. The interest is clearly mutual, as George included Michigan in a final five that also includes Louisville, Virginia, Dayton and Wake Forest. Washington was initially scheduled to be in Ann Arbor last weekend, but decided to postpone that visit so that Louisville HC Kenny Payne could attend a school visit/workout. Although he now attends HS in Ohio, George resided in Louisville for two years before making that move. Accounting for that, I'm inclined to think the Cardinals are in strong position here, along with Dayton, where his father is on staff with the WBB team. Look for Washington to make his official visits public later this week, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him cut his list to four. Keep in mind he only has 4 OVs left. In any event, Michigan should get a visit/make the cut. Washington is is looking to make a decision prior to the November signing period, so upcoming visits will play a critical role down the stretch. 

[Hit THE JUMP for the full rundown]

BIGS

Papa Kante

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'10 and 225 pounds. Probably closer to a legit 6'8.5 - 6'9 and 215 - 220lbs.

High School/AAU: South Kent School (CT)/Nike EYBL New York Renaissance (NY)

Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/30-100 overall. 

EM Ranking/Evaluation:  4-star/#48 overall. Expected projection/production more closely aligns with that of a prospect ranked in the 50-70 range. Impact defender that is a switchable big with good agility and defensive instincts on rotations, while being surprisingly disciplined on shot-fakes, etc. Burgeoning offensive skill and getting more comfortable and accurate as a perimeter shooter in recent months. Some potential as a face-up option from the elbows. Still a bit of a tweener that may not be big enough to defend the true mammoths of the B10. Will need development offensively. Multi-year college player that isn't likely to make big impact as a freshman.

Latest Recruiting Intel: Despite Papa including Michigan in a final five, momentum seems to be fading away from Michigan at this point. Kante took a visit to Maryland a few weeks ago, but I'm inclined to think Memphis is the program gaining steam here. As I've alluded to on prior occasion, whenever a school makes the final cut without having offered/getting a visit, that program is absolutely under heavy consideration. Penny Hardaway recently hired Kante's former AAU Coach, Andy Borman, a man that gave him the green light to explore his perimeter game/jumpshooting all Summer. In other words, he trusts Borman. In the recruiting world, relationships are everything. The Wolverines have been in to see Papa since the fall recruiting period commenced, but the mutual interest isn't quite where it was during the summer. Unless Kante makes it back to Ann Arbor for another visit, this one may be slipping away. 

 

Zayden High

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'7-6'9/185-225. My eyes say he's a legit 6'8-6'9 and around 210 pounds.

High School/AAU: Arizona Compass Academy (AZ)/Nike EYBL JL3 Elite (TX)

Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/45-65 overall

EM Ranking/Projected Impact: 4-star/#51 overall. Expected projection/production looks like a typical prospect in the Beilein-era. Needs a year of strength and conditioning before being an impact player in year two. Skilled F/C that can knock down perimeter shots off the catch or the bounce, put the ball on the floor for a few dribbles and make a play. Athleticism a bit below average in terms of agility + vertical pop. Tweener that lacks the size/length to defend B10 centers with NBA size, and probably not agile enough to check legit wings on the perimeter. Multi-year college player with potential to be all-conference player in year two and beyond. Might be a bit too small and limited athletically to be enticing for NBA purposes.  

Latest Recruiting Intel: As reported by your author, Michigan did make it out to Arizona to see High two weeks ago, but nothing new exclusive of that. Zayden is a Wolverine priority that is extremely fond of Juwan Howard on a personal level and loves his NBA background at the PF/C position. Michigan's willingness to play two bigs at the same time also means that High can realistically see himself playing a more perimeter oriented role. Took OV to Villanova in June along with unofficial visit to Texas. North Carolina will get a visit on September 30th, and Zayden says he's looking to commit around Christmas. UNC has emerged as a major threat here after the Tarheels lost-out on GG Jackson (South Carolina) and TJ Power (opted for Duke). Per Rivals, a source indicates that Michigan and North Carolina have the edge for right now, due to HCs at both programs having NBA backgrounds. This is a race where Michigan is clearly a serious option, but it doesn't seem to be wrapping up any time soon. The Wolverines are pursuing Zayden with vigor and Michigan has a better chance to land High than I initially anticipated back in the Spring, even if the Tarheels are the perceived favorite. 

 

Baye Ndongo 

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'8 - 6'10 and 220 pounds. I was able to see Ndongo live in March and my eyes say 6'8 and 215 seems about right. 

High School/AAU: Colorado Prep (CO)/Only Played AAU from a few weekends with Adidas Utah Prospects

Mainstream Ranking: 3-star/#37 PF to 247. Not ranked elsewhere. 

EM Rankings/Evaluation: After only viewing Ndongo live for one game over the summer, I had the opportunity to review full HS games against good competition in OTE and The Patrick School (see my highlights from those games above). Baye would fall in the 75-125 range for my rankings. A good athlete that gets off the floor quick and has some impressive flashes as a kid that can create his own shot from the wing as seen below:

A 6'8 kid that gets a DHO and hits the defender with a hesitation + in-and-out dribble before getting into a spin move + kickout pass definitely raised my eyebrows a bit. 

The handle has some promise, but the passing/playmaking is just as intriguing from a long term perspective. He handles the ball/makes decisions like a legit wing in the open court and easily recognized doubles in the post before making kickouts:

 

Perimeter defense is something I really wanted to evaluate, since Baye is undersized for a Center at around 6'8. Colorado Prep almost ran him in drop coverage exclusively, but he did impress during those few instances where he had to switch or was cross-matched in transition:

The first possession above is really impressive. Despite a poor closeout, Ndongo is able to recover and block the shot of former 5-star Jazi Gortman. Baye has above-average/good lateral agility and there is some projectability in terms of his ability to switch at the next level.

The film review wasn't all good though. Ndongo consistently gambled on defense, going for steals in passing lanes and attempting to block shots. When he generates a TO/block, it looks great. But when he doesn't, it puts his teammates in a very bad spot. Ndongo has a long way to go defensively in terms of discipline/IQ/comprehension of team concepts. 

Overall, Baye is much more of a play-creator than play-finisher, in direct comparison to Papa Kante (since those two are functionally the options at the Center position). Kante is a much better defender than Ndongo at this stage, while Baye is a much better decision-maker/creator with the ball in his hands. I didn't see Ndongo attempt a single triple, but he did go 9/12 from the FT line during the two full games mentioned above and the mechanics looked solid. Baye best projects as a face-up big with good athleticism, in the mold of a poor man's version of Moussa Diabate. He's a bit smaller and less athletic than Moussa though, and is likely to be a multi-year college player. 

Recruitment: It was a fairly good projection from your author last time around, as Michigan extended an offer exactly one week after I first reported interest from the Wolverines. Took official visit to Colorado a few weeks back. The Buffaloes appear to be the top competition, as that was his second visit to Colorado in 2022. Also holds offers from Providence, Arizona State, San Diego, Washington State, New Mexico and a few mid-majors. Information is rather scant here. But I can confirm that Ndongo is already 19 years old (and will turn 20 in January), so keep that in mind in terms of professional options and projection moving forward. That said, this would be a solid addition to the class if we can't land Kante and/or High.

 

2024 Flory Bidunga

5-star Flory Bidunga visited Michigan over the weekend. I'm going to spare you details here, as I'd be very surprised if the Wolverines are a serious option. 

Cincinnati is heavily involved here. An announcement concerning Mark Adams over the next few weeks wouldn't shock me one bit.