Hoops Recruiting: The Centers of Attention
2024 Flory Bidunga
Top 5 ranked Flory Bidunga at Adidas 3SSB Chapter 1! @3SSBCircuit @FBidunga pic.twitter.com/QL8jpPvoXx
— Courtside Films (@CourtsideFilms) April 22, 2023
The 5-star center from Indiana has likely been the most physically imposing big on the Adidas 3SSB circuit. Bidunga is an explosive finisher that gets off the ground extremely quick. He generally scores as a release valve on dumpoffs/lobs and putbacks, but is starting to display the ability to put the ball on the floor for a few dribbles as a face-up option. Defensively, the quick twitch jumping definitely manifests, as Flory is an imposing rim protector and rebounder with a good motor.
The good news here is that Bidunga is set to take a second visit to Michigan later this month. Flory was Juwan Howard's very first stop of the April live evaluation period and there's no secret he sits near the top of the board, if not the number one overall priority. Flory has also visited Florida, Auburn, Michigan State, Indiana, Purdue and Butler. All that said, I wouldn't get my hopes up here. Bidunga's AAU program has major connections with Cincinnati and all signs still point to the Bearcats based on my latest intel.
2024 Aiden Sherrell
This not even the full package 🥷🏾 pic.twitter.com/HfiIbidxj7
— aidensherrell_3 (@AidenSherrell) April 26, 2023
Aiden has been really productive on the EYBL circuit, averaging 13.5ppg on 56% FG while only playing 18.5 minutes per game on a loaded Vegas Elite team that is undefeated through 8 games. Sherrell is a very skilled big with some guard-like skills. The 4-star forward is capable of knocking down pull-ups from both distance and midrange, and the handle/shot-creation is definitely a plus relative to his position. He's not necessarily quick-twitch, but is an above-average athlete in terms of agility and verticality.
Michigan made a top 8 back in February along with Alabama, USC, UNLV Michigan State, Oklahoma, Ohio State and Arizona State. Plans to visit Michigan and gave standard fluff to ON3 in late April:
Michigan: “I have a great relationship with Coach Juwan (Howard). He sees me being a key player in their program. He could really help me grow as a player if I went there.”
Aiden is originally from Michigan, hence the Midwest vibe to this recruitment despite currently attending high school in Arizona. Has visited Michigan State, Alabama, and UNLV. You know the general rule at this point - if no visit comes to fruition, this probably isn't a serious affair.
[Hit THE JUMP for the full rundown on 2024s + 2025s]
2024 Asa Newell
5 ⭐️ Asa Newell (16th on ESPN 100) is dominated with 1Family on the NXTPRO Circuit 🦅🦅@NewellAsa
— NIBC (@NIBCOfficial) May 3, 2023
🎥: @AveryQuad pic.twitter.com/FElLftCHQY
A top-20 big man from Florida, Newell isn't necessarily playing stellar competition on the PRO16 circuit (same circuit as Christian Anderson), so not a ton to glean from an evaluation perspective. That said, Asa definitely has some shades of Trayce Jackson-Davis in terms of athleticism/movements/play-style.............with a considerably better jumpshot at the same stage of development. Without the benefit of having a live evaluation, the oversimplified story is a face-up 4/5, good finisher at the rim, with range beyond the arc.
Michigan just extended an offer during the first week of April, so a bit too early to measure where the Wolverines stand among the competition. Newell's suitors seem a bit short of the profile he'll ultimately have, but Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Auburn, Texas and Ole Miss are the schools getting mentioned consistently here. As always, if a visit materializes, then you can start keeping tabs more closely.
2024 John Bol
I watched Bol extensively in Phoenix for EYBL Session II. The defensive upside as a rim protector that can blitz ballscreens is definitely exciting, as seen in my clip above. But he still needs a ton of development on the offensive end. John is averaging 7.5pts, 7.4reb and 1.8 blk through eight games of EYBL play.
I'm told that Michigan is no longer pursuing Bol with any seriousness. So barring a change in circumstances, you can probably cross this one off your list.
2025 Spencer Ahrens
The Canadian product is playing a year up on the 17u division of the NY2LA circuit. Much like Newell, there's not much you can take away here because the competition isn't top tier. The short story for Spencer is a tremendously skilled big with perimeter shotmaking ability, a solid handle and great vision/spatial awareness as a passer. The big knock on his game is the sup-par athleticism and how that translates on the defensive end.
On the recruiting front, Ahrens visited Michigan back in the Fall of 2022, and so there is some mutual interest there. Spencer has also visited Michigan State, while other offers include Illinois, Missouri and Nebraska. In the portal era, 2025 is a long way down the road, but given Ahrens' play-style, this absolutely seems like a B10/Midwestern recruitment that Michigan can win if Juwan Howard decides he's a take.
2025 Malachi Moreno
Moreno is a paint-bound center playing for Indiana Elite on the 16u division for Indiana Elite. Excellent breakdown above from Dylan over at UMHoops. Not a ton to take away on Moreno for projection purposes right now, he's simply bigger/longer/stronger than 99% of the competition at the 16u level. But obviously Juwan Howard, and many other coaches, want to get-in early on a 7-footer that protects the rim.
Malachi was offered less than two weeks ago, so we're not at the point of determining where Michigan sits, particularly for a 2025 prospect. This recruitment definitely has a Midwest/B10 favor with Iowa, Ohio State, Purdue and Notre Dame being a few of the other HM programs to extend scholarships.
Ah, Matt! You totally had my hopes up until I read that last line of Bidunga's eval. Thanks for the recruiting update!
Bidunga has a sweet stroke, and I hope we land him.
For his play AND his name.
If so, my future favorite shirt will be a picture of him slamming the ball with the words BIDUNGA DUNK underneath it.
More stellar basketball recruiting news
Curious about the "major connections with Cincinnati" regarding Bidunga. Just how big of a deal are the "connections"? Does this mean there is a 99% chance he signs with Cincinnati? 90% chance? 50%??? And I'm more curious from the standpoint of understanding the overall college hoops scene, versus "should I get my hopes up as an M fan" perspective. I get that connections matter, but are they so important that they will completely dictate where a kid goes?
Reading your last two posts, there doesn't seem to be a ton cooking in the recruiting pipeline. That's surprising given our roster situation and the recruiting ability we initially though Juwan had. Especially since our 2023 class consists of one player.
Is this just the result of a down year on the court? Is Juwan struggling on the recruiting front? It seems like him and the program would still have strong appeal.
This is rough.
Hopefully Howard figures out how to make the most of this misfit roster and maybe that can turn around recruiting. It's amazing watching Rutgers recruit at such a high level and will probably string together multiple good classes while Michigan looks very meh.
Look at what Shrewsberry is doing at Notre Dame after Penn St. Something is off with Michigan basketball right now. Too many people departing, rumors of Love not even coming, haven’t officially welcomed any of the three transfers, 24 recruiting is meh at best. Juwan’s best attribute is supposed to be recruiting and I’m not seeing enough talent coming in to offset the head coaching learning curve. Maybe the rest of the summer will fix it all and it’ll get rolling by season but I’m not optimistic by what I’m seeing on the court or on the recruiting trail.
The program clearly isn't in a good place. It's unfortunate that this roster is pretty bad because I think Howard has to really exceed expectations to keep his job, you can't see 3 years of decline at a big program like Michigan.
Hard to care much about high school recruiting when any good recruit will underwhelm then go pro and most other recruits will sit on the bench then transfer. All that matters in today's college basketball is recruiting the portal.
Which has been iffy for Michigan as well. Limited by other programs paying top money to come there and also they have to either be a grad transfer or just finished freshman year or they most likely won’t get into Michigan. Relying on the portal for a key piece or two won’t be that big of a deal. Relying on the portal to construct a roster at Michigan isn’t possible.
I don't even know now what I want to hear about recruiting.
I can't generate any enthusiasm when I hear about recruiting some 5 star because we probably aren't gong to offer enough money to get him and even if we do he will take time to adjust to the college game and his new teammates (who are also still adjusting) and about the time he (and they) start to look like a team the season is over and so is his college career. And if he (they) aren't able to adjust in 1 year he (they) will probably still go pro or hit the portal..
I guess I'll get the most interested when I hear they're recruiting a mediocre 4 star so there's hope he might stay around and become a good college player after a couple years.
This is hopefully something Matt can answer is why we didn't go after Eric Dailey? He seemed like the perfect guy for what we want a versatile forward. I know he shot up to #37 on 247 and I thought if we offered he would commit or if he was a take he would have committed? Did I miss anything?
Figuring out the portal is better than recruiting high school kids! Get a college kid who has two years in a college basketball or get a high school kid that might of played against underwhelming comp or developed way too early?
Michigan basketball recruiting seems to be a cycle, go all in on a national 5* recruit we have very little shot at. Follow that up by not giving enough attention to the plan B 4* who wasnt feeling the love from Michigan and isn't going to come. Then eventually we end up at plan C who is probably an up transfer from a smaller college.
I hate how whenever I see 5 stars I immediately assume one and done, which is really half a season and done because it takes a while for them to adjust.
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