The Wolverines are intent on landing a lead-guard type for the 2022 class with Devante Jones and Zeb Jackson the only potential upperclassmen guards on the current roster a year from now. Jones may have professional aspirations and attrition in contemporary basketball is the expectation rather than the exception.  

While Michigan had their focus on a small group of guards over the last year, things have picked up recently as the travel-ball season kicks off and new names are added to the board. 

 

Definitely, Maybe?

Juwan Howard extended an offer to 4-star guard Seth Trimble earlier this week and it certainly sounds as if this is an opportunity that he coveted for quite some time based on his comments to 247 on Tuesday.

"It felt shocking. I couldn’t really do much but put a huge smile on my face and thank them for the opportunity. We were basically just finishing up a conversation, you know? Talking about what he liked most about my game and whatnot. Then (the offer) just came like that."

Things are heating up quickly with the Milwaukee-area native, as he locked in an official visit to Ann Arbor during the second week of June per the same article cited above. Though 247 message board chatter says Seth will re-schedule the OV to ensure numerous family members can also make the trip. Bringing in multiple family members for a visit generally bodes well and speaks to a certain level of interest in the host-school. 

Trimble is the brother of former UNC wing JP Tokoto. While the Tar Heels have yet to offer, things could get interesting if Hubert Davis decides to ramp up his pursuit. In any event, it feels as if Michigan has pole position right now and it wouldn't at all be surprising to see Seth pledge to the good guys shortly after his June visit.

He's currently undervalued by the mainstreams coming in just outside the top 100. Having viewed him live for several games in Louisville recently, Trimble had the look of a top 50-60 prospect. Interest from college coaches seems to align with my assessment. Illinois, Marquette, Purdue, Iowa, Indiana and Penn State have all extended offers since April.

He's definitely a good athlete with some vertical pop as a leaper and superior strength/core balance in a college ready frame. He's got a solid handle with some ability to change direction with a live dribble while being a plus shooter with good mechanics. There are some questions though, as Seth is around 6'2 and might not be a true point guard. It was difficult to evaluate his ability to playmake for others in my live viewing, as the vast majority of his possessions were isolation situations 35-40 feet from the basket with no set actions. While he did show some flashes of shot-creation for others, there was definitely more of a scoring-guard vibe. Again though, the context here made it challenging to get a true assessment in that regard. That said, I'd probably lean undersized SG based on that live viewing. 

[Hit THE JUMP for intriguing film on Jett and the status quo on Jaden Bradley + Dug McDaniel]

 

On-Ball Jett Howard?

The most recent film on 4-star Jett Howard in tandem with my live viewing earlier this Spring in Atlanta has pushed him to guard status for your author rather than a wing. Mostly a catch-and-shoot type that occasionally attacked closeouts at IMG during the HS season, I've seen enough flashes of on-ball shot creation to comfortably project him being a 2/3 rather than a 3/4 at Michigan. Additionally, I have it on solid authority that Juwan Howard does indeed plan to utilize Jett in some capacity as an on-ball type.

In what is undoubtedly a sign of things to come in Ann Arbor, Jett says Papa Howard had some choice words concerning his play in Texas over the weekend. While the younger Howard continues to say he's open to all schools per the linked interview above, he is the biggest lock for the 2022 class. 

 

Probably Not Happening

Once thought to be the future PG in Ann Arbor, top-70 guard Dug McDaniel seems to be trending elsewhere. McDaniel did schedule an OV for the first week of June per Rivals, but Trimble scheduling a visit one week later with a good portion of his family seems to indicate the staff may have him higher on their board at this point. It will be interesting to see if Dug makes his way to Ann Arbor considering the context here. In any event, I continue to hear Florida is the favorite right now.

5-star guard Jaden Bradley has been the Plan A option at the lead guard spot for some time, but a few months back there was a lot of smoke pointing to an imminent commitment to Kentucky that never happened. Last week I reported that Bradley was in no rush to make a college decision and the pro-option was gaining steam as potential option. 

Bradley says he's working to set up visits, but no mention of Michigan in his most recent interview with 247 earlier this week. Again, Jaden doesn't appear to be in any rush with is recruitment, which could possibly support the thought that he's weighing out the viability of the professional option.