With Hunter Dickinson likely gone in 2022 after a lengthy flirtation with professional options and Moussa Diabate having one-and-done potential, Michigan is absolutely taking a true center in the 2022 class. The Wolverines' options are running thin, as the staff will likely identify new targets starting with this week's live evaluation period. The full rundown at the center position below.

The New Plan A

After Donovan Clingan pledged to UConn and Jalen Duren eliminated Michigan, 4-star Tarris Reed has functionally shot to the top of the board at the center position. The St. Louis native made his way to Ann Arbor last week for an official visit and 247's Sam Webb has sources that believe Michigan did well enough on the OV to be a viable threat. Tarris himself said that player development will be key to his decision-making process in an interview last weekend. Nearly every prospect in the country drops the obligatory player development line, but if that truly is the criteria then Juwan Howard is a very attractive option given his own personal experience in tandem with the absolute beast that is Hunter Dickinson.

On my end I was told that Ohio State was the clear leader after a strong official to Columbus a few weeks back. Fast forward to now and Reed doesn't seem to be in any rush in terms of a timeline per the linked interview above, so this may give Juwan Howard and staff the requisite time to make up ground here, if they haven't already. For what it's worth, Oklahoma was making a strong push to get Tarris on campus for an OV, but they are now out of the picture per a source. Reading between the lines, this seems to be a case where Tarris knows his best fit is the B10, with Michigan battling Ohio State, Michigan State and Purdue. 

Still Alive

Top-10 prospect Dereck Lively has Michigan in a final 7, but it feels as though the Wolverines are really in the back-end of that group. Lively completed his blueblood tour fresh off an official visit with Duke after completing an OV with Kentucky a few weeks ago.

As if the competition wasn't already stiff enough, Lively is now openly entertaining the professional route per this interview with Pro Insight:

"It's definitely something I'm open to, but it's just going to take a while for me to figure out if I'm going to take the college route or the G-League/Overtime route. I'm not sure what I'm going to do yet so I still have time."

When it comes to Michigan, the primary appeal is Juwan Howard per the aforementioned interview.

"When it comes to other schools like Michigan, I would be working with Juwan Howard himself and throughout my training."

Dereck using the term "other" when speaking of schools exclusive of Kentucky, Duke and UNC is telling in my opinion. And that has a correlation with my information that Kentucky is the team to beat here. This recruitment feels like Michigan is trying to hold-on to something that is likely slipping away, particularly with the pro-option now in play.

[Hit THE JUMP for Flip and the Wait-And-See Options]

Don't Get Your Hopes Up

Juwan Howard extended an offer to 5-star (for me) Kyle Filipowski two weeks ago after watching him during the live evaluation period. No need for me to provide an extensive evaluation. My ranking of him as a 5-star for months while mainstreams have him in the 50-90 range tells you all you need to know about my opinion.

And much like the discussion of his skillset, I'll keep it brief concerning his recruitment. As mentioned in May, Filipowski plays travel-ball for the nephew of Duke leading man Mike Krzyzewski. Kyle was on campus at Duke for an official visit last week and picked up four crystal balls in favor of the Blue Devils in the immediate aftermath. I don't think you need me to tell you how this one is likely to end. 

Ernest Udeh: Athletic Rim Protector and Powerful Finisher

Florida big man Ernest Udeh is perhaps the fastest-rising prospect in America right now. 247 bumped all the way up to top-25 status in their most recent rankings update and he's picked-up offers from Baylor, Kansas, Stanford, Indiana, Florida, Alabama, Miami, Illinois among others in the last month.

I've been high on Udeh since seeing him last year at the Showtime Roundup in Orlando and again in April at the OTR Sweet 16 (film above). He's not a legit 7-footer, but he is an imposing physical presence with a great motor that finishes with authority on lobs/dumpoffs and protects the rim at a high level.

Ernest has an outstanding academic resume and would be a great fit in Ann Arbor. I've spoken to him and things are still in the infancy stages with Michigan (no talks of a visit as of last week). The plan is to watch him in July, make an assessment and take it from there. That seems to align with Udeh's own timeline per this interview with Rivals from yesterday.

“After the live period I’ll do all my research and whatnot then narrow down my list. I really haven’t sat down and taken the time to look at my options. I’ll be doing that this upcoming fall.”

Seems like a good option if things don't go as planned with Tarris Reed given the respective timelines.

Christ Essandoko: Trevion Williams + 3 Inches

4-star Christ Essandoko (for me, 247 has him as generic 3-star after update) rivals Udeh's rise with offers from Ohio State, Illinois, Maryland, West Virginia, Pitt and Providence in the last month.

A legit 6'11, Christ resembles a larger Trevion Williams as an outstanding passer with good footwork that is capable of stretching the defense beyond the arch. He doesn't move all that well, but you can use his massive frame as a rim deterrent to good effect in drop coverage much like Hunter Dickinson.

Michigan started showing preliminary interest back in June after watching Essandoko via livestream at the Under Armour event in Indianapolis. The plan is to watch him during the live evaluation periods and assess his standing on the board.

I speak with Essandoko/his coach often and this is a very winnable recruitment right now. He recently took an OV with Maryland and I wouldn't consider the Terps a huge threat as of now. An unofficial visit with N.C. State didn't really move the needle. Providence is the team to beat right now. If Juwan Howard pushes hard, this could end up going well.

Dominick Campbell: Stretch Big With Skill

I've hinted since early June that Dominick Campbell was an up-and-coming prospect that caught the eye of the staff when he faced off versus Clingan in late May. I confirm the intrigue has now turned into interest, as the staff has now made contact. 

Campbell finally made his debut in the mainstream rankings, checking in at #132 for 247. The offer list is much more impressive, as Illinois, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Stanford, South Carolina, Minnesota, Virginia Tech, Providence and Penn State all extended offers within the last month.

I have yet to see him play live, but based on film he's in the Will Tschetter mold of undersized stretch 4/5 with good footwork and vision while having limited athleticism. Another prospect with superb academic standing.