With the travel ball season coming to an end, I've finalized my rankings for the 2023 class after extensive evaluation of well over 1000+ prospects from around the country. Full rankings here. 

As alluded to in previous recruiting updates, this class may very well be the worst collection of talent + depth in recent memory. To put this in context, I only issued 5-star status to nine prospects and the 4-stars end with the #98 overall prospect. And that may have been generous.

With that in mind it's important to adjust expectations in relation to the individual numerical rankings. In general, it's probably best to adjust down 10-20 spots for each prospect when setting expectations in terms of impact/production to account for the relative weakness of the 2023 class. 

Long story short, the numerical rankings for the 2023 class may not correlate to what one expects from a prospect typically ranked at a particular spot.

Here's a detailed look at serious Michigan targets.

 

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)

Final EYBL Stats: 10.2ppg, 8.5reb, 1.5blk, 54%% FG and 27.3% from distance on 33 attempts over 26 games

EM Ranking/Projected Impact:  4-star/#48 overall. Expected projection/production more closely aligns with that of a prospect ranked in the 50-70 range as a multi-year college player that may be all-conference level as an upperclassmen. Not likely to make big impact as a freshman.

Short Evaluation: 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.

Latest Recruiting Intel: Still in Africa visiting family, and not expected back until the first weekend of September. The expectation was for Kante to make a public commitment within the next month, but Memphis hired his AAU coach last week and that may complicate things. Papa told On3 that he is pretty far down the road in terms of the decision-making process, but he's still open to any new schools. That may seem hard to reconcile, but I'm inclined to think that means Michigan, Rutgers, Pitt and Maryland are the current top four, but the right school jumping in could change things. From a Michigan perspective, the June OV to Ann Arbor went about as well as it could. Kante is extremely fond of Juwan Howard. My hypothetical crystal ball in favor of Michigan remains at a 5-6 confidence level, but it would be disingenuous of me to say that Memphis hiring Andy Borman doesn't give some pause.

 

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)

Final EYBL Stats: 18.5ppg, 6.5asst, 4.8reb 

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.

Short Evaluation: High floor prospect with a college ready frame. Playmaking ability for others is off the charts. Better perimeter shotmaker than anticipated, particularly when considering that a good portion of the attempts are difficult pull-ups. Streaky as a shooter, but even if Collier is a consistent mid-30s type shooter from distance, that translates to a guy that has huge impact on the game given his ability to make others better and get downhill off the dribble. Average athlete in terms of acceleration/verticality, but outstanding strength/core balance that allows him to get where he wants off the bounce. He's not necessarily a shifty ballhandler, but he does have a solid handle and controls the ball while not being a big TO risk. 

Latest Recruiting Intel: The Wolverines were initially considered to be last in a race of four, but I'm told the official visit to Ann Arbor placed Michigan in the thick of things heading down the homestretch. Going into the competition's huddle, UCLA Insiders are still confident the Bruins lead, with USC running second, while some Cincinnati insiders openly admit they don't have a strong feel for where things stand. Last week, Collier himself told 247 that he's still in contact with each of his finalists, but is unsure if he'll take more visits and hasn't thought about a decision timeframe.............but thinks a decision will come sooner than later. Reading between the lines, it seems rather obvious that Isaiah isn't giving the media any solid intel and nobody has a true feel for where things are trending at this moment in time. I'm inclined to think this recruitment ends relatively soon and I have my fingers crossed just like everyone else. 

[Hit THE JUMP for Zayden High + Elmarko Jackson]

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)

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. 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. 

Short Evaluation: 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. 

Latest Recruiting Intel: I'm told that Zayden kept a good poker face for the majority of his OV to Ann Arbor. But the protective wall started to show signs of overt happiness on the final day of the visit. Gave standard fluff to Rivals in the aftermath. Much like Kante, HC Juwan Howard is resonating in a major way with High. Playstyle/lineup combinations under Coach Howard means that Zayden can realistically see himself playing a more perimeter oriented PF position, which is appealing to him. He plays things close to the vest, so its difficult to ascertain the primary competition. Took OV to Villanova in June along with unofficial visit to Texas. Accepted thought seems to indicate that North Carolina + Arkansas and the aforementioned programs are seriously in the mix. 

 

Elmarko Jackson

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'3 and 185 pounds. That appears very accurate to my eyes.

High School/AAU: Recently transferred to South Kent in CT (now teammates w/Papa Kante)/Under Armour WeR1 (DE)

EM Ranking/Projected Impact: 4-star/#27 overall. Expected projection/production of a prospect in the 30-50 range. Will be physically ready to compete at the high-major level from the day he steps foot on a college campus. But may need refinement as a decision-maker depending on his role given the roster construction for any given team. High ceiling with NBA potential depending on development. 

Short Evaluation: Twitchy athlete with some real acceleration + verticality + strength. Considerable improvement as a shooter over the last year means he's now an above-average perimeter shotmaker, particularly as a pull-up shooter. Above-average handle with ability to change direction/speed with a live dribble. Decision-making in terms of playmaking is still inconsistent, but there are flashes there that allow one to project him favorably in that regard. 

Latest Recruiting Intel: Expected to cut list this week. Last week Jackson told 247 that Maryland, Miami, Texas, UCLA and Villanova are the schools recruiting him the hardest. In an interview with Zags Blog the same day, he also listed VCU + Virginia as schools that have been consistent in their pursuits. Either way, no mention of Michigan doesn't seem particularly good. Still, I'd expect the Wolverines to be in consideration given the well-known family ties. But with an early-signing period decision coming, the staff needs to go all-in here if Elmarko is going to be in this class. As mentioned before, its not an either/or scenario with Collier + Jackson. The staff will absolutely take both. But that may be good/bad depending on one's interpretation.