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 Wolverine board expanded quickly after the staff identified new prospects during the live evaluation period.

I hit the road over the weekend, making stops in Augusta and Indianapolis for the Nike EYBL and Under Armour shoe-circuit events. I now have a firm grip on pecking order with the bigs after gathering the latest intel and will cover each option in order of staff preference (as opposed to most likely).

Reed Sets Decision Date

4-star Tarris Reed will go public with his commitment on August 5th. Last week I placed my hypothetical crystal ball confidence in the 5-6 range. As an update, my CB confidence would be 9 if Reed were making his decision today. But there is more than a week to go, and in the recruiting world that is a lifetime of opportunity for others to make last ditch efforts. 

Michigan has the most recent visit in late June and the only real competition at this point is Ohio State. The Buckeyes just landed Tarris' AAU teammate in top-50 center Felix Okpara, so all things point to Michigan for Reed barring a last-minute change of heart. 

The St. Louis native was one of the most impressive bigs during EYBL play, putting up 15.4 points, 6.9 rebounds and nearly a block per game against the very best HS competition in the world. This would be a great get by the staff, as Tarris is a legit back-to-the-basket scorer with solid vision as a passer and some upside as a shooter that can face-up and put the ball on the floor for a dribble or two.

I'll answer the inevitable question now - I'd lean toward Reed for Michigan if given the choice between Tarris/Okpara. In a vacuum, both prospects are in the same tier, with Okpara being a better defender by a healthy margin, while Reed has a significant advantage offensively. The difference? Tarris will  be coached by Juwan Howard and Okpara will not. 

[Hit THE JUMP for the not-happening options and a full audition]

Believe It When I See It

5-star Dereck Lively continued his ascension as perhaps the best prospect in America (will likely be my #1 overall prospect - how many bigs in the world can put together 3 consecutive possessions like the one clipped above?) with a superb effort in the Peach Jam championship game finishing with 13 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks. No need to dissect his game. This an NBA defender in terms of size/length/athleticism that is coming on rapidly as a shooter/scorer.

Much like his on-court assessment, I'm simply not going to do a deep-dive on this recruitment. Michigan is still making a push as evidenced by the staff's presence for Dereck's games last week, but isn't a serious player until Lively actually makes it to campus for a visit. I'll assume this is a Kentucky/Professional Route battle until it isn't. 

Make Me A Believer Part II

Versatile and skilled big Kyle Filipowski saw his Peach Jam run cut short by Covid. But that didn't stop him from putting on a show during his eight game stint where he went for 13 points, 8.2 rebounds, nearly 4 assists and 1.2 blocks per contest while shooting 46.2% beyond the arch. Kyle is going to be a potent offensive weapon at the college level without question.

The same logic that applied to Lively is also at play here. The staff is using time/resources for Kyle during last week's live evaluation period, but the Wolverines aren't a legit option until he makes his way to Ann Arbor. Here is your weekly reminder that Filipowski plays travel-ball for the nephew of Duke leading man Mike Krzyzewski and all six crystal balls are in favor of the Blue Devils. This appears to be a one-horse race with everybody fighting for the right to be second. 

Playing For An Offer

Fast-rising forward/center Yohan Traore played well enough in Birmingham to spark serious interest from the leading man at Michigan, as he was front in center in Omaha to watch his games in Omaha the subsequent weekend. Unfortunately, Traore suffered a minor ankle injury during the late stages of a Saturday game. Yohan sat out last week's evaluation period where his team was playing in Las Vegas (competition wasn't good) in an effort to be fully healthy for this week's NBPA Top 100 camp.

I checked in on things yesterday and this is absolutely a case where Traore will be fully evaluated and playing for an offer this week in Orlando. While Juwan Howard definitely liked what he saw in Birmingham + Omaha, he didn't get a chance to see Yohan live when he was at his best. With Kyle Fililpowski not expected to attend and Dereck Lively potentially not showing up either, all eyes from the Michigan staff will be focused on Traore and this is his opportunity to make a statement. 

There has certainly been interest from Yohan's side during the initial courtship, but until an offer is extended this one can't really be considered serious. If Yohan is healthy, I'm of the opinion he'll do enough to reel-in an offer. Of the remaining wing/big options, he would be my number one choice exclusive of Dereck Lively.