With the addition of Jaelin Llewellyn and the departure of Frankie Collins, the Wolverine roster only has three true guards heading into the 2022-23 season. Barring more transfer additions to the backcourt, which seems unlikely, the staff will look to add guard depth via 2023 HS prospects. 

Let's take a look at the pecking order coming off the critical April live evaluation periods. 

 

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)

Weekend Performance: Sounds like Collier made a strong impression over the weekend at the Who Want The Smoke event in Texas. 247 has him in strong consideration for #1 PG in the nation as he continued to turn heads with his playmaking ability for others. 

Mainstream Ranking: 5-star/top 10-25 prospect overall

EM Ranking/Evaluation: After watching Collier extensively during EYBL Session II, the projected impact is definitely that of a 5-star prospect with an extremely high floor. Isaiah had a monster performance and his playmaking ability for others is off the charts as seen in my footage above. While he was a known commodity as a passer, I didn't anticipate him to be a perimeter shotmaker to the extent I witnessed in Indy. 45.8% from distance on 24 attempts is outstanding, particularly when considering that a good portion of those attempts were difficult pull-ups. He's streaky as a shooter, and I don't think he'll have another weekend where he shoots the ball that well. 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 bounce. Athletically, my initial comp of poor man's Jrue Holiday was relatively accurate. Isaiah doesn't have the vertical explosion of Holiday (hence poor man's version) and isn't quite as tall, but his strength/core balance is impeccable for a HS junior. Defenders bounce off him when he's attacking the paint and his physicality can be overwhelming. 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. Collier may actually be undervalued by services placing him in the 20s overall, as he absolutely looks the part of a top 8-15 prospect in the country. There is no doubt in my mind that he can step in and be a rotational player at Michigan from the day he steps on campus. There is a clear gap between Isaiah and the remaining prospects on this list. 

Recruitment: Isaiah has scheduled OVs to both USC and UCLA this week. While Collier attends HS in Georgia, he has extensive family on the West Coast and this definitely has a family vacation element to it as well. Michigan did a home visit with him a few weeks back and Isaiah informed me the Wolverines are among the schools recruiting him the hardest and also among the programs he is serious about. The staff is undoubtedly trying to get him to Ann Arbor for an official visit. If the OV materializes, then you know this one is getting very serious. 

 

Aden Holloway

Height/Weight: Listed at 6' - 6'1 and the 155-170 range. 6'0 and 165 looks about right. 

High School/AAU: La Lumiere HS(IN)/Nike EYBL Team CP3 (NC)

Weekend Performance: Didn't play the best competition at the Nightrydas Elite Invitational in Fort Lauderdale, but still looked the part of a top-50ish prospect.

Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/30-80 overall.

EM Ranking/Evaluation: Projects to have the impact of top 40-60 level prospect. I watched Holloway in detail during EYBL Session II and came away impressed. He's an extremely streaky shooter and not the most efficient player around, but his offensive skill passes the eye test as you can see in my footage above. The flashes are very encouraging, as he's capable of hitting pull-ups from distance and midrange, has NBA range as an off-ball floorspacer and good on-ball playmaking for others. The limiting factor is size + athleticism. He's not a twitchy athlete by any means and doesn't possess great agility/acceleration. But for me, it's not a huge issue at the college level because he answered my concerns regarding his ability to play point-guard/on-ball. The size + athleticism factor isn't as concerning if he's matched up against a similar-sized foe. The shotmaking + playmaking allows a coaching staff to optimize that versatility and field lineup combinations where Holloway wouldn't be exploited defensively. Aden reminds me a bit of Tennessee guard Zakai Zeigler. Holloway is a bit bigger and not as quick, but there is definitely some overlap in terms of offensive skillset and projected role. Has the look of a very good offensive player at the college level that may not have the physical attributes to be coveted by NBA GMs absent high-level production in college. 

Recruitment: Took an OV to Tennessee a few weeks back and Vols HC Rick Barnes was front row for every game I viewed in Indianapolis and remained there for the duration of those games. The Wolverines are in the mix here, as Mom is a Michigan alum, but Tennessee seems to be in front. Aden says he still needs to learn more about the Wolverines, but does plan on visiting.  Again, if a visit materializes then things are serious. Holloway is lower on the board in relation to Collier, but still a top-tier target. 

[After THE JUMP: A New Offer in 2024]

Marvel Allen

 

Height/Weight: 6'4/195 (listed measurements), most likely a legit 6'2 - 6'3 and 185-190

High School/AAU: Fort Lauderdale Calvary Christian HS (FL)/Nike EYBL The Skill Factory (GA)

Weekend Performance: Nothing of substance about his performance over the weekend

Mainstream Ranking: top-20 prospect overall to both the 247 + On3 composite rankings. 

EM Ranking/Evaluation: I've been subtle in saying that I'm not a huge fan of Allen and EYBL Session II further solidified that. To be candid, Marvel looked like a 100-150 level prospect. There wasn't a lot to like in terms perimeter skill. He's a below-average shooter as a catch + shoot floorspacer (and only attempted 6 triples in 4 games) and isn't good enough as a playmaker for others to justify playing him on-ball with heavy volume. What he does do is get to the charity stripe, with 15 FT attempts over the course of four games. Allen is a decent athlete, but lacks twitch and doesn't possess great acceleration. But he is strong and can absorb contact when going downhill. The fundamental issue for me is that he's functionally a bully-ball wing in the body of a SG. Just don't know that he has the necessary athleticism, given his size, to thrive in that sort of role in the B10. 

Recruitment: Offered in late March. Teammate of Isaiah Collier for Skill Factory, so the staff did evaluate him in Indianapolis. There are some connections here, as Allen attends the same HS as 2022 signee Greg Glenn. On the other hand, Marvel was committed to LSU prior to Will Wade's termination. Those two factors in tandem make this a unique recruitment from a Michigan perspective. Stock appears to be slipping. Took an OV to Georgetown last week and FSU stopped by to check on him the week prior, but there isn't as much buzz about him in relation to a year ago. 

 

2024 Durral Brooks

Height/Weight: Listed at 6'2 and 180 pounds and it checks out with the eye test.

High School/AAU: Grand Rapids Catholic Central (MI)/Nike EYBL The Family (MI)

Mainstream Ranking: Currently unranked

EM Ranking/Evaluation:  Above-average positional size + frame. Good passer/playmaker for others. Good midrange pull-up game. Above-average handle with some ability to change direction/speed with a live dribble. Solid athlete with good strength/core balance, but lacks twitchiness/explosion. Solid defender that slides his feet at the point of attack. The major blemish here for Brooks is that he's a poor shooter from distance. I've seen him no less than ten times since December and have yet to see him make a three during those live viewings. Durral's style of play (distinct from talent/resume) has shades of former Denver Nugget standout Andre Miller in that he's a bigger guard with good vision and an impeccable playmaker, but somewhat limited because he can't stretch the floor from distance while being a solid, but not great, athlete. 

Recruitment: Juwan Howard extended an offer Saturday. Other offers include Michigan State, Toledo, Western Michigan and Oakland. In the portal era, it's far too early to get invested in a HS sophomore. However, it is interesting that a guard offer was extended considering the 2024 class has an early pledge from Christian Anderson. I took in one game from Anderson in Indianapolis and I can see why the staff is looking at Brooks. Christian isn't more than 5'7 and played off-ball exclusively during that live viewing. While his reputation as an elite perimeter shotmaker appears well-deserved (he knocked down four threes in the game I took in at the 16u level), its difficult to envision a 5'7 SG at the B10 level, particularly one that may be a below average athlete. Absent a growth spurt, the staff may already be looking at contingency plans.