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, the staff will look to add guard depth via 2023 HS prospects. 

Let's take a look at the pecking order heading into this weekend's live evaluation period.

Marvel Allen

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

High School/AAU: Montverde Academy (FL)/Nike EYBL The Skill Factory (GA)

Mainstream Ranking: As predicted, Allen's stock is slipping. He's now down to #50 overall on 247 and #69 overall for On3. Still holding on to top-25 overall status with both Rivals and ESPN, but I'd anticipate those services following suit as well. 

EM Ranking/Evaluation: I've been subtle in saying that I'm not a huge fan of Allen. To be candid, Marvel has the look of a 100-150 level prospect as opposed to a borderline 5-star. He's a below-average shooter as a catch + shoot floorspacer (shooting 22.7% from distance during EYBL play) and isn't good enough as a playmaker for others to justify playing him on-ball with heavy volume. Allen is a solid athlete, but lacks twitch and doesn't possess great acceleration. But he is strong and can absorb contact when going downhill, getting to the charity stripe at a nice clip for a guard. 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. There are connections here, as Allen is the former HS teammate of incoming freshman Greg Glenn. Current AAU teammate of Isaiah Collier for The Skill Factory as well, so the staff has evaluated Marvel extensively over the last year. Took OV to Georgetown in May and the Hoyas still seem to be a serious player here. Says he is 100% taking an official visit to Michigan with Florida State, Texas A&M and LSU being the other contenders. Reading between the lines, this seems similar to the Greg Glenn situation last year. Allen isn't as high on the board in relation to others, but might be the fallback option should we strike out with more coveted options. If Juwan Howard makes a serious push and Marvel does end up visiting, it's likely Marvel ends up in the class. 

[After THE JUMP: Fading for Collier + Holloway?]

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)

Mainstream Ranking: Now a top-5 overall prospect to both On3 and Rivals. 247 bumped him up to #10 overall. 

EM Ranking/Evaluation: After watching Collier extensively in the Spring, the projected impact is definitely that of a 5-star prospect with an extremely high floor. The 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. Particularly when considering that a good portion of the attempts are difficult pull-ups. He's 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 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. 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: Recently took visits to both UCLA and USC. The Bruins seem to be surging here, as he has extensive family on the West Coast and his brother currently resides in the area. Cincinnati is also a player here, as an assistant coach with the Bearcats has heavy connections with Collier's HS coach. Michigan is fully invested here and did a home visit with him in April, but a visit to Ann Arbor needs to happen in order for this one to be considered truly 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)

Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/top-50 prospect for all services exclusive of On3, which inexplicably dropped him all the way down to #93 overall.

EM Ranking/Evaluation: Projects to have the impact of top 40-60 level prospect. I watched Holloway in detail during this Spring 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: Visited Miami last weekend despite the Hurricanes not making his top five in April. Took OVs to Tennessee and Auburn in April with both Rick Barnes and Bruce Pearl sitting front row for every game I watched during EYBL Session II. Mom is a Michigan Alum, but the Wolverines don't seem to be a serious option here with a July decision looming. This seems to be an Auburn/Tennessee battle, with the Tigers holding the slight edge per On3.