With the global health crisis bringing campus visits and live evaluations to a screeching halt, the staff is hitting the recruiting trail hard with Zooms, Facetimes and the like. There’s been a flurry of activity over the last week as Juwan and company are utilizing the down time to establish relationships with a growing number of offered prospects and targets.

Back to the Future

(Phenom Hoop Report)

I caught up with 2021 offer Angelo Brizzi over the weekend. Once again, assistant coach Phil Martelli is using the groundwork laid at St. Joe’s to get a leg-up on a bigger platform at Michigan.

“My Dad has been in contact with Coach Martelli since he was with Saint Joe’s. I started speaking with Coach Howard recently and had a Zoom call with the full staff a few days ago. We have a strong relationship with Michigan.”

Brizzi is slated to have another virtual meeting with the staff this week, his second in the span of roughly a week. No leaders just yet, but Michigan is firmly in the mix here.

This is a Beilein-esque kid if there ever was one. Unranked, outstanding shooter, not a superb athlete, high academic standing and a late riser that is quickly emerging on the national scene. Funny how things come full circle.

[After THE JUMP: Martelli fan nonfiction]

More Martelli!

Westtown (PA) guard and top-40 prospect Jalen Warley reportedly conducted another Zoom call with the staff last week.

As I detailed last week, Warley has serious family ties to Coach Martelli as both his Father and Uncle suited up for Martelli at St. Joe’s.

While a few calls don’t necessarily translate to a commitment with a high-profile prospect, family connections and consistent contact are indicative of a certain level of mutual interest that may very well pay dividends down the road.

Gaining Steam?

Don’t take my word for it, but the Wolverines are picking up the pace with 5-star center Chet Holmgren.

Elite 2021 recruit Chet Holmgren discusses which schools have prioritized him, who he's done Zoom calls with and the NBA players he's studying. | Story + Video Interview: https://t.co/pQdQCuKrP5 pic.twitter.com/5dsm4xZxf6

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) May 13, 2020

While I don’t think we’re at a point where we can say Michigan is among the top group, multiple calls within a one week duration can only be seen as a positive.

This is a recruitment that will play out over the long haul, as Holmgren told 247 he’s waiting on attrition, recruiting additions and transfers before he makes a decision. In other words, a late signing period commitment.

The Week in Wings

(Rivals)

Pace Academy (GA) junior Matthew Cleveland held a virtual meeting with Michigan last week.

Cleveland was offered two weeks ago and had been in frequent contact with the staff for quite a while prior to that. The combination of positional need, the academic factor and Juwan’s recruiting prowess likely means we get serious consideration for the athletic slasher out of Atlanta.

Five star Trevor Keels also met with the Wolverines virtually last week. Keels’ father provided insight on Michigan’s pitch:

“They think the style of play fits them. A lot of ball screens, shooter. Two of his teammates [Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams] from AAU are there, but they really believe the style of play fits Trevor. And they’re really big on development.”

Papa Keels’ outlook on Villanova in the same piece is detail oriented to the extent where it feels as if Jay Wright sits in pole position. Michigan will be in it here because of AAU connections with 2020 commits Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams, but I get the vibe that Keels is Nova’s to lose.

I first reported 4star Kobe Bufkin scheduled a virtual meeting with LSU and coach Will Wade last week. As anticipated, Wade extended an offer on Friday.

My continued suggestion is to temper expectations despite what Rivals has been pushing for months. DePaul is a program seriously involved and I’d expect LSU to make a move as well. That’s not to say the Wolverines aren’t under heavy consideration, but this is nowhere near a slam dunk.

Its been a while since Michigan has been mentioned in connection with 5star Max Christie. In his blog with Sports Illustrated, Christie mentions seven programs recruiting him the hardest, none of which are Michigan.

Probably safe to remove Christie from the equation barring another push by the staff.

Still Searching for a Big?

Top 40 junior Efton Reid expressly mentioned Michigan among the schools pursuing him the hardest last week. He also confirms that he’s seriously considering the option to reclass as a 2020 prospect.

The million dollar question is whether the Wolverines are one of the programs that would take him as a 2020. With the lack of depth at the center position, one can certainly see the appeal, but how desirable is that option for Reid when top 50 big Hunter Dickinson is already on board? I have my doubts.

New 2022 Target

6’7 combo-forward Tyler Nickel tells me that Michigan reached out to him last week. Nickel’s game looks a lot like former 2021 target and MSU commit Pierre Brooks. A physically developed prospect with a pull-up jumper that looks likely to contribute early in college while sticking around at least 3 years. A possible Terrance Williams replacement, Tyler is one to monitor moving forward.