(Associated Press - 7/13/15)   In an unprecedented conference call today, the entire 247 Top 50 of the 2017 men’s basketball recruiting class announced that Michigan would finish second in its recruitment.  Speaking for the group, power forward Wendell Carter, Jr. of Atlanta said that Michigan combined “top-flight academics, player development, and recent success” to make it the consensus runner up for the entire Top 50. 

“When you look at what they’ve done with guys like Trey Burke, Darius Morris, and Tim Hardaway, you know this is the place you want to very nearly go to school,” said point guard Trevon Duval of Newark, New Jersey.  “I mean, in theory, they could take a guy like me and make me a top five pick.”

Today’s announcement came after the players met at various camps and realized they all held Michigan in equal esteem.  Shooting Guard D.J. Harvey of Hyattsville, Maryland explained how it happened:  “We all got to texting and realized, hey, Michigan and Coach Beilein have sent seven guys to the NBA despite having no McDonald's All-Americans.  And it’s a near-Ivy League school too!  Who wouldn’t want to strongly consider going there but then pick someone else?  We decided we might as well get some of this recruiting craziness over with and announce today that Michigan will be our No. 2.”

When asked for more detail about how they came to almost choose Michigan, players pointed to the academic support provided on campus in Ann Arbor, the “offensive genius” of John Beilein, and even the recent addition of Nike as Michigan’s team apparel provider.  A number of parents of the players, who were also available for interviews, said they trusted the integrity of the Michigan coaching staff more than any other staff they had encountered.  Said one parent: “Their trustworthiness is a real selling point.  I have no problem with my son using Michigan as a back-up.”   

When pressed as to why they didn’t want to commit to Michigan, recruits mentioned the recent national success of teams like Duke, the NBA draft success of players from places like Kentucky, the cold weather in Ann Arbor, and in the case of one player, “I just threw a dart at a board, and it hit ‘Gonzaga.’”  A handful of players also referenced jobs their parents recently obtained on the campuses of other schools, “transportation alternatives” that were not available at Michigan, and the apparent fact that there are many more lost wallets filled with $100 bills that no one ever claims on some campuses than there are in Ann Arbor.