Brent Hibbitts to visit (Basketball)

Submitted by Padog on

Unsigned forward Brent Hibbitts is visiting Michigan Thursday. 

http://www.umhoops.com/2015/05/06/unsigned-senior-forward-brent-hibbitts-to-visit-michigan/

He is 6-8 and has offers from American, Youngstown State, Central Michigan, Lehigh, and Toledo. 

It will be interesting to see how this plays out since it wouldn't really be the best to use up a scholarship for the next 4 years. However, if you can get him on a scholarship this year and maybe have him walk-on, it could be a nice move.

Erik_in_Dayton

May 6th, 2015 at 11:15 AM ^

I realize John Beilein's socks know more about basketball than I do, but the team can't be 1/3 guys who didn't have power conference offers.  And they don't have any positional needs for 2015. 

Take this guy, and you then need two current players to leave the team before 2016 if you're going to be able to add a PG and a SG.  And why stop recruiting Seth Towns if you might take this kid?

ypsituckyboy

May 6th, 2015 at 11:33 AM ^

Of course there is the possibility that Wagner has issues with his TOEFL test or some other qualifying factor, but I haven't heard any rumors that that's actually happened. Just that that's a possibility, which, of course.

Tater

May 6th, 2015 at 4:29 PM ^

I am concerned that Wagner hasn't signed yet and I am willing to trust whatever Beilein does at this point.  We really have no idea what is going on behind the scenes.  I think the results have been more than satisfactory so far.

ypsituckyboy

May 6th, 2015 at 11:31 AM ^

He'd have to be a walk-on. If anyone got that open scholarship, it'd be Sean Lonergan.

As far as his game, I really like it. He's got a lot of skill for a 6'8" guy. It's just that he really lacks in the athleticism category. If he had explosiveness, he'd remind me of Mickey Mitchell.

Lanknows

May 6th, 2015 at 1:42 PM ^

It'll be interesting to see if anything comes of this. Michigan has an open scholarship in 2015 (but not 2016 where they need a PG).  They can use it to reward someone on their roster (e.g., Lanigan) or they can use it to entice a marginal recruit.

They could give this kid one scholarship year, while he red-shirts, as enticement and then revert him to a conventional walk-on role for the 3-4 years after that.  He'd essentially be a practice player with upside for more later down the line. Maybe a 25% tuition reduction is worth it

Yes, this opens him up to leave after one year if he wants to, but we're obviously not talking about an NBA-caliber talent here.  Transferring would have a cost for him too.  And, if by some chance he IS that good, they can elect to give him a scholarship later...

Unorthodox, but feasible.

 

 

Lanknows

May 6th, 2015 at 4:06 PM ^

thanks!

But I wonder how that works in practice with walk-ons.  Not every walk-on will get 4 years, but some will still get one, two or three.  Would it just mean they can't get it freshman year.  That would seem odd.

pbmd

May 6th, 2015 at 11:41 AM ^

Basketball recruiting for Michigan is very disappointing.
Decent success on court-2 big championships, 2 good tournaments.
Very little for fans who look at recruiting as a sport in its self.




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YoOoBoMoLloRoHo

May 6th, 2015 at 11:47 AM ^

Hard to fathom the need or scholly availability for another 3/4.

Really puzzled by JB's recruiting and roster moves the last 2 years.

Hopefully his grand plan will deliver a B1G contender the next few years.

MichiganMAN47

May 6th, 2015 at 12:27 PM ^

Why is everyone so quick to discount Beilein's recruiting? He has found hidden gem after hidden gem, yet fans are still bitching about him.



Hidden gems:

Morgan

Burke

Hardaway

GR3

Stauskas

LeVert

Albrecht

Rahkman

Dawkins

Robinson?

Wagner?



Many start bitching about players before they've even seen the court. Beilein is an exceptional recruiter, if you guys stop star gazing. You'd think people would learn their lesson eventually, especially after Dawkins and Rahkman this year.

Bambi

May 6th, 2015 at 1:12 PM ^

GR3 was a 5 star but only after he committed to Michigan. He wasn't a top 100 player at the time of his commitment and his best offer besides us was from
Colorado.

And Stauskas wasn't a "highly touted, high 4 star". He was a borderline top 100 player with offers from Iowa State and Stanford. Not a bad recruit by any means, but not a guy who was supposed to be a top 10 pick.

Franz Schubert

May 6th, 2015 at 1:47 PM ^

We're highly recruited by major programs. Stauskas actually had a Kansas offer so painting him or GR3 as hidden gems is reaching. Recruiting has flatlined and its fortunate Beilein has good talent evaluation or the program would be in real trouble. Even with his excellent evaluations it's still hit and miss when you think of Vogrich, Brundage, Christian, Mclimans, LLP and Beilfelt.

CRISPed in the DIAG

May 6th, 2015 at 12:38 PM ^

Word. But I'm ready for another 5* because draftable talent is what carries teams to the Final Four.  Your list provides a handful of players who are now paying taxes on NBA wages. Our current roster is filled with many of those hidden gems but I'm struggling to see how guys not named LaVert will be threatening the 1st round.  Maybe they bloom in 15-16, but I'd feel a lot better if Jaylen Brown, et al, would have committed.

BigBlue02

May 6th, 2015 at 6:39 PM ^

How about a guy that was around #25 in the rankings and another around #37 in the rankings? Could those be guys that could help Levert win us games next year? Or how about a redshirt freshman ranked around #85 and a true freshman that, if he played in the states, would be a borderline 5 star guy? Could they help us get far in the tournament next year? Wisconsin didn't have more talent last year than we will have next year and they roughed up the big 10. I swear this board is delusional if they think a) that we absolutely have to have a bunch of 5 stars to get back to the final game and b) that beilein is somehow failing in recruiting. Next year, we could have an entire starting five of top 100 players, and that isn't even counting our national player of the year candidate, RAAK, Doyle, spike, our transfer who won player of the year as a freshman, and Dawkins.

CRISPed in the DIAG

May 7th, 2015 at 2:49 PM ^

It's more delusional to assume that Beilein can continue to win with underrated rosters.  

Are you assigning the above rankings to our current roster? Cool.  As I said, the only player discussed as a 1st rounder is Lavert and that statement involves making an assumption w/r/t his health and upward trajectory.  Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown - a top-5 prospect, let alone a 5* - would likely have been selected in the first round of the NBA draft if the NCAA didn't force basketball players to play school for a year.  

Every Roh Has …

May 6th, 2015 at 1:02 PM ^

His brother (I believe) Blake is a two sport guy at CMU. Is pretty much the 6th player on the basketball team, and then is a pitcher for the baseball team. I wonder if the younger Hibbets is also dual sport inclined.

TheBlueAbides

May 6th, 2015 at 1:25 PM ^

He played well against Muskegon in the playoffs in 3 OTs but if memory serves me didn't Davis foul out early in that one? It was still a loss without Davis available for a lot of that game.




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Boner Stabone

May 6th, 2015 at 9:04 PM ^

I would love to see Hibbitts hit it big since he is from my hometown.  I think he would be comparable to a Blake McClimans (sp?) type of player if he did end up at UM.