Cole Huff Update

Submitted by CaliUMfan on

I mentioned in the last Cole Huff thread that I work with his father at a High School in Inglewood. He stands outside my classroom between each class period and we talk basketball so I have a fairly good relationship for aquiring inside info in this case. I just spoke with him an gathered some valuable intel. 

Cole "won" his  appeal to Nevada's blocked schools. They unblocked 5 schools: Pepperdine, San Diego State, UCLA, USC and I think Santa Barbara. Cole is not interested in USC because he does not like their coaches (there was a situation with one of their assistants when Cole was a senior in high school that has soured him to that staff). The only one of those schools that he is really interested in is UCLA. He is still waiting to hear from them. His former AAU coach told him on Saturday that UCLA wanted to do an in home visit today or tomorrow but he has not heard anything since. IF UCLA offers, they will be the favorite. 

The current favorite is Iowa. Cole and his dad are planning a visit and have very strong interest. Creighton has been pushing hard and he likes them as well but they seem to be behind Iowa. 

It does not sound like Michigan has acctually given commitable offers to Cole or Byron Wesly just yet. Cole's dad told me that Belien is only really interested in the two of them if McGary decided to leave and the coaching staff is still waiting on that decision (from the sound of it the Mitch is still genuinely undecided). It was somewhat unclear if Huff and Wesley were only interested in Michigan if McGary left or if Michigan was only interested in them in McGary's gone. Either way, those two are only in the fold if McGary is not. I realize that that doesn't really make sense since they would have to sit out a year and McGary is likely gone after next year either way, but that is the information I was given. Maybe with MAAR's commitment they don't have the scholarship to offer but I was under the impression that they still had one spot open. 

I will try to gather more information and clear up some of the ambiguities in the post after the next class period ends. 

CaliUMfan

April 21st, 2014 at 11:51 AM ^

He doesn't. I didn't even ask for this information. I just mentioned that I read Cole was consindering Michigan on a blog (obviosly he knows I am a fan and I talk up Belien constantly) and he shared the information above. I probably should ask him if it's ok to share but it is sort of too late now. 

Jon06

April 21st, 2014 at 11:58 AM ^

I'd take it down if I were you. It's not really cool to play journalist with things people tell you privately.

What I do with information like this, if I think it should be public, is put it in the hands of a real journalist (namely, MGoBrian) and tell him how I got it, so he can use it on (deep) background if he wants. That's what I did, for example, when DMo's parents told me in the stands of a basketball game that the basketball coaches had changed his shot his freshman year, which explains the jump in his shooting percentages between his freshman and sophomore years. (I think this is the first time I've actually posted that publicly, and only because it obviously doesn't matter now.)

CaliUMfan

April 21st, 2014 at 12:11 PM ^

I think his dad would be ok with what I shared. I actually did leave a few details out about specific things Cole likes or doesn't like about individual schools/coaches because I didn't think he would want that info public. 

Jeff M

April 21st, 2014 at 12:09 PM ^

Right -- essentially MAAR is taking Stauskas' spot, and Dawkins is (hopefully) taking GRIII's spot. No plans to medical Hatch just yet, so there's only an open transfer spot if McGary leaves. Will be interesting to see if this evolves differently if Dawkins ends up elsewhere and either of the transfers are still in the mix.

alum96

April 21st, 2014 at 12:13 PM ^

Going into the weekend I thought they'd pick Dawkins OR MAAR... and they'd go after Huff pretty hard even though he had to sit out a year.  Obviously we've had a lot more information come out since then to change that view. That said as the OP stated it is a bit strange that they'd only offer Huff if Mitch left since it would not help next year and the year after we have Wilson Chatman etc who are Huff-like.   If Wesley played a different position it would make a lot more sense to go after Wesley IF Mitch left since you have an immediate replacement but since he is a SG and not a SF/PF that doesn't really 'fit'.

Or it could be quite simple when we see the offers to MAAR and Dawkins.  Beilin has talked enough to the family that if UCLA comes after Huff, he gone. So bird in hand theory.  Iowa as the leader kind of confuses me though for the Midwest - no idea why'd you choose Iowa and its cosmpolitan campus and its bball program over UM at this point IF you were headed to the Midwest.  But from all accounts he wants to stay close to home if he can.

Mmmm Hmmm

April 21st, 2014 at 4:08 PM ^

I have no doubt that the OP accurately reported the conversation and Huff was being forthright about his feelings. However, this comment (about no offer yet and the McGary contingency) hits it right on the head. Not always, but frequently it seems that offering a prospect increases their interest. Conversely, it is rare that a kid who didn't dream of Michigan all his life will have Michigan as the favorite prior to getting a (real) offer.

Kudos to Beilein for being honest (which was the implication of the OP); hopefully that means that Huff gets more excited about Michigan if offered and has no hard feeling if Mitch stays.

Raoul

April 21st, 2014 at 5:06 PM ^

Byron Wesley is a graduate transfer and so wouldn't have to sit out a year. Also, his AAU coach didn't include Michigan on the list of schools recruiting him:

EDIT: Eisenberg has a follow-up story on Wesley in which his father says his favorite is Gonzaga, followed by Pitt and MSU. The list of eight is a tentative one, and it could take him a few weeks to select a new school.

LSAClassOf2000

April 21st, 2014 at 12:24 PM ^

Thanks to the OP for sharing this information, first and foremost. 

On Friday, there was an interesting tidbit at UMHoops about how Huff wanted to possibly play the three to showcase his skills, but I would assume - as Dylan Burkhardt does - that even the four at Michigan would give him that sort of freedom perhaps. Some of the numbers from that piece:

"Huff scored 1.57 points per possession on pick-and-pop scenarios last season with a 76 eFG%, good for the 99th percentile nationally. He also graded out as a good spot up shooter. He’s a a more efficient post-up player than isolation player, but 12% of his offensive possessions were isolations last season."

El Jeffe

April 21st, 2014 at 12:29 PM ^

I wish the young man good luck in deciding, but Iowa seems... strange.

Hopefully for his sake they won't be the dumpster nuclear winter they were at the end of last year. 

jaked1247

April 21st, 2014 at 3:25 PM ^

Cole Huff was a sophomore this year right? If he was, then the coaching staff from USC that recruited him his Senior year is gone. They were fired and replaced by the Florida Gulf Coast coach after the tourney last year. Not sure how the previous staff would affect his situation with this one, or if he just isn't aware that this is a new USC staff. 

Raoul

April 21st, 2014 at 9:56 PM ^

From Huff's former AAU coach:

reanimator

April 21st, 2014 at 10:39 PM ^

Think we are out of it for Huff.

 

If we have a scholarship after McGary and Dawkins decide, we should make a run at Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk. We are in his top 4 and 1 or 2 of those other teams may have no scholarships.