Michigan makes top 4 for 5* wing Caleb Houstan
https://247sports.com/Player/Caleb-Houstan-46093910/
https://twitter.com/TiptonEdits/status/1313886786779852801
Michigan joins UVA, Duke, and Bama in the top 4 for 5* wing Caleb Houstan out of Montverde. Houstan is one of the best shooters in the country and would be a huge get
October 7th, 2020 at 1:20 PM ^
Bama? Did Saban let the BB borrow a few bag men???
October 7th, 2020 at 1:25 PM ^
Yes
If you've noticed in the past couple years all of the SEC has randomly started recruiting really well in basketball? Hmmm I wonder why
October 8th, 2020 at 8:01 AM ^
The more sad thing here is that these very talented players going to Georgia, Tennessee, Auburn, Alabama, Texas...is such a waste of their time. They don't learn how to play the game. These schools have been bringing in a ton of physical talent for some time. Physical talent is wonderful but winning a basketball game requires more than being able to jump out of the gym.
I would love to see Houstan come to Michigan and employ his long-range shooting skills at the 3 or 4-or even the 2. And the real dream addition would be Holmgren...he would be quite the twin-tower alongside Dickinson...I would gladly "settle" for Reid.
October 8th, 2020 at 10:06 AM ^
Since 2013, Alabama has recruited pretty well. With 3 or 4 top 25 classes, and a few of those ranked ahead of Michigan when Coach Beilein was here. Part of this is due to shifting demographics and the other part is the extra incentive to play in the SEC.
October 8th, 2020 at 3:48 PM ^
What extra incentive?
October 7th, 2020 at 1:26 PM ^
Was thinking the same. I didn't know they had a basketball team...
October 7th, 2020 at 1:47 PM ^
....but we do know that the Engineering Dean is a real football guy!
October 7th, 2020 at 1:21 PM ^
Correct me if I'm wrong, but we've been making an awful lot of these lists lately.
Just not, you know, actually sealing the deal.
October 7th, 2020 at 1:25 PM ^
We gotta land one eventually
October 7th, 2020 at 1:43 PM ^
You would think right? Not holding my breath on this one though.
October 7th, 2020 at 1:48 PM ^
We are going for the most number of second place finishes and we are currently in first place!
October 7th, 2020 at 3:17 PM ^
I bet we end up in 2nd place for most 2nd place finishes.
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October 7th, 2020 at 6:01 PM ^
Perhaps if we explain to people that the cold is simply when the central heat in SE Michigan breaks down and we have the damnedest time getting the parts. They don't come until April sometimes, in fact...
October 7th, 2020 at 1:36 PM ^
Can't wait until we get into the final 2, with almost all crystal balls going to us, only to have a last minute change to a school we didn't know was even a possibility or now the G-league.
Sorry, a little jaded with 5* players "coming" to Michigan.
October 7th, 2020 at 1:41 PM ^
If I had a dollar for every “Top 4” we’ve been in for a 5 star recruit this century, I’d have about 85 dollars. Let’s hope this swings in favor of the good guys
October 7th, 2020 at 2:10 PM ^
From what I was able to gather, Michigan is in a functional top 3 here. Its worth monitoring the Trevor Keels situation here, if he chooses Duke then that will help the cause for Michigan.
October 7th, 2020 at 3:10 PM ^
Does Patrick Baldwin's decision influence Houstan as well or do you think Baldwin will still be undecided by the time Houstan makes his pick?
October 7th, 2020 at 4:01 PM ^
Baldwin inherently impacts Houstan based on numbers (Duke has 2 scholarships remaining), but he's the caliber of target you take regardless.............hence my statement that Keels is likely the one we need to monitor here. Mark Williams may be a one and done, so Duke may very well have room to take both if things work out that way.
Regardless though, Duke isn't as attractive from a playing time standpoint with Keels in the mix.
October 16th, 2020 at 12:12 PM ^
Matt, did you ever find anything else out on this? Seeing some stuff from 247 national guys implying Michigan might be co-leading here.
October 7th, 2020 at 2:16 PM ^
Literally just got word from a source that Michigan may lead here. I'll continue to monitor
October 7th, 2020 at 3:10 PM ^
Matt, I hope this is right. It was much easier to watch his highlight reel when I thought we only had a very slim shot. MUST NOT WATCH HIGHLIGHTS AGAIN!
October 7th, 2020 at 3:19 PM ^
That's huge news but I'm curious as to how close that source is to the player, not necessarily from within the institution.
October 7th, 2020 at 4:08 PM ^
I'm not going to get into how close the source is, because I'm going to maintain the anonymous nature of these sort of things.
What I will say is to examine my track record here - I was out in front of the Terrance Williams recruitment/commitment. I was out in front of the Kobe Bufkin recruitment long before anyone else in the mainstream. I was the first to break news that Frankie Collis was the #1 option over Carter Whitt, subsequent to the Akins committing to MSU (turned out to be true, and he committed shortly after). I was also first to break news that Ingram had Michigan near pole position, and then on top of it when Stanford was the choice.
That's not to toot my horn so to speak, but rather credit to my sources that have proven very reliable in the past. But, recruiting is fluid. As we witnessed with Harrison Ingram, just because Michigan is on top now, doesn't necessarily mean Michigan will be on top when its time to make a decision. The decision making process of teenagers takes turns every day.
October 7th, 2020 at 4:33 PM ^
You do have a very good track record, better than a lot of Rivals and 247 analysts, and I think we're all thankful for your insights
October 7th, 2020 at 4:35 PM ^
Matt, you have any idea what is taking so long with Chaundee Brown’s immediate availability situation? Seems crazy we still haven’t heard anything.
October 7th, 2020 at 7:17 PM ^
They haven’t submitted the waiver yet. Word is that’s happening soon and the decision shouldn’t take long
October 7th, 2020 at 8:16 PM ^
Thanks. See stuff out about it now. Crazy to me it has taken this long to fill out the waiver. Why wait this close to the season!?!
October 7th, 2020 at 5:40 PM ^
Right. I hope my comment didn't come off an condescending or negative. I agree you have a great track record and I don't think you should divulge your source either. I'm simply curious if the source is from within the program or within the player's inner circle. I do not expect you to give me an answer to that. Divulging sources would obviously be a great way to never have any in the future.
October 8th, 2020 at 10:09 AM ^
No offense taken. I'm going to get my fair share or predictions and/or evaluations wrong like every other evaluator. But I do trust my sources for the most part, they've proven very reliable over the years, much better than the mainstreams to be candid.
October 7th, 2020 at 8:25 PM ^
I’ll drink to this!
October 7th, 2020 at 2:21 PM ^
The good thing is BBall recruiting classes are pretty small.... if we end up 2nd place enough times, the other programs will fill up and we'll get a couple commits.
October 7th, 2020 at 3:00 PM ^
Hawt take: it would be good if he chose Michigan.
October 7th, 2020 at 3:14 PM ^
Michigan certainly is in a position of need here. The odds are surely building in our favor too.
October 7th, 2020 at 3:17 PM ^
That's a list I don't expect UM to end up on top of, but good to be considered at least.
October 7th, 2020 at 3:21 PM ^
Yep, going against 2 amazing Basketball programs, and then a program willing to fork out a few hundred thousand dollars is tough to go against.
I love this kids game too. Darn.
October 7th, 2020 at 3:39 PM ^
All fair points, but to Michigan's credit they've played in 2 national championship games within the past 10 years. For kids in the '21 class Michigan has the credibility of a premier basketball institution.
Not disagreeing with any of the post, just that I think it's fine to say it's "3" amazing basketball programs and a bagman school.
October 7th, 2020 at 3:37 PM ^
Please 5 Star, just one please!!!
October 7th, 2020 at 3:47 PM ^
Houstan? We don't have a problem.
October 7th, 2020 at 4:48 PM ^
This game again?
October 7th, 2020 at 5:06 PM ^
Matt, any timeframe on Keels and Houstan's decisions?
October 8th, 2020 at 10:10 AM ^
Houstan should pop before his senior season starts, which would be within the next 4-5 weeks or so. No idea on Keels, as I stopped keeping tabs on him once I got word Michigan was no longer a serious player.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:20 PM ^
He gone.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:44 PM ^
Do not hurt me again, do not hurt me again.....I'm keeping expectations very low since he's a top-40 wing and this is 2020.
October 7th, 2020 at 5:52 PM ^
For context on how many of these "top X lists" we've been in on? Check out this link from UM Hoops.
Here's a quick overview....
- Unsigned recruits we're already in a Top-12 group or better = 7
- Top 65 ranked kids who went elsewhere that we made a Top-8 group or better = 9
(We also made the Top-8 for Brizzi, but he's #129)
So that's 16 kids we haven't landed yet but made their top group. Further fueling this frustrating narrative is that of those kids, 13 of them are ranked in the top-30.
October 7th, 2020 at 8:45 PM ^
Is this just for this current year?
October 7th, 2020 at 6:21 PM ^
Always a bridesmaid, but never a bride. Every so often we are the bride and our groom (Isaiah Todd) leaves us standing at the altar.
October 7th, 2020 at 6:33 PM ^
Anywhere but Alabama and I'll be fine with it, tired of losing 5 star basketball recruits to vastly inferior programs
October 7th, 2020 at 7:24 PM ^
I’m tired of finishing 2nd when it comes to 5 star kids. Howard needs to land one of these. Until then I will not get my hopes up.
October 7th, 2020 at 7:31 PM ^
Bookmarked for when he picks the G league