gavin griffiths
Michigan has a bevy of wing-forwards in the stable, but recruiting never ceases in the portal era where programs have to functionally re-recruit their own players and deal with the possibility of mass attrition.
With several targets coming off the board in recent weeks, let's take a look at where things stand heading into the June live evaluation periods.
Andrej Stojakovic
Height/Weight: List heights are in the 6'6 - 6'7 range with the weight between 165 - 190. Eye test says 6'6 and 190 sounds about right.
High School/AAU: Jesuit HS (CA)/Adidas 3SSB Compton Magic (CA)
Mainstream Ranking: 4-star/20 - 65 Overall
EM Ranking/Evaluation: I have yet to see Stojakovic live, but he looks to have the projected impact of a top-30 level prospect that can provide some real offensive punch as a freshman. The diversity in his scoring package is absolutely elite. A true three-level scorer, Andrej hits pull-ups from distance and midrange with consistency. He's just as potent in an off-ball role, easily hitting jumpers off movement via down-screens. Throw in a face-up + post game that can hurt smaller guards and you have a real bucket-getter. The handle isn't elite by any means, but it is solid for a wing. He can change direction/speed with a live dribble and can beat ball-pressure and get to the rim. The thing holding him back from 5-star status is the athleticism. Stojakovic isn't stiff, but also doesn't possess ideal agility/range of motion that projects well on the defensive end of the court. Still, I like Andrej a lot as versatile scorer that can potentially play the 2-4 spots and be compatible with any lineup combination.
Recruitment: Michigan extended an offer yesterday. Has visited Stanford and is currently on campus at UCLA. Says UConn, Virginia and Texas will get OVs, with Indiana, Kansas and Kentucky also involved. Obviously too early to ascertain where Michigan stands here, but hopefully Juwan Howard's NBA connections are viewed favorably to Andrej's father, former Sacramento Kings great Peja Stojakovic. Would absolutely love to have him.
Justin Edwards
Height/Weight: List heights are in the 6'6 - 6'7 range with the weight between 165 - 190. Having seen Edwards in person multiple time, I'd say 6'6 + 180.
High School/AAU: Imhotep Institute (PA)/Nike EYBL Team Final (PA)
Mainstream Ranking: 5-star/Top-15 Overall
EM Ranking/Evaluation: Projects to have the impact of a 5-star, but maybe not the Paolo Banchero, Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith variety where we're talking All-Conference level stuff. Think a tier below, where the productivity in year one looks something like 10-12 points per game with 4-5 rebounds. Every time I've watched Edwards live, the comparison that immediately comes to mind is former Duke standout Rodney Hood. Good positional size/length with a good pull-up game and overall shooting prowess while needing to add 15-20 pounds of muscle mass. Justin isn't the shiftiest prospect you'll see, but his handle is solid enough to create space in tandem with his combo of size/length/athleticism. Projects to be an above-average defender at the point of attack while being somewhat disruptive in passing lanes. May get bullied occasionally with the lack of sheer weight though. Edwards is a no-brainer one-and-done kid, as he checks the positional size/length/athleticism boxes that NBA GMS covet while being a good perimeter shooter. He won't come close to reaching his full potential at the college level.
Recruitment: Received a Michigan offer over the weekend. Previously released a top-7 in late April consisting of Kentucky, Auburn, Tennessee, Kansas, Villanova, Maryland and the G-League. Has visited Kentucky and Tennessee, the two programs seemingly ahead of the pack. Auburn seems to be emerging recently after Edwards confirmed his recruitment was down to Kentucky and Tennessee last week. I probably don't need to spell it out for you here. When Kentucky, Auburn and Tennessee are primary contenders, Michigan is likely an afterthought.
Happy Trails
As expected, 4-star wing Gavin Griffiths committed to Rutgers after he was blown away on his OV and never made it to Ann Arbor for a scheduled visit on June 14th.
Fast-rising wing Mayar Wol made a surprise commitment to Charleston over the weekend (surprising to the public, anyway). The real story to this is Wol's former AAU coach at Adidas Team Loaded NC, Thomas Carr, was hired by Charleston in late May and the rest is history. That's a monster pick-up for the Cougars, as Mayar has some serious upside. I wouldn't be surprised if Carr lands an assistant coaching job with a high-major program next year and Mayar just happens to come along. I've conveyed that relationships are much more important than on-court criteria in the world of recruiting and this certainly backs that up.
Top-10 overall prospect Matas Buzelis left Michigan off of his final five in favor of Kentucky, North Carolina, Florida State, Wake Forest and the G-League. This was always a long shot, but the staff felt they had some traction recently.
Michigan has a bevy of wing-forwards in the stable, but recruiting never ceases in the portal era where programs have to functionally re-recruit their own players and deal with the possibility of mass attrition.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the pecking order of wings in the class of 2023, along with detailed evaluations + film for each.
Matas Buzelis
Height/Weight: Measured at 6'10 in shoes + 183 pounds with 6'10 Wingspan at 2022 Nike Hoop Summit.
High School/AAU: Brewster Academy (NH)/Nike EYBL Expressions Elite (MA)
Weekend Performance: Did not participate in AAU event.
Mainstream Ranking: 5-star/Top 25 Overall
EM Ranking/Evaluation: Projected impact aligns with that of a 5-star prospect. Gifted offensive player that can score + make plays for others at 6'10, while being a potent shooter that can also serve as a floor-spacing wing or pick + pop big. Elite offensive skill coupled with NBA size generally translates to great on-court impact when projecting. His profile took a bit of a hit after a relatively underwhelming junior season at Brewster, where concerns about motor + athleticism manifested. Still, its hard not to see shades of Gordon Hayward when watching Matas despite potential issues in terms of defense and/or motor.
Recruitment: I'm told this recruitment is more viable for Michigan than accepted wisdom will have you believe. The staff recently conducted a home visit + Zoom call with Buzelis and that carries some weight when resources are limited. Juwan Howard was front row for Matas twice during EYBL Session II. This is a big-boy recruitment with Kentucky heavily involved and Florida State once thought to be the leader. Arizona is emerging as a legit threat recently, along with North Carolina. Reading the tea leaves, it doesn't seem that much of anyone has solid intel here. But Michigan has a bit more traction here than people realize and the staff is putting forth a strong effort to land Matas.
Gavin Griffiths
Height/Weight: Listed at 6'6 - 6'7 and 180 - 185. That looks about right.
High School/AAU: Kingswood-Oxford School (CT)/Nike EYBL Expressions Elite (MA)
Weekend Performance: Did not participate in AAU event.
Mainstream Ranking: 4-Star/Top 15-65 Overall
EM Ranking/Evaluation: I have yet to see Griffiths play live (injured this Spring), but the film displays an outstanding shooter that connects on triples with pull-ups and movement via screens + hand-offs + relocations. Solid handle, but probably not a primary shot-creator. Decent athlete, but lacks twitchiness. Has the look of a floor-spacing wing that can serve as a secondary playmaker.
Recruitment: Last weekend I was told the confidence level from the Michigan staff has dropped considerably here. The official visit on 6/14 is no longer a certainty. Seems like an OV to Rutgers may have changed things after Griffiths flat out confirmed Michigan is at the top of the list during an interview with Rivals a few weeks back.
[After THE JUMP: Things Picking Up With The Mayor?]
Michigan has a bevy of wing-forwards in the stable, but recruiting never ceases in the portal era where programs have to functionally re-recruit their own players and deal with the possibility of mass attrition.
With that in mind, let's take a look at the pecking order of wings in the class of 2023, along with detailed evaluations + film for each.
Matas Buzelis
Height/Weight: Measured at 6'10 in shoes + 183 pounds with 6'10 Wingspan at 2022 Nike Hoop Summit.
High School/AAU: Brewster Academy (NH)/Nike EYBL Expressions Elite (MA)
Weekend Performance: Put on usual display of ball-skills + shotmaking in 6'10 frame at the Gym Rat Classic in Albany, NY.
Mainstream Ranking: 5-star/Top 25 Overall
EM Ranking/Evaluation: Projected impact aligns with that of a 5-star prospect. Gifted offensive player that can score + make plays for others at 6'10, while being a potent shooter that can also serve as a floor-spacing wing or pick + pop big. Elite offensive skill coupled with NBA size generally translates to great on-court impact when projecting. His profile took a bit of a hit after a relatively underwhelming junior season at Brewster, where concerns about motor + athleticism manifested. Still, its hard not to see shades of Gordon Hayward when watching Matas despite potential issues in terms of defense and/or motor.
Recruitment: I'm told this recruitment is more viable for Michigan than accepted wisdom will have you believe. The staff recently conducted a home visit + Zoom call with Buzelis and that carries some weight when resources are limited. Juwan Howard was front row for Matas twice during EYBL Session II. This is a big-boy recruitment with Kentucky heavily involved and Florida State once thought to be the leader. Arizona is emerging as a legit threat recently. Reading the tea leaves, it doesn't seem that much of anyone has solid intel here. But Michigan has a bit more traction here than people realize and the staff is putting forth a strong effort to land Matas.
Gavin Griffiths
Height/Weight: Listed at 6'6 - 6'7 and 180 - 185. That looks about right.
High School/AAU: Kingswood-Oxford School (CT)/Nike EYBL Expressions Elite (MA)
Weekend Performance: Returned to action over the weekend after sitting out April due to injury.
Mainstream Ranking: 4-Star/Top 15-65 Overall
EM Ranking/Evaluation: I have yet to see Griffiths play live (injured this Spring), but the film displays an outstanding shooter that connects on triples with pull-ups and movement via screens + hand-offs + relocations. Solid handle, but probably not a primary shot-creator. Decent athlete, but lacks twitchiness. Has the look of a floor-spacing wing that can serve as a secondary playmaker.
Recruitment: Will be in Ann Arbor for official visit on 6/14. Flat out confirmed Michigan is at the top of the list during an interview with Rivals a few weeks back. Will take OV to Virginia Tech in early June before making his way to Ann Arbor. Close friends with Papa Kante, who will also be on campus 6/14. Package deals rarely work out in hoops, but both prospects have Michigan as either the outright leader or among a top 2-3. Things are definitely serious with both.
[After THE JUMP: The Ascension of Mayar Wol]
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