BBall Recruiting - 2019 ESPN Rankings Update
Jalen Wilson - slides down to #72 - appropriate IMO
Cole Bajema - now 3*/#49 SF - criminally under-ranked IMO
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:21 AM ^
Bajema needs a steak or two.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:23 AM ^
Haven't followed these recruits too closely - but thought Wilson was having a good senior season against tough competition in an article a few weeks ago.
Is there is a reason you think Wilson's slide to #72 is appropriate?
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:43 AM ^
Jalen Wilson is average/above average at nearly every skill facet, but he's not truly good in any particular area. Take that in conjunction with him being an average athlete and he's a 40-60 type prospect in my opinion.
Tagging off what I said yesterday, I think Jalen Wilson is perfect for Michigan, in the sense that he's not a low floor/high ceiling prospect per my return value model. He's likely to be a contributor as an underclassmen without a threat of going to the NBA after 1-2 years.
Bajema is the exact opposite - low floor/high ceiling type prospect that may take a year or two to develop but is a threat to enter the draft after 1 good season.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:51 AM ^
Sounds like a well thought out opinion - and certainly more than I know. Was just curious.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:52 AM ^
It would be great to keep Wilson for 3-4 years with solid contributions.
What is it about Bajema that gives him such praise? He seems pretty un-athletic from what I've seen on film. Has he attended camps that evaluate such athleticism? He just seems like a "Eh" recruit. I'm no expert, so I'm legitimately asking.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:58 AM ^
Bajema has shot creating ability at 6'7-6'8, that is a very valued trait at the moment. 6'7-6-8 prospects that can initiate half-court offense are extremely rare. Those are Stauskas like features. Bajema has the potential to be a #1/#2 option down the road, whereas Wilson is most likely best suited as a #3 option.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^
Matt, who from either michigan (or the big ten or nationally) would you say those two most remind you of? Looking for a little YMRMFPSA
Thanks!
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:29 PM ^
Jalen Wilson - has the look of a slightly smaller Vince Edwards type
Bajema - has the look of Stauskas in terms of his shot creating/shooting ability combined with size and lack of quick twitch explosion.
January 23rd, 2019 at 3:01 PM ^
I've heard the Caris Levert comparison to Bajema. Do you see that at all?
January 23rd, 2019 at 3:14 PM ^
I think that expectation level is simply too high to place on Cole. He's nowhere near the athlete that Caris was, even at the same age. Bajema certainly has some shot creating ability, good vision and can shoot..........but expecting a Caris Levert type impact isn't something we should be expecting, certainly not early on.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:53 AM ^
I'm not nearly as good at scouting basketball as I am football, but would you say it's fair to call Jalen Wilson a rich mans Muhammad Ali-Abdur Rahkman, with a little more size? I watched Wilson a decent amount and he just looks really good at a lot of things, and basketball savvy, yet nothing about him really makes me go "he's gonna be a stud in the NBA", sorta like with MAAR?
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:00 PM ^
I'd agree to a certain extent. Wilson doesn't have great athleticism and doesn't have the type of handle to be a primary shot creator in a half court set. So absent great shooting (think a Josh Hart type), it doesn't seem Jalen Wilson is a guy that has a great chance at the league........at least not right now.
January 23rd, 2019 at 3:03 PM ^
Wasn't Wilson a borderline 5* during the summer? Why was he ranked so high then and what has made him fall from there? Did people just completely misevaluate him?
January 23rd, 2019 at 3:16 PM ^
I don't think it was misevaluation, as much as different services place different value on him. Both 247 and Rivals have him ranked in the 30s. And frankly, there simply isn't much distinction between a kid ranked in the 30s and the 70s for the 2019 class.......its pretty weak. 2017 was certainly a much better class than either 2018 or 2019 from top to bottom.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:28 AM ^
No worries - the Beilein development factor trumps all rankings. Also, Camp Sanderson packs on the good weight.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:29 AM ^
OSU putting together a really good class. I wanted DJ Carton badly, even though we are good at the PG position for years to come. Are we in the running for any other top 2019 prospects?
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:24 PM ^
I don't think we have the spots. Matthews is the only likely guy to leave, IIRC. Not even sure where the second spot comes from. Maybe we're short a scholarship player right now?
Iggy hasn't taken the trajectory of a first rounder, after looking like he could be early in the season. Certainly possible he makes adjustments to opponent adjustments and gets back on that track but his defense and athleticism certainly aren't NBA level right now (but likely never will be so he may not see much value in playing too many years in college if he can get drafted on potential).
Teske looks like the most intriguing NBA prospect outside of Matthews, right now. I would think he could sneak into first round territory after this season the way he's playing such that he might be an early entry risk. Poole still has highest upside but he has a long way to go in terms of decision making, effort and focus.
January 23rd, 2019 at 8:23 PM ^
1st round? c'mon. ethan happ isn't even sniffing the first round. plus, i want teske to stick around another year.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:44 PM ^
As of right now, no.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:41 AM ^
Yeah, Bajema at the #49 SF spot is kind of a joke. He's got good ballhandling skills for a kid his size (6'7" probably ending up at 6'8") and can shoot. Already pretty comfortable working out of the PnR and has good vision. Seems to have a bit of creativity around the rim when he finishes, already showing flashes of using his off hand. Definitely needs to work on taking contact and seems to shy away from it, but that's obviously due to his lack of strength. That should improve over time.
UMHoops has compared him to a less athletic version of Kevin Huerter. Seems about right, though I think Huerter was a bit stronger off the bounce (IIRC he played PG at times during AAU...could be wrong about that though).
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:45 AM ^
I'd go the opposite route, I think Bajema has a better handle but not nearly the athlete Huerter was at the same age.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:53 AM ^
No disagreement re: athleticism. Huerter was definitely a better athlete at the same age. Bajema looks like a late bloomer, though, so I bet he makes up some of that ground as he fills out and gets stronger.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:53 AM ^
I'm surprised to hear that ESPN updated their rankings. Maybe it's just reading "fire and forget" too often as their approach. Are they really reevaluating prospects?
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:02 PM ^
The short answer - no. I see less of ESPN at live events in relation to any of the other major services. Corey Evans, without question, attends more live events than any single evaluator (more than me as well). I attend live events frequently, but that guy is every where.
January 23rd, 2019 at 11:55 AM ^
Didn't know where else to stick this, but a kid I'd prefer over Carlos Johnson is 2019 Myron Gardner (Spire Academy). Originally from Detroit, the same size as Johnson, but a better athlete with a better handle and equal vision/playmaking, with a college ready frame and great motor as well. Recently offered by Missouri, Georgetown, Xavier and Cincy.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:20 PM ^
I like this kid too. Like you said he plays hard all the time. Explosive, i’d take him over Johnson in a heartbeat. Do not understand the offer to Johnson. He is not Jaesean Tate. Here’s one for you matty d, what’s your assessment of Joe Girad III. I know he is off the table with being signed to Syracuse. But do you think he would have been a good fit at Michigan? He can shoot it but would have been a good enough defender for Yalkich? Just wonder your thoughts.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:23 PM ^
I don't want to bash any prospect, but I'm not upset that Girard decided to stick close to home. He's a 'schemed scorer' in my line of business. Meaning, he doesn't have the size, athleticism or skill to score exclusive of anything a coach may design for him in terms of coming off a series of screens. You consider that with his anticipated shortcomings on defense and it's probably a risk too large for my liking. He's a great shooter and I wish him luck at Syracuse.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:34 PM ^
Thanks for the feedback. I trust your opinion more than anyone. Wasn’t sold on him to begin with but now I’m glad someone solidified it for me.
January 23rd, 2019 at 12:37 PM ^
So Purdue would have been a perfect fit for him? I just think if their snipers and how they get their looks.
January 23rd, 2019 at 8:24 PM ^
appreciate all these analyses.
January 23rd, 2019 at 1:36 PM ^
This must be Pep's fault somehow.
January 23rd, 2019 at 2:02 PM ^
General recruiting question.
I know we aren't going to pay $$$$ for the 5 stars, but shouldn't we expect a bit of a bump after the last couple years of on court results?
January 23rd, 2019 at 3:19 PM ^
Bottom line is that we will rarely, if ever, get 5star/one and one types under Coach Beilein.
I think our recruiting profile has improved a lot starting with the 2017 class. We consistently get 50-100 type kids and that's likely where we should be at given our on-court performance, academic requirements and coaching ethics. I do think we could be a bit more active with guys ranked in the 25-50 range, but overall I think recruiting is in a very good place under Coach Beilein and crew.
January 23rd, 2019 at 3:11 PM ^
Bajema is a really interesting high ceiling prospect... seems really low, but ESPN typically isn't a great recruiting service iirc.
I feel reasonably confident that Camp Sanderson will get his body right for the rigors of B10 play... his frame can easily manage the additional muscle imo
January 23rd, 2019 at 8:04 PM ^
I believe that Cole plays in a smaller level of basketball in the state of Washington so the experts may feel his level of competition is suspect - if he continues to play well he could see a big jump over the summer in AAU.