Eron Harris Has Michigan In His Top Three
![eron-harris[1]](https://mgoblog.com/sites/mgoblog.com/files/images/Eron-Harris-Has-Michigan-In-His-Top-Thre_AD89/eron-harris1.jpg "eron-harris[1]")
A rather important thing like 15 minutes after I publish UV:
The 6-3 Harris, who averaged 17.2 points and 3.5 rebounds as a sophomore at West Virginia, visited Purdue on Monday and plans to visit Michigan and Michigan State once he can get it aligned. After that, the 2012 Lawrence North grad may be ready to make a decision.
"Those are my top three, basically," Harris said of Purdue, Michigan and Michigan State, adding that he's still hearing from a few other schools, including Auburn and Indiana.
Harris plans on making a decision after he makes his visits. Assuming that playing time is a key, approximate SG lineups for his three finalists in 2015:
- MICHIGAN: MAAR (So), possibly Caris LeVert(Sr)
- MICHIGAN STATE: Alvin Ellis (Jr), Javon Bess(So)
- PURDUE: Dakota Mathis(So), Kendall Stephens (Jr), Raphael Davis (Jr)
Michigan and State both have highly probable starters at the 3 in Zak Irvin and Denzel Valentine; Purdue also has Basil Smotherman and a couple other recruits amongst their wing-type gents.
If Michigan does expect to lose LeVert to the NBA after this year and this is communicated to Harris they've got a pretty attractive situation. Harris likely assumes he would play over Purdue's dudes and possibly MSU's. So then it's about who you want to play for, and whether you'd like to play in the tournament or at home.
we can tell him that caris likely will leave, but obviously can't say for sure. but if caris doesn't leave, then harris is playing for a pretty stocked team. that's more than MSU and purdue can offer.
IS MAAR!?
Muhammad Ali Abdur-Rahkman
With their recent lack of recruiting success, MSU has a bigger need for Harris than Michigan. For MSU, Bess is 6'5 180 and Ellis is 6'5 185 - both are listed at SG but are basically the same size as Irvin and Dawkins. Any of these guys could play either SF or SG. MSU does tend to prefer bigger guys at SF (Dawson and Clark are both 225ish), but Michigan also has people like Chatman that could play multiple positions, including SG. The reality is Michigan has signed a lot more people for the 2 and 3 spots than MSU over the last few years.
Either could be argued, but objectively speaking MSU has an edge in playing time opportunity while UM has an edge in style of play and recent success. Purdue's edge is...proximity to Indianapolis?
My guess is that while Chatman has the playmaking skills to spend time at the 2, I think we'll see him much more at the 4 and backing up the 3 in Beilein's system. With respect to MAAR and Dawkins, a guy who scored 17 ppg at a high major shouldn't really factor them into his decision. Especially since he is already more experienced than them and they all would be coming into the program at the same time (Harris wouldn't have to fight to take playing time away from an established player). So if Caris goes pro next year, the door is wide open for the starting 2 guard.
But Bess and Clark aren't rated much higher than MAAR or Dawkins - they're sleepers unlikely to be better than Harris, though you never know.
The actual proven players you would play behind or beside on the wing are: Valentine and Ellis at MSU and Irvin and LeVert at UM. Ellis doesn't look like much competition and Valentine is around for only one year.
IF you assume Caris is gone to the NBA and IF you assume Chatman is a 4, then the situations are similar (Irvin vs. Valentine). Personally, I'd view Irvin as bigger competion because he is younger, can shoot, and has more talent.
But there's another way of looking at it, and that's who do you want playing next to you. Irvin will probably take more shots away but also keep defenses more honest.
MSU has more opportunity. Michigan will probably (hopefully) be the better team.
I don't know much about MSU's new guys, so I'll take your word for it.
Harris is 6'3" while Irvin is 6'6". Seems like a natural 2 and 3, respectively. As we saw this year, Michigan's offense can handle two scoring wings with both getting ample time with the ball in their hands.
But I think we pretty much agree. There's going to be opportunities at both schools and I think the surrounding talent (potential other four starters with Harris in 2015-16) at Michigan is looking better pending future additions.
Clark is more of a developmental type player; Bess they are very high on at MSU and he has had a super season and impressing a lot of people in Ohio. They expect him to contribute right away.
Well, he does have (a different) Harris, and recency is powerful.
I agree with your point, just that Izzo does have something he can sell, even if we know it's BS.
Like I inferred, we clearly have more to sell...it's just that Izzo does in fact have something to sell, even if not as much as we do.
This post is currently greatly underrated, IMHO, at only three upvotes.
Well thank you, sir.
I've already called it a few weeks back, that he will go to either Ohio or Michigan St.; and so here lies Sparty in the top 3. He will end up at Michigan St. guys. We've no luck and something just isn't right with the world because TOP NOTCH/ELITE kids keep turning away* from the opportunity to play in an amazing (I don't use that word loosely, like most) system uner coach Beilein. That trend I'm afraid/guessing will continue.
I hope I'm wrong, I've become too much of a pessimist.
*We are getting some damn good basketball players, by all means. I'm definitely not downplaying the kids we are pulling in.
Comments