The Wolverines are intent on landing a legit center for the 2022 class with Hunter Dickinson a real possibility to pursue professional options after a dominant sophomore season and Moussa Diabate having the athletic upside to potentially be a one-and-done candidate.

While offers were generally limited to a select few prospects over the last year, things have picked up recently as the travel-ball season kicks off and new names are added to the board. 

The Latest on Donovan Clingan

Top-50 big Donovan Clingan was in action last weekend at the KC Classic. Much like Hunter Dickinson in high school, the sheer size of Clingan immediately pops off the screen in the clip above. Because of that size, he's able to control the paint defensively by blocking/altering shots. Offensively, his playmaking ability for others on the block + pivoting/footwork are things that also look similar to the reigning B10 freshman of the year at the same stage of development. 

On the recruiting front, Michigan made the final 8 for Donovan a few weeks back, but UConn was seemingly the favorite based on proximity to home and family preference. I checked in on things over the weekend and Juwan Howard has put in major work here and the Wolverines may very well be on even ground with the hometown Huskies at this point. 

My latest intel seems to be supported by the fact that Clingan tentatively plans to visit Ann Arbor in June per his AAU coach in an article released just yesterday. I'm not ready to claim Michigan as the leader, as Donovan is also slated to visit Syracuse and Ohio State per the same article, but the good guys are definitely surging in this recruitment. The on-court fit here is a no-brainer for both parties, and if Clingan follows through with the visit to Ann Arbor, it's not hard to see Juwan Howard landing his big man of the future. 

Flip Rising Up The Board

Last week I mentioned Kyle Filipowski as a criminally undervalued prospect that really impressed me. So much so that he entered my database as a 5-star prospect. Well, it seems the staff has a similar assessment. I'm told Juwan Howard and crew have been in consistent contact since the conclusion of the KYDA Invitational event in Scranton.

I wouldn't get my hopes up here, as Filipowski plays travel-ball for the nephew of Duke leading man Mike Krzyzewski. After chatting with Kyle in Scranton, he definitely seems to fit the Duke culture/profile in my opinion. While Duke has yet to extend an offer, Flip says the contact has increased in recent weeks, with Coach K taking the lead. 

If Duke offers soon, this recruitment will likely end in short order. However, the longer Coach K slow-plays Kyle, the chances increase that the field can seize the moment. Flip is obviously a tier below the Duren/Clingan/Lively/Reed group, but he is absolutely rising up the board and could be an offer candidate over the next month if Clingan/Lively don't get on board or provide assurances otherwise. 

[Hit THE JUMP for nothing new on Duren/Lively]

Status Quo on Team Final Duo

I'll repeat it again. Number one overall prospect Jalen Duren is going somewhere other than Ann Arbor. Miami hired his former HS/AAU coach and is the likely landing spot should Duren pursue college as a possible reclass to 2021. I will continue to convey this sentiment so that your hopes are not crushed once this inevitably occurs.

The more realistic option is 7-footer Dereck Lively. I was extremely impressed with his performance in Scranton and immediately bumped him to 5-star status in the aftermath. Speaking with Dereck recently, Michigan is likely to get a visit in June, but nothing is locked-in just yet. While I absolutely love what Clingan brings as a back-to-the-basket big with tremendous vision, I have Lively higher on my personal board.

The optimal scenario here is to get both on campus during June. It sends a clear message that its first-some/first-serve for the center spot and inherently exerts pressure/expedites the process for both.