Scranton, Pennsylvania was my destination over the weekend at the KYDA Invitational. The field was absolutely loaded, with several shoe-sponsored clubs taking the court featuring several Michigan offers/targets. 

The last of three updates this week, we'll touch on the guards today. Wings can be found here and bigs here. 

First Look At Justice Williams

I was able to get a detailed look at top-40 guard Justice Williams. I was very curious about his physical profile, as I thought he might be closer to 6'5 than 6'3 based on film review. I was wrong, as he's definitely in the 6'2 - 6'3 range. That is solid size for a college guard, but nothing exceptional.

Justice is a good athlete with above average acceleration, good elevation, nice body control and solid agility overall. He's at his best as a scoring guard that can create his own shot off the dribble or space the floor as a more traditional catch-and-shoot type from beyond the arch. Williams did flash some playmaking ability in ballscreen action, but scoring is definitely his primary weapon of choice. I spoke with him and he acknowledged that facilitating is the part of his game he's looking to improve the most.

While there's a lot to like about Justice as a scorer, the mainstream ranking seems appropriate here. He's above average/good at a lot of things, but not exceptional in any specific area. If he were 6'5 rather than 6'2 - 6'3, the upside would be considerably higher. 

On the recruiting front, Justice informed me that Michigan is among the schools pushing the hardest, but no visits have been scheduled just yet. In my opinion, Williams doesn't appear to be in any rush with respect to his recruitment. Remember, he is the HS/AAU teammate of Jalen Duren, and followed him from Roman Catholic to Montverde. His future may be tied to Duren should the number one prospect pursue the college option (essentially Miami in that case).

[Hit THE JUMP for updates on Trimble, Bradley and McDaniel]

The Latest on Seth Trimble

Things have been heating up with 4-star guard Seth Trimble recently, with accepted thought that an offer may on the table in the near future. Seth told 247 that a Zoom with Michigan was scheduled for this week:

"They have just been telling me that the process is going to come and it's picked up a lot more. They told me and my dad that they really like my game, I'm a prospect that they're looking at so that means something. We're just going to see how it goes from here, I have a Zoom call with them Zoom, the first week of May."

Details have yet to emerge about the Zoom, but Trimble is in contact with head coach Juwan Howard. That alone is indicative of things progressing to a certain extent. The staff is looking for a pass-first playmaking point guard for 2022, and there are questions as to whether Seth is that or more of a combo-guard in the mold of Justice Williams.

Having viewed Trimble in Louisville a few weeks back, he appears to be an inch or two smaller than Williams, but more explosive from an athletic perspective. But the concern remains the same. Is he an undersized SG or a facilitator at lead guard? Much like Justice, I'd lean toward the undersized SG projection. The staff is likely to continue evaluating him via livestreams to measure his projected position, regardless of whether an offer comes.

Not Trending Well

There hasn't been much mention of Michigan in connection with 5-star guard Jaden Bradley recently. Last week I reported that Bradley may be intrigued with the possibility of the professional route, and I'm still hearing that now. Jaden's father told 247's UNC affiliate that visits will be taken before a decision is made at the end of Summer.

"So, I think we’ll definitely take at least three just to have something to compare things to. He needs to be able to see college culture and how all those attributes we’re considering look like at different places. I’m hoping that (he’ll make a decision) by the end of the summer or prior to his high school season. I really want him to play his season care free and just have fun, go compete, and try to win a national championship."

If college is the option, Kentucky and UNC seem to be the programs getting the most buzz, with the Bradleys currently residing in North Carolina. The proposed timeline by Dad gives the family time to measure interest from the pros, while getting a better feel for a few colleges. Michigan is still in consistent contact here, as Jaden is definitely the priority at the PG spot, but this one doesn't feel like it will go our way at this point. 

Top-70 guard Dug McDaniel locked in a visit to Ann Arbor for the first week of June per Rivals. And while he was once thought to be a given in Michigan's 2022 class, it may be fair to question whether the scheduled visit will even happen.

Arizona State offered earlier this week and I continue to hear Florida is the landing spot if things were to end today. This has the feel of a prospect that may wait himself out of an offer if things don't pick up soon.

The staff is likely expanding the guard board as we speak. But with the transfer portal becoming a prominent part of recruiting, we're starting to see the new normal in college basketball. Which is essentially getting an instant-impact up transfer to bridge the gap where one exists. In other words, I'm not too worried and you shouldn't be either.