New ESPN 100 bball recruiting rankings update: 4 wolverines in top 40
Four incoming recruits inside the top 40!!
http://www.espn.com/college-sports/basketball/recruiting/playerrankings
6. Caleb Houstan
11. Moussa Diabate
36. Frankie Collins
38. Kobe Bufkin
April 21st, 2021 at 11:35 AM ^
For a second, I thougtht this was the Top 100 for the 2022 NBA Draft and I got really sad and scared. Coach Howard brought in a monster class. For those wondering, Houstan was 9 in the Top 2022 NBA draft prospects. I didn't see Diabate on the list which is kind of nice.
2022 NBA mock draft are slow to update plus the pandemic didn't help at all. I still expect Diabate to make his way up into the lottery range. Guy in his size and athleticism are highly sought after by the NBA teams who wants a C who are switchable.
April 21st, 2021 at 11:39 AM ^
Personally, I feel we should have six in the top six.
April 21st, 2021 at 12:45 PM ^
I'm surprised Caleb Houstan is the highest rated.
April 21st, 2021 at 12:51 PM ^
Seriously? Have you seen that guy play? He doesn’t miss a shot.
amazing how that happens in kids' highlight reels.
It's a good point, obviously, but he really does have a <raftery>gorgeous stroke</raftery>.
He reminds me of Steve Smith, although maybe with a touch less explosion at this age.
Diabate has the highest ceiling in the class. He has future All Star potential. Houstan is easily projectable as a floor spacer and he's closer to his ceiling. He has the higher floor. He's going to come in and shoot 35%+ from deep next year and play solid defense. He will get drafted in the first round and play minutes right away, how much just depends on how far along he is. You could flip them in the rankings and I don't think I'd argue. But I wouldn't argue to flip them either.
Looking forward to Barnes proving some people wrong and Tschetter growing another 3 inches.
In a normal year, I don't think Barnes is rated as low as he is. Just didn't have as much quality AAU and HS opportunities to push that ranking up.
April 21st, 2021 at 11:49 AM ^
I'd definitely rank Bufkin higher than Collins. Much more skilled, much more NBA upside
April 21st, 2021 at 11:53 AM ^
Agreed, although I think folks here will be pleasantly surprised by Frankie.
Oh. Barnes should be on that list also.
April 21st, 2021 at 11:56 AM ^
Bufkin getting injured (hairline wrist fracture) probably held back his ascent in the rankings to some degree
While that's good news for Bufkin, I have high hopes for Collins given our need for a PG to emerge.
The incoming class may be a step forward in the playmaker/shot creator sense (the only thing we truly lacked this year), but I hope we don't take a corresponding step back by lacking a true distributor/facilitator PG like we had this year in Smith. So fingers crossed Zeb makes the 2nd year leap and/or Collins comes in ready to ball out...
April 21st, 2021 at 11:59 AM ^
I can't wait for basketball (and hockey) season to start again. I'm basically dreading football season at this point. Let's just skip to basketball
April 21st, 2021 at 12:14 PM ^
What, you don't enjoy constant dong punches?
I wish I could find the gif of the teen/tween lighting his crotch on fire and his friends stomping the flames out.
April 21st, 2021 at 12:29 PM ^
Isaiah Barnes still criminally undervalued
April 21st, 2021 at 12:32 PM ^
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=u6A8OfoGruY&ab_channel=BallislifeMidwest
From October, but I still think Barnes and Bufkin look close to the same level, and Barnes looks like an explosive athlete. He flies high above the rim around the 3:30 mark for the put back
April 21st, 2021 at 12:41 PM ^
yeah, Sam mentioned that people he talked to (like and NBA scout or something similar) thought Barnes might have the highest ceiling of this entire class, which is really something.
Yeah that’s a wild take, and I’m not judging anyone for making it. The thing with Barnes is it all looks like dormant potential right now. Diabate and Houstan have played on big stages and proven themselves. Houstan can shoot and is a very capable defender and has a solid handle on the ball and some passing ability. Diabate is an absolute freak. Barnes feels like those guys, but in a quiet, reserved, Barry Sanders kind of way. If the kid stays for 4 years he will be Livers but more athletic.
definitely, a proverbial "Mgoblog Hawt Take..."
but its cool to hear that Barnes has that kind of athleticism to even make that kind of statement...that's not to say he will ever reach that level, but the kid definitely has a ton of bounce...
April 21st, 2021 at 12:42 PM ^
I was watching a Frankie Collins highlight video and I’m not on the wagon yet. Specifically it seemed like he didn’t really make much effort to get back on D.
it was like a whole team one game highlight I found on YouTube. Are there any videos anybody can recommend that showcase him better.
April 21st, 2021 at 12:47 PM ^
Remember it's a highlight video, and highlight's for guards are usually on offense. He is a pretty good defender that has a non stop motor.
Thanks. I appreciate your response.
I would encourage you to heed Idevon’s take. Continue to scrounge for some Collins full game videos. He does a good job of moving his feet and staying in front of people. He is a gamer, has a high motor and strikes me as a guy who will find yet another gear once he gets to college.
Thanks. I figured I was missing something here and highlights definitely don’t tell the whole story. That was the only thing that had me not pumped though.
I think part of it is that we are conditioned to think/expect there to be a sizable caveat with some recruits, as there usually was with Beilein recruits and we have it frequently with football. And to be sure, Collins is not the top defensive player in his class by any stretch. He is a very capable defender though. I liken him to Zavier Simpson and Marcus Carr having a Big Ten love child. Probably could even add Mike Smith in there just for the vision comp. Collins will be the best PG we have seen here in a long time I think. Scoring ability of a Marcus Carr but with a PG mentality
Not sure he has the outside shooting ability to be as impactful as you are saying as a pure scorer at the college level but hope to be wrong
As my kids like to say when anything exciting happens, "poggers"
Was just looking at the top recruits in the 247 era at Michigan and JH has brought in the top two, and five of the top 15. Impressive.
- Caleb Houston (PF)
- Montverde Academy (Montverde, FL) Class of 2021
- 6-8 / 205
- 0.9971
- Moussa Diabate (PF)
- IMG Academy (Bradenton, FL) Class of 2021
- 6-10 / 215
- .9940
- Glenn Robinson (SF)
- Lake Central (Saint John, IN) Class of 2012
- 6-6 / 185
- .9934
- Dion Harris (SG)
- Old Redford Academy - (Detroit, MI) Class of 2003
- 6-4 / 200
- .9902
- Mitch McGary (PF)
- Brewster Academy (Wolfeboro, NH) Class of 2012
- 6-10 / 255
- .9897
- Kameron Chatman (SF)
- Columbia Christian Schools (Portland, OR) Class of 2014
- 6-6.5 / 197
- 0.9896
- DeShawn Sims (PF)
- Pershing (Detroit, MI) Class of 2006
- 6-7 / 222
- 0.9878
- Zak Irvin (SG)
- Hamilton Southeastern (Fishers, IN) Class of 2013
- 6-5 / 170
- 0.9876
- Corperryale Harris (SG)
- Old Redford Academy - (Detroit, MI) Class of 2007
- 6-4 / 170
- 0.9861
- Ignas Brazdeikis (SF)
- Orangeville Prep (Mono, ON) Class of 2018
- 6-8 / 220
- 0.985911
- Courtney Sims (C)
- Noble And Greenough School (Dedham, MA) Class of 2003
- 6-10 / 222
- 0.984512
- Hunter Dickinson (C)
- DeMatha Catholic (Hyattsville, MD) Class of 2020
- 7-2 / 255
- 0.984213
- Derrick Walton (PG)
- Chandler Park Academy (Harper Woods, MI) Class of 2013
- 6-0 / 170
- 0.983314
- Kobe Bufkin (CG)
- Grand Rapids Christian (Grand Rapids, MI) Class of 2021
- 6-4 / 175
- 0.982715
- Frankie Collins (PG)
- Coronado (Henderson, NV) Class of 2021
- 6-1 / 180
- 0.9801
Yep! And the Kool-Aid tastes so damn good!!
Forgot how highly rated Dion Harris and Courtney Sims were. Was Daniel Horton before the 247 era?
Regardless, I'm not sure how didn't make more noise in the 2000's with Horton, Sims, Hunter, Abram, Brown, Petway, etc. Those were some solid Big 10 rosters.
And no Trey Burke.
Trey was a 3-star to most sites before he arrived on campus.
Crazy right? Beilein!
Whatever this says about player development pre-Beilein, it's also a good illustration of how much outcome variance there is once you get past the ultra-elite one and done types. Crazy to think of all the Michigan guys who've managed to scratch out extended NBA runs over the last decade plus, and how, of all the older guys on the list, basically only GRIII has gotten more than a cup of coffee.
The NCAA discard of Mitch McGary still burns.
How is this the first time I'm learning that Manny Harris' real name is "Corperryale"?
Yeah, I just copy pasted. Did not wiki that. Also didn’t know it.
I thought that was fairly well known (at least on blogs) when he played.
Woof
Count me in the Frankie Collins fan club. The kid is going to play key minutes.
He is lightning quick and can change speed and direction with the ball at an elite level. He has serious hops and can finish at the rim with anyone.
He can draw extra defenders off the dibble on his blow by and Hunter will get easy dunks or Houston will drain threes in bundles.
His three point shooting is not the best but he has decent form and should improve that part of his game.
He has dog mentality when defenders try to bully him so I would think that and his speed and competitive nature would translate to defense. Highlights show him with a few impressive blocks on guys that underestimate his hops.
6’1”? I’ll take the under for everything I have.
April 21st, 2021 at 10:49 PM ^
Is this my burner account?
If he had a slightly above average shooting stroke he would be mid 5*. He has everything else at an amazing level. Will have the best Michigan career of all 6 recruits.
People discounting Frankie Collins need to watch footage of him putting 28 points against emoni bates ypsi prep team.
This video is worth your time.
It speaks to Juwan and the program culture and highlights three key players in the incoming class. Houston, Diabate, and Collins.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lFGigFa6KIU
Yep, agreed. He takes over the game. I realize that he put up more points than Bates and probably 8-10 of those points were of the variety that he beat everyone else down the floor for the outlet pass, but there are plenty of buckets in here that hold a lot of value. He does a phenomenal job of finding creases and getting to the basket, and finishes well when there. He can go get buckets and he has the ability to command the offense. I'm not saying he's a Freshman AA, but I can see him showing up and giving us valuable minutes, and definitely see him being a problem for the rest of the conference for a nice long career