The state of Michigan is looking to become a hotbed of
basketball prospects again. There are a
number of solid Division 1 players in the 2013 class, and I have spent quite a
bit of time highlighting the top 5 or 6 individuals. Today I want to look at the talent in the
next 3 classes, and give some current projections for how each player’s game
will translate to the next level.
Class of 2014
1.
Edmund Sumner 6’3” Combo guard Detroit Country
Day
Sumner reminds me a little bit of
a Caris LeVert type basketball player.
He has decent length, and is most dangerous with the ball in his
hands. The problem is that he is rail
thin; even smaller than LeVert when he got on campus in Ann Arbor. Sumner has an average jump shot, and does
most of his work in transition and mid-range.
He can finish at the rim better than expected. In his last summer of high school he needs to
put on weight and add as much strength as possible. If he can do that, Sumner might be the next
DCD player in line for Mr. Basketball. At
this point he is receiving some interest from Michigan and Michigan State, but
he seems more like a second option if their top priorities choose other schools
(Devin Booker for Michigan).
2.
A.J Turner 6’6” Combo guard Warren De La Salle
Turner burst onto the recruiting
scene at the beginning of this season, especially after he outplayed Drake
Harris in their head to head matchup.
There is a lot to like about Turner’s game. He was asked to play point guard for his team
this year, and his ball handling skills really improved by the end of the
season. Turner does a good job at
creating his own shot, and is learning how to set up his teammates. He is expected to keep growing a few more
inches, and could be a very poor man’s Kevin Durant type player. Turner will need to continue to get stronger,
improve his handling, and work on his quickness. Michigan coaches have been at a few DLS games
this year to see Turner in action, but it seems like there are higher
priorities for the Wolverines. I
personally question whether Turner’s athleticism would translate into the Big
Ten. I think he could be a dangerous
player in a smaller conference like the A10, Conference USA, and would be
dominant in the MAC level.
3.
Justin
Tillman 6’7” Power Forward Detroit Pershing
Tillman is the Doughboy’s main
inside presence, and he is a pretty good secondary option to Walker and
Felder. He is more athletic than most
big men he has played against this year.
For example, Louisiana Tech commit Leo Edwards struggled to keep up with
Tillman. The problem is that top tier Division
1 schools aren’t looking for 6’7” power forwards. Michigan currently uses GRIII at the 4, but
he is basically another wing on the floor and not a true power forward. Tillman will have to improve his ball
handling and shooting dramatically to get a serious look from the Big Ten. I see Tillman as a very good pickup for an
in-state MAC team because he would add decent size and improve the front court’s
athleticism.
4.
Darrell Davis 6’4” Combo Guard Detroit Douglass
Davis is a crafty slashing combo
guard that has led Douglass to a very good season. He is a prototypical Detroit-style player,
extremely aggressive and unafraid on both ends of the floor. But at this point he is far from being a
polished basketball player. If Davis
improves his outside shooting and ball handling he could be a sleeper prospect
in the state. Davis has recently
garnered some interest from Michigan, and was on campus last weekend. It is clear the Wolverines are looking for a
combo guard type player, and with three spots open they could be looking for
2. If Booker falls through, it could be
a battle between Davis and Sumner as to which one will be offered. At this point I think Davis will end up
somewhere in Division 1, but likely a similar place as the first 3
players.
Class of 2015
1.
Eric Davis 6’3” Combo Guard Saginaw Arthur Hill
I listed Davis as a combo guard
because he is only a sophomore and will probably grow a couple of inches before
graduating. He plays point guard for the
Lumberjacks, but gets moved between the 1 and 2 in the AAU circuit. Davis blew up last summer, and is widely
considered one of the top sophomores in the country. He is extremely skilled and polished for
being 15 or 16. During the basketball
season he has focused on being a distributing point guard, but Davis can put on
a show if he is asked to score. He has
great range with his jumper and is big enough to finish in the lane. Like any sophomore, Davis will need to
continue to get stronger and add some weight.
The early rankings have Davis as one of the top 15 players and could be
in line for 5 stars. Nearly every school
has shown some interest (Michigan, Michigan State, Duke, Kentucky, NC State,
etc). Expect him to get an offer this
summer from Coach Beilein.
2.
Trevor Manuel 6’9” Power Forward Lansing Sexton
If Sexton continues their
dominance in Class B it will likely be on the shoulders of Manuel. He is a stretch power forward that has shown
some success at knocking down the 12-15 foot jumper. Manuel might be one of the more athletic bigs
you will see in high school, but he has a tendency to get pushed out to the
perimeter. I think Manuel should work on
playing with more physicality, aggression, and become a post presence first
with the ability to knock down a jump shot.
Currently he is the 2nd best player in the class and will get
some major Division 1 interest. With Michigan taking a stretch four in the 2013
class, Manuel could get some look from the coaching staff if he has another
good summer.
3.
Bakari Evelyn 5’11” Point Guard Southfield
Christian
Evelyn has dominated Michigan’s
smallest class the past two basketball seasons, and will likely continue to
over the next two. He is a skilled
scoring guard this year but was the main distributor last season. He is a smooth ball handler and floor
general, but it is little difficult to analyze him against the lack of
competition. It will be interesting to
see how he performs in the AAU season and also if he camps at any colleges this
summer. Evelyn will need to continue to improve his strength and work on his
quickness. Michigan coaches have been to
a couple of Southfield Christian games this year, but if he doesn’t grow a few
inches I am not sure if his speed/quickness is at an elite level to fill the
impressive point guard line Michigan is currently producing.
Class of 2016
1.
Josh Jackson 6’6” Combo Guard Detroit Consortium
Yes, I know these are just
freshmen that I am breaking down now, but Michigan has a pair of impressive
guards. It is looking like these two
prospects could be the most recruited combo out of Detroit since Jalen Rose and
Chris Webber. Jackson is a do-everything type guard for one of the state’s best
team. While teammate Vincent Hunter
(UTEP) fills the stat sheet, Jackson facilitates that. Watch out for the next three years when he is
the number one scoring option. He
currently plays the 1-4 for Consortium, and will likely project to a wing
player. If you are familiar with Michigan
recruiting, think Zak Irvin, but possibly with better ball handling
ability. Jackson can score in any number
of ways from running the fast break, attacking the hoop off the dribble, set
jump shot, or shooting off the dribble.
After the talented 2013 class graduates, Jackson likely becomes the best
player in the entire state. He is, or will be, recruited by any team that wants
an NBA lottery pick potential type player: everyone.
2.
Cassius Winston 6’0” Point Guard Detroit U of D
Jesuit
On top of having a sweet name,
Winston is likely to be one of the best point guards to come through Michigan in
quite some time. He was arguably the MVP
of the Detroit Catholic League as a freshman.
Winston has everything you look for in a point guard; extremely smart,
good ball handler, can make his teammates better, and can create his own
shot. While Jackson will get most of the
publicity for the next three years, Winston has the makings of an elite talent
as well. He will need to get stronger as
his high school career progresses and improve his outside shot. I know this is a long ways away, but the 2016
Mr. Basketball race should be the best rivalry since Jason Richardson and LaVell
Blanchard in 1999.
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