With two new players in as many weeks, Michigan basketball is starting to become a recruiting hotbed for players. The Wolverines are rising.
Coming off a Sweet 16 appearance and an overall successful season, head coach John Beilein has been steady at hand in making sure the momentum continues. With the top players on the team being upperclassmen, the next recruiting classes are crucial for the future.
Last week, the Wolverines picked up Ignas Brazdeikis, a top-50 player from Canada. The 6’8″ forward is an offensive juggernaut that can score in bunches, both inside and out.
He picked Michigan over Vanderbilt, Florida, Baylor and Cal among other high-level power conference schools. He’ll be in line to replace senior wing Duncan Robinson after this year.
The most recent pick-up might be the lowest rated of the class, but may have the highest upside.
Adrien Nunez is a three-star shooting guard out of New York. His recruitment accelerated over the summer, considering that he didn’t even start on his high school team. The 6’5″ guard impressed the Michigan staff over the summer with his lights-out shooting ability. Depending on his senior year, his stock could explode, making him a steal for the program.
He had other offers from Penn State, VCU, and St. Joe’s. He may have had a better shot at immediate playing time at those schools, but he chose Michigan. With the Wolverines, he can come off the bench for Kentucky transfer Charles Mathews for his first year before taking on a bigger role.
Next: Big Ten stars for 2017-18
These two will join already committed four-star players Brandon Jones and David DeJulius. This places Michigan squarely into the top-10 of the team recruiting rankings with another spot left to fill. Michigan is reloading and that is a dangerous sight for the rest of the Big Ten.