Michigan Basketball: Wolverines land top-tier 2021 target Isaiah Barnes

Michigan basketball landed its first 2021 recruit in top-100 small forward Isaiah Barnes.

Oak Park and River Forest High School (Ill.) Small Forward Isaiah Barnes is headed to Ann Arbor after announcing his commitment via Twitter and pushing Michigan Basketball’s 2021 recruiting class to No. 36 nationally and No. 9 in the Big Ten.

The Wolverines currently have the best 2020 class in the Big Ten and could have the same result with the current class when all is said and done.

Barnes is the 106th best player in the nation, 26th best small forward and fifth-best player in Illinois. The 6-foot-6, 180-pound, recruit chose the Wolverines over Illinois, Iowa, Iowa State Maryland, and more. Juwan Howard is building a good reputation as a recruiter in only his second season as head coach. He now will have a versatile scoring option in Barnes who will join Zeb Jackson and Jace Howard (2020 recruits) in a trio of potential stars for the program.

The Oak Park and River Forest Huskies finished the 2019-20 season with a 17-11 (8-4 West Suburban Silver Conference) record. Barnes averaged 21 points, seven rebounds, three assists, two steals per game and shot above 40 percent from the field and the three-point line. Barnes is a player who attacks the rim, shoots the ball efficiently from anywhere on the court and he could become a defensive force for the Wolverines as well.

Isaiah Barnes was the first domino to fall for Michigan basketball and they have five spots left to fill for their 2021 class. Jalen Warley is another player to watch for Michigan fans. He released his top 10 on June 11 and the Wolverines, Maryland Terrapins and Ohio State Buckeyes made the cut.

If the Michigan Wolverines strike gold on the 2020 and 2021 classes, they could possibly be Big Ten Champions and earn a Final Four berth in the near future.