NCAA Basketball: Analyzing 2021 5-star C Chet Holmgren’s top 7 schools
By Ian Mumm
Michigan Wolverines
The Buckeyes hated rival Michigan also made the cut, after the program extended a late offer to the big man. Juwan Howard’s first season back in Ann Arbor was quite exciting, but the team struggled and finished 9-9 in the 2nd half of the season. Regardless Howard had the Wolverines humming and bought in to his new style early in the season and the players were visibly happy to play for him. Howard managed to pull in a strong recruiting class in his first cycle and almost signed 5-star guard Josh Christopher. The allure to play for the legend is quite visible.
While Howard is now holding a clipboard and leading his team to victory through experience and passion, he is part of an established line of big men who have come through the program on the way to the NBA. Joining him are Fab Five teammate Chris Webber, Robert ‘Tractor’ Traylor, Maurice Taylor, Roy Tarpley, Rudy Tomjanovich and Mo Wagner as centers and power forwards selected in the first round of the draft. Holmgren joining the blue and maize would likely place him at the tail end of that distinguished group.
His on-court fit with the program is very strong. Holmgren’s ability to defend multiple positions, consistently alter and block shots from anywhere on the floor makes him an extremely valuable asset next to incoming freshman Hunter Dickinson. The two bigs would be very effective for in clogging passing lanes, winning the rebounding battle and giving many of the conference’s frontcourt players fits.
There will be a significant amount of roster turnover prior to Holmgren’s potential arrival to Michigan, but he will still become the offensive focal point of the program. The potential commitments of 5-star guards Jaden Hardy and Jalen Warley would be huge for Holmgren’s prospects as a pick-and-roll beneficiary, but his versatility scoring the ball away from the basket will help him to pick on physical bigs. Howard’s advise and experience as a top college player with a prolonged and successful NBA career will be gold for the aspiring 5-star big.