NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analzying 9 contenders for top-40 C Dereck Lively

Michigan Wolverines

Star freshman center Hunter Dickinson has recently entered the NBA Draft but is expected to come back for one more year. He’ll be an All-American candidate and likely leave for real, leaving Michigan with a hole at center, unless incoming five-star forward freshman Moussa Diabate moves over to the five-spot.

Michigan is currently in play for another top-50 center recruit in Donovan Clingan, who seems to be a legit option for the program. This option will be legit based on who makes a decision first but after seeing how well Dickinson played this past season for head coach Juwan Howard, expect a number of bigs to want to play for the Wolverines in the coming years. If playing time isn’t a major factor, this could be an under-the-radar contender for Lively.

North Carolina Tar Heels

The clog of many bigs on the roster has been cleared up this offseason, with Garrison Brooks and Walker Kessler transferring, while Day’Ron Sharpe went pro. The two legit five-men for the Tar Heels on the roster now are Oklahoma transfer Brady Manek and sophomore Armando Bacot, both of whom will be gone a year from now.

So there is a clear opening at the center position and plenty of time available. That’s why UNC is the only team reportedly with an official visit set for Lively in June and could be viewed as a favorite, or top-3 future finalist for his services. It’s yet to be seen how good a developer first-year head coach Hubert Davis will be but it’s hard turning down a prestigious program with a lot to offer.