Michigan’s season ended on Sunday night and John Beilein hasn’t wasted any time before getting back on the recruiting trail.
Beilein said he would be out ‘every day this week’, but will ‘be selective’ with his recruiting. He was out immediately on Monday night watching class of 2016 big man Austin Davis. Michigan is also expected to host Jaylen Brown, the No. 2 recruit in the country, for an official visit at the end of this week.
Moritz Wagner nets 20 points, 9 rebounds in playoff opener
Moritz Wagner returned to action with Alba Berlin’s youth team over the weekend and scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the playoff opening victory. Wagner was 6 of 8 from the floor and 8 of 9 at the free throw line. Five of his rebounds were offensive and he also handed out two assists in the 80-66 victory.
Rivals.com quoted a NBA scout that compared Wagner to a top-40 level recruit.
So, exactly what type of player is Wagner? Rivals.com spoke with an NBA scout over the weekend and the scout said Moritz isn’t likely as tall as the 6-foot-10 he’s being listed at, but he is plenty big to play as a college four man. The scout said Wagner has good touch, is clever with the ball and that he competes on both ends of the floor.
“He’s not a guy that is on our radar as somebody who is going to be a pro right away,” said the scout. “He’s somebody that we see going to college and then we’ll see from there. I’d look at him as a top-20 to top-40 type recruit if he were in the States.”
Brown wins state championship
Jaylen Brown wrapped up a Georgia AAAAAA State Championship last week with 22 points in a 59-58 win over Pebblebrook. Brown was fouled with .5 seconds remaining in the game and knocked down both free throws to secure the victory.
Brown is expected to be on campus this week and tweeted that he would take two visits this week.
Brown and 2016 target Derryck Thornton will both participate in the Dick’s National Championship tournament from April 2nd-4th. Brown had previously discussed making a decision in early April.
Beilein watches 2016 big man Austin Davis
Onsted big man Austin Davis drew John Beilein, Chris Collins and a Michigan State assistant on Monday evening and scored 25 points and grabbed 22 rebounds in a 61-68 regional semifinal victory.
Beilein has watched Davis several times and Onsted coach Brad Maska praised his big man:
“He’s seen Davis a few times,” Onsted coach Brad Maska said. “It’s really nothing new.”
The 6-foot-10, 240-pound Davis has received scholarship offers from Central Michigan and Toledo, and has received interest from both Michigan and Michigan State.
“He was impressive,” Maska said. “And he did it with two to three guys on him. He knew they (the coaches) were there. He’s just a tremendous kid.”
Beilein came away impressed with Davis’ strong performance.
“He told me he (Davis) works really hard and has huge upside,” Maska added.
Jordan watches Xavier Tillman
Lavall Jordan watched class of 2017 big man Xavier Tillman against Muskegon on Monday evening. Tillman’s Forest Hills Central team lost 69-48 to Muskegon and Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo was also in attendance — undoubtedly checking in on his incoming big man Deyonta Davis as well. Tillman had 10 points in the loss, battling foul trouble throughout.
Interest in Sina?
Jaren Sina has reportedly visited Rhode Island and met with Frank Martin from South Carolina. His father has also reported some level of interest from Michigan.
Sina was a Wolverine target as a high school player, but his recruitment never seemed to materialize with a visit. The Seton Hall sophomore shot 33% on twos and 32% on threes with a higher turnover than assist rate this season. He opted to transfer due to chemistry issues in the Seton Hall locker room which eventually led to the PIrates losing 13 of their final 17 games after starting the season 12-2.
Sina was a key part of Seton Hall, but there are questions about his fit at Michigan. He just finished his sophomore year, which would put him in the same graduating class as Michigan’s large freshman group, and his skillset doesn’t appear to add a lot to the mix.
Seth Towns leading Northland
Columbus native Seth Towns continues to put up big numbers and Northland keeps on winning games. Towns made three free throws with 4.7 seconds remaining to push Northland to a 66-65 regional win over Gahanna. The Vikins were trailing 60-46 with 2:28 to play, but made five threes to close the game with a comeback.
“Oh boy, the game seemed like it was over and people were leaving,” Towns said. “Everybody was down, everybody except for us.”
Other notes
- Cassius Winston had 19 points, 11 in the first quarter, in a playoff win on Monday evening. He continues to cement himself as one of the top point guard prospects in the Midwest.
- Four-star JUCO shooting guard Mychal Mulder has been linked with some preliminary interest from Michigan. “He’s waiting for offers from Indiana, Michigan and Louisville (before setting visits),” his coach told 247 Sports.
- Class of 2015 big man Levi Cook had drawn some Michigan interest, but he reportedly tore his ACL recently.
