Michigan Basketball: Wolverines Sign Four Key Recruits

Wednesday marked the first day basketball recruits could officially sign their National Letters of Intent, and Michigan basketball received four key commitments: 4-star guard Xavier Simpson, 4-star forward Ibi Watson, 3-star center Austin Davis and 3-star center Jon Teske.

Simpson, rated as the 13th-best point guard in the country, will be a strong successor to Spike Albrecht and Derrick Walton Jr.  Albrecht will have graduated by the time Simpson steps on campus, and Walton, who will be a senior next year, will be an ideal mentor for Simpson.

Simpson held offers from the likes of Wisconsin, Illinois, and Iowa State before committing to Michigan on Sept. 9. John Beilein made it known that he wanted a high-end point guard in this class. Initially, the hope was for that player to be Cassius Winston (Detroit Jesuit), but with Simpson committing, Beilein could not afford to wait on Winston’s decision any longer.

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Simpson has loads of potential, and if there’s any coach that can develop point guards (see Darius Morris, Trey Burke), it’s Beilein.

Teske had been committed the longest of all four, verbally pledging in August 2014. He initially held offers from Dayton and Ohio State, but made it known pretty early that he was going to attend the University of Michigan.

At 6-foot-11, 210 pounds, the height is there; Michigan coaches will surely be hoping he can add some muscle by the time he enrolls. Michigan has not had many dominant big men in the past decade, so Teske will try to establish himself early on like Mitch McGary and Jordan Morgan were able to do in their careers.

Davis burst onto the scene in 2015, averaging 26.2 points and 17.3 rebounds per game in his high school season. Leading up to his junior year, he had little interest from Power 5 teams, and after receiving an offer from Michigan in April, many were skeptical on his potential. He had been up to 270 pounds as a sophomore, and most of it wasn’t muscle. Once he took control of his body, the on-court production followed thereafter.

Michigan snatched his verbal commitment just in time, as Michigan State and Notre Dame were preparing to come after the him heavily.

The 3rd-ranked center in Michigan, Davis has been rumored to be considering a redshirt for his freshman year. At 6-foot-10, and now 232 pounds, Davis has the size; it’s about refining his basketball skills if he wants to be a key big in the Big Ten for years to come.

Watson committed to Michigan on July 28, shortly after 5-star shooting guard Tyus Battle decommited. While Watson does not carry the same prestigous ranking as Battle, after a strong summer, Ibi gained the attention of high-end programs at an exponential rate.

Indiana offered, with Florida, VCU and Missouri showing more and more interest as well. Watson carries a 3-star rating, but Beilein has shown time and time again that he can better evaluate talent than recruiting services.

Caris Levert and Spike Albrecht, Team 100’s captains, were late offers four years ago. LeVert was headed to Ohio University as a 2-star recruit, while Albrecht (amazingly) did not have any Division 1 offers. Michigan fans should know better than to put much weight into a player’s rating.

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With the basketball season officially starting up Friday, these four commitments are a great start for the program. The Wolverines will strive for great achievements this year, and these four young men will be in town for next year and the years to come.