Michigan Basketball quietly has a top 5 recruiting class
After getting another four-star to commit, Michigan basketball has the best recruiting class in Big Ten, as well as one of the best in the nation.
While much of the attention in the college sports world is focused on football and rightly so, the Michigan basketball team got some good news Wednesday, as another four-star recruit committed to the program.
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Colin Castleton, a power forward from Florida and the No. 13 player in the sunshine state, announced his decision Wednesday via twitter.
Castleton is the fourth, four-star recruit in the 2018 class for Michigan. The 6-11, 215-pound forward is also the 30th ranked player at his position and No. 117 nationally, according to 247sports.com.
Of course, Castleton is a classic Wolverines forward. He’s a stretch four and he’s a guy that’s comfortable shooting from 3-point range. However, he is also effective around the basket. His scoring average was 23.1 as a junior. He also grabbed 11 rebounds a game and incredibly, averaged 5.4 blocks per night.
At first glance, after watching what I could scrounge up on you tube, courtesy of UM Hoops, Castleton looks like a combination of Moe Wagner and D.J. Wilson. He has the shooting touch and handles the ball ok, but he doesn’t seem as athletic as Wilson.
Certainly, he will need to get stronger to handle the physical play of the Big Ten, but he can play inside and out. He can post up, but also has a mid-range game. Here take a look for yourself.
Castleton made his decision on the heels of fellow four-star forward Ignas Brazdeikis, who committed Sept. 22 and three-star Adrien Nunez, who chose UM on Oct. 2.
Brazdeikis, a 6-8, 220-pound small forward from Ontario, is the top ranked player in the class at No. 42 overall. But Brandon Johns, another four-star power forward committed to the Wolverines, isn’t far behind (No. 69).
Michigan Wolverines Basketball
In the big picture, Michigan basketball has five commits already and according to 247sports, the Wolverines have the third-ranked recruiting class in the country. Right now, UM leads the nation in four-star recruits (4) and with two in the top 69, it’s easy to see why it ranks so highly.
However, six of the top-10 players in the country are still undecided, meaning some teams are likely to jump Michigan, unless the Wolverines are able to secure a commitment from an elite prospect.
Regardless, Michigan basketball is going to have one of the best incoming classes in the Big Ten and certainly one of the best in the John Beilein era. And, what’s even better is most of them are versatile forwards, who have the ability to shoot.
There are two guards, but the three top players are all 6-8 and above. Wilson’s departure and the likelihood of Wagner following him after the season, created a hole in the depth chart, one that Beilein has now filled with three very good players.
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The only real question going forward, is just how soon each of these players can start making an impact in the 2018-19 season.