Michigan Basketball: Will Joshua Christopher commit to U-M?

Michigan basketball’s top 2020 target has been teasing a commitment for months now, but could he make a decision soon?

There’s no questioning how extraordinarily talented Joshua Christopher is, and no one will argue that his presence on any team makes them an instant contender. It’s widely assumed Josh will end up in a Michigan basketball uniform, but when will that be?

When will he finally commit?

Christopher is well known as a jokester. He commonly messes with fans of all of his top five teams, typically giving them hope he attend their school. Even as the crystal balls and other projections continue to trend in UM’s favor, there’s a possibility the Christopher misinformation campaign has reached an elite level that’s on par with his athletic prowess.

“It’s obviously a story I’m tracking closely, and to date, I haven’t heard that he’s a lock to Michigan,” Arizona State Rivals publisher Hod Rabino said ($) when asked why he still believes Christopher may end up a Sun Devil. “One way or another … it’s entirely possible that he’s saying different things to different people. I have no problem changing my prediction if the information I receive warrants that.”

11 total crystal balls on 247 sports for Josh, and all 11 have him headed across the country to Ann Arbor.

11 total commitment forecasts from Rivals, and eight of them list Michigan.

Rankings and evaluation

Per 247 sports composite, Christopher is 10th overall, the third-best shooting guard, and fifth in-state with five-stars. Per 247 sports rating, he’s seventh nationally, the second-best SG, and fifth in-state.

247 sports Jerry Meyer supplied the evaluation:

"Excellent strength and good length for a shooting guard. Functional athleticism. Makes plays in traffic. Has great body control and ability to make tough shots and shots off one foot. Solid ball handler. More scorer than passer but can distribute. Rebounds position. Has potential to be an outstanding, versatile defender. Has a high floor as a prospect."

According to Rivals, he’s 11th nationally and fourth at his position with five-stars.

ESPN weighed in on the matter and ranked Josh second at his position and 10th overall. In their evaluation ($), an unnamed ESPN analyst noted that Christoper comes from a great family of basketball stars and that Josh has a “killer competitive spirit.” The one downside was an inconsistent defensive effort, something that could be coached out of him if true.

Commitment announcement

Christopher has teased many times as to the date when he will pledge.

Constant social media posts, and “leaked inside information,” have proven this: only Josh will decide when Josh commits and only Josh will decide where Josh goes.

Although, a recent post on Twitter might give us the answer all Michigan fans desire.

“A P R I L 1 3. B I G L D A Y,” he wrote in the post with a photograph of his father. That day is rather significant. It’s Laron Christopher’s birthday. Could it be?

Rivals asked Laron, and his response doesn’t exactly instill confidence.

“You know Josh,” he responded ($).

Impact for UM

The Wolverines lost the services of David DeJulius recently when he was added to the evergrowing transfer portal, and things aren’t necessarily going as planned on the Isaiah Todd, Michigan’s highest-ranked commitment to date.

Todd deleted a large portion of social media posts involving Michigan and regarding his commitment, breeding fears that he will head overseas instead of going the college route. If that’s the case, UM’s fourth overall ranked class will likely drop significantly without Christopher’s decision.

As time passes, and as social media guides the narrative, confidence in the team next season dwindles. Should Joshua choose UM on Monday, all fears will be quelled.