Michigan Basketball: Wolverines lose 5-star, gain prediction for 4-star

Michigan basketball couldn’t seal the deal with another five-star, but they did receive some good news with an important prospect.

As Jalen Warley got closer to a decision, the crystal balls and FutureCasts trended toward Florida State, and with one analyst, the prediction, which was in Michigan basketball’s direction, was updated the match the others.

Today, Warley committed to the Seminoles despite the reported strong relationship between Phil Martelli and the Warley family. Phil coached Jalen’s dad and uncle, but he won’t have the opportunity to mentor the son, unfortunately.

Jalen is ranked 23rd in the nation, the 3rd-best combo guard, and No. 1 from Pennsylvania.

There is good news, however. The staff prepared for this inevitability. They listened to the news and began to expand their search. To make up for the loss, Juwan Howard extended a scholarship offer to a ball handler that will replace Warley on the board, or at least, he’s one of two who are in the running for Michigan’s next floor general.

Frankie Collins, the hardworking 4-star point guard, earned himself an offer, and he’s a fantastic consolation prize if he does choose the Wolverines. At 57th nationally, he’s a borderline 5-star with a future in the NBA.

Frankie’s main competition comes in the form of Carter Whitt, a fellow 2021 guard with Wolverine interest and a scholarship offer. Whitt is also a four-star and ranked within the top 100.

FutureCast to UM

The good news doesn’t stop with offers. Michigan is the recipient of two FutureCasts. Dug McDaniel is a teammate of Trevor Keels, a huge five-star target for the Wolverines, and Dug is predicted to head to Ann Arbor in 2022.

Rivals analysts Corey Evans and Clayton Sayfie are the ones who placed the FutureCasts for the talented point guard from Virginia.

Here’s his scouting report from Phenom Hoops:

"Most know all about the savvy point guard and the excitement he brings to the floor. I had the pleasure of witnessing his ‘breakout party’ during the Montverde contest; he got the packed crowd into a frenzy by displaying sensational ball-handling and facilitating. ‘Dug,’ as they call him, does so many things one cannot teach at that youthful age. He competes with a high IQ, makes the unselfish play, defends, and simply embraces the big moments. If anything appeared as his Achilles heel last season, I’d say he could’ve shot the ball better from three-point range. However, on Friday, he looked more confident in that area and from deep range. The 5’9” guard has a big heart and a lot of swagger, which makes him an instant fan favorite. He averaged 10.9 ppg, 5.2 rpg, and 2.6 apg on his way to the WCAC All-League first team (the only freshman selected) after taking on a greater role than expected."

When he’s not playing at his high school, Dug dawns the Team Takeover jersey. Team Takeover became a pipeline of talent for the Wolverines as soon as coach Howard took over. Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams were members of that squad, and there are others, both current and former members, who could one day rock the maize and blue. As mentioned before, five-star wing Trevor Keels is a priority, and five-star Efton Reid is also a top target for the 2021 class at center.

Matt’s musings

As much as it hurts to lose out on a kid once supposedly destined for AA, Collins and Whitt must be the priority now for a team with a massive hole at point guard for 2021. Brandon Wade and Zeb Jackson will both be options in the future, but there is very little depth, which Collins, Whitt, or both could provide.

When it comes to 2022 recruiting, the recent news should breed confidence with those inside the walls of Crisler. The more teammates of Keels that join the roster, the better the chance the Wolverines have at landing their dream recruit.

Even if they only land McDaniel, and lose out on Trevor, UM will be the recipient of a top 50 basketball player and well on their way to another highly ranked recruiting class.