Michigan Basketball: All Eyes on 5-Star Center Efton Reid

With Michigan basketball’s 2021 class already near capacity, the center position is still a major team need. All eyes are on 5-star Efton Reid.

Michigan basketball got their point guard last week with the commitment of Frankie Collins. The Wolverines have their underrated PF in Will Tschetter. They have a skilled top-100 SG in Kobe Bufkin. And they have their high flying, versatile wing in Isaiah Barnes.

With as many as seven possible scholarships available after next season, Juwan Howard knows the 2021 class isn’t finished yet. Priority number one: get an elite center. Insert Efton Reid.

Who is Efton Reid?

Height: 7’1

Weight: 225

247 Composite Ranking: 5-star, 21st overall in the 2021 class

Efton is one of the most skilled big men in the 2021 class. He will be playing his final year of high school ball at IMG Academy. At 7’1 and 225 pounds, he has the size to be an immediate contributor from day one in college.

But it’s not just his size that is notable. He’s also extremely skilled and is even drawing comparisons to Tim Duncan. In an Interview with Andrew Kahn from mlive.com, Reid’s former high school coach Curt Kassab had this to say about his game:

"“He’s probably the most skilled big man in the country. He’s very polished and very skilled as a 7-footer. He can go over either shoulder with the hook shot. He has a very high basketball IQ so he picks things up really quickly. He’ll transition really well from high school to the college game.”"

After watching tape on Reid, here is my scouting report on him: He’s not going to wow you with elite athleticism. But his footwork and fundamentals easily make up for that. That’s where you really see how accurate the Tim Duncan comparisons are.

He also has an underrated jump shot. Reid is very comfortable in the mid-range game and is not afraid to step out and make the occasional 3-ball. This will allow him to play both the 4 and the five spot at the next level as his game and athleticism continue to develop.

Reid is a former AAU teammate of current Michigan freshmen Hunter Dickinson and Terrance Williams on Team Takeover. That gives Michigan a nice advantage even though Reid has yet to visit Ann Arbor.

Reid is also considering schools like Ohio State, Virginia, Pitt, Georgetown, Florida State, and Louisville.

Reid’s Timeline

Reid has had a very quiet recruitment. He doesn’t tweet a lot and doesn’t do too many interviews. It’s hard to gauge what schools are the favorites at this point. Rivals Insider Corey Evans was able to speak to Reid last week and wrote this about his recruiting timeline:

"“He doesn’t appear to be in much of a rush with his commitment. He wants to cut his school list down in the coming weeks before committing, though he is cognizant of the fact that he might never have the chance to actually visit campuses if he decides to visit in the fall”"

One thing we have learned in college basketball recruiting throughout the last few months during the Covid-19 pandemic is this, typically when a recruit makes a cut list, we’ve seen a decision get made pretty shortly after due to them not being able to visit schools.

For example, see the recruitment of Jalen Warley, Frankie Collins, and Brandon Weston. All announced their commitment pretty shortly after their cut list.

If Reid really does plan on making a cut list in the coming weeks, we may not be as far away from a decision as we previously thought.

Juwan’s Pitch

Michigan’s pitch to Reid is quite simple. He will be able to play right away and make an immediate impact in Ann Arbor. Juwan is also pitching the idea of him and Hunter Dickinson playing alongside each other in a 2-big lineup.

Reid is an elite talent. He would likely play right away wherever he goes. But going into the 2021-22 season, Michigan will only have one scholarship center on the roster, Hunter Dickinson. That is a great opportunity for a freshman to come in and earn minutes from day one.

My Gut Feeling

It’s no secret that Reid has kept very quiet on the recruiting trail. There are several teams that feel like they have a great shot at landing him.

But after speaking to two people in the Michigan basketball program, the overwhelming feeling is Michigan loves where they are at and feels great about getting Reid.

Combine that with his friendship with two current Michigan basketball players and their center depth for next season, I am comfortable saying that I believe Michigan is the leader in his recruitment.

Rivals insider Corey Evans feels the same way as he recently ranked Michigan as the top contender to land Efton Reid.

How big of a deal would it be if Michigan landed Reid? Pretty big.

He would not only be Juwan Howard’s highest-ranked commit and his first 5-star, but Reid would also be the second-highest ranked commit in both the Beilein and Howard era only behind Glenn Robinson III.

Even though so much is still unknown about Efton Reid and where he will be going to school, Michigan basketball fans should feel very optimistic right now.