Michigan Basketball gaining ‘traction’ with 5-star Efton Reid

According to the latest reports, Michigan basketball is squarely in the mix for five-star center Efton Reid.

Michigan basketball is still searching for its first five-star recruit under head coach Juwan Howard and the latest contender is big man Efton Reid.

The Wolverines were in the mix for five-star wing Harrison Ingram, who ended up choosing Stanford recently over Michigan basketball, which pushed hard for Ingram only to come up short.

Next on the list is Reid, who has been among the Wolverines top targets in the 2021 recruiting class. Reid is 6-foot-11, 225 pounds and is ranked as the No. 22 prospect over in his class, as well as the No. 4 center, which is a position of need for U-M.

Howard has done an outstanding job putting together a well-balanced recruiting class. Frankie Collins is the point guard; Kobe Bufkin is a combo guard and then you have Isaiah Barnes on the wing, as well as Will Tschetter who is a stretch four and 3-point shooter.

Now, it’s about landing a center, especially one with some shot-blocking ability and landing the best possible player. Reid would fit into both categories.

Where does Michigan basketball stand with Reid?

After as where the Wolverines stand in Reid’s recruitment, according to Brian Snow of 247 sports ($), they are in a pretty good position:

"“Two programs in particular that definitely have some traction are Ohio State and Michigan. The pair of Big Ten rivals are doing a very good job of pursuing Reid and building a strong bond with both him and his mother. If Reid does decide early, that could be good news for either the Buckeyes or Wolverines.”"

Last month, our Wolverine Corner, broke down Efton Reid and also gave Michigan fans reason for optimism. And if you are reading the tea leaves, cautious optimism makes sense.

The thing that worries me is Reid choosing the G-League option, similar to what Isaiah Todd did after he was committed to Michigan basketball for months.

To be honest, if this is a Michigan-Ohio State battle, I’m very confident the Wolverines will emerge victorious. That’s just my gut feeling. Snow reported that Virginia is out of the mix. Georgetown and Kansas are in the mix, but Michigan has been among the most consistent.

However, with the recruiting dead period getting extended to next year, who knows when Reid will decide.

But if he chooses to play college hoops in the coming months, there’s a good chance the Wolverines will be the pick.