Michigan Basketball: Breaking down latest happenings with Wolverines

In the midst of the return of football season, Michigan basketball has been in the news with some happenings that have certainly taken precedent.

First off, the school is set to host N.C. State in the yearly Big Ten/ACC challenge on December 9th. This will be the eighth all time meeting in the series with Michigan basketball holding a slight edge of 4-3.

The last time they met was December 1, 2015 in Raleigh when the maize and blue came out on top 66-59. Michigan basketball has won the previous two matchups.

The Wolfpack enter the challenge at 2-1 under current head man Kevin Keatts. They beat Penn State in 2017, lost to Wisconsin in 2018, only to take down the Badgers a year later at home. Former Buckeye Lawrence Funderburk’s son, DJ, will be a recognizable name on the team. He shot 61% from the field in 2019 and was once a Buckeye before being released to join N.C. State.

Wake Forest transfer Chaundee Brown is officially in the fold for the 2020/2021 campaign. He’ll be relied upon to suit up for a lot of minutes depending on how coach Howard wants to use him as he grows in the system.

Brown is a well experienced option who has already earned the praise of those within the organization about the way he carries himself.

Michigan basketball also gets its five-star recruit

But perhaps the most delightful news regarding this past weekend was the commitment of five star Caleb Houstan.

Houstan chose the Wolverines over other choices like Alabama, Arizona and Duke. He’s a consensus five star on every recruiting website and is very genuine when it comes to his reasons for choosing Michigan.

Houstan truly wanted to lace up his shoes for coach Howard. He’s the main reasoning why Houstan picked the Wolverines to put a halt to his recruitment.

The relationship that has been built up between the two is a special bond that will forever link the duo in Michigan basketball lure. Not to mention that he’s a potent 3-point shooter for his size, which is what the faithful will love about him.

With his commitment to Ann Arbor, Howard presently owns the number one class in the 247sports rankings. It shows just how hard he is working on the recruiting trail.

This is a huge coup under his belt that he can use to his advantage when he enters the home of these elite high school prospects as well.

The sting of losing out on past five-star recruits can be eased once Houstan takes the floor in 2021. He’ll be expected to contribute as soon as he arrives on campus and the 2021 class could turn out to be one that will bring the program back to the championship spotlight that is so desperately craved for.