Michigan Basketball: Checking in on Wolverines 2021 recruiting class

It’s easy to get focused on the five-star recruits Michigan basketball signed in 2021 but don’t forget about Will Tschetter and Kobe Bufkin. 

It’s really easy to get lost in the talent of Michigan Basketball‘s five-star signees in the 2021 recruiting class such as Caleb Houstan or Moussa Diabate.

Those guys are going to be superstars and Houstan has continued to be impressive this season on the high school circuit. His shooting is high level and he will be a perfect replacement for Isaiah Livers next year.

He plays at Montverde, one of the top programs in the country and he showed out last weekend as an invitational tournament and here’s more from Rivals:

"“Michigan signee Caleb Houstan had arguably the day’s best individual performance. Obviously, the five-star prospect would have preferred it not come in an overtime loss, but the stat-stuffing effort was wildly impressive nevertheless. Houstan kept his team in the game by scoring 19 points to go along with 10 rebounds and three steals.”"

Diabate has also put together some impressive performances and he continues to flash his raw talent, which will be fun to see molded under Juwan Howard, who has done amazing things with Hunter Dickinson as a freshman.

But this class is about much more than just those five-star guys and in fact, one of Michigan basketball’s lower-rated signees, Will Tschetter, continues to ball out.

Through seven games, Tschetter was averaging about 30 points a game for his high school team in Minnesota, but last night, he went to another level, scoring 48. The 6-foot-8 big man is Michigan’s lowest ranked recruit (146th) in the 247 composite but he can be a real diamond in the rough. At the very least, Juwan Howard should find a way to utilize his incredible shooting ability.

Bufkin gets back on the floor

Isaiah Barnes and Kobe Bufkin, two other Michigan basketball signees in 2021 hadn’t been able to play yet in 2021.

But that changed for Bufkin last night and he dazzled. Clayton Sayfie of Rivals was in attendance and he reported that the future Wolverine scored 23 points, grabbed eight rebounds, dished out six assists and had six steals. All in all, a good night.

And about Frankie Collins, the four-star point guard that’s coming to Michigan basketball next season, here’s the latest on him him from Prospectiveinsight.com:

"“Collins has the ability to generate space off the bounce or carve up defenses as a slasher. He’s a big time finisher who can get downhill in a hurry and poster unsuspecting defenders. Looking forward, he’ll continue refining his PG skills in the Michigan program. With Collins, we’re looking at a scoring guard who will likely make an immediate impact and could work his way into the first round pick conversation down the line.”"

As excited as I am about Houston and Diabate, there is a lot to like about both Collins and Bufkin. In the case of Kobe, the COVID-19 pandemic definitely hurt his ability to get noticed and think there’s a chance he moves up in the rankings even more.

Still, he’s No. 42 overall and Collins is No. 51. In Collins, Howard is getting the ideal point guard for his system. He’s a relentless attacker and with a number of dangerous 3-point shooters surrounding him at U-M, it should be fun to watch him work.

And while the 2020-21 Michigan basketball season has brought plenty of excitement, this recruiting class should keep that going well into the future.