Trey Burke For Recruiting Coordinator
Michigan basketball is firmly back on the map after pulling off a comeback for the ages against Kansas and running through the Florida Gators like they were a team comprised of those kids from the AT&T commercials. Recruits are noticing:
That man Burke is the truth lol
— Drake Harris™ (@drizzygetbusy01) March 30, 2013
Hoping Michigan gets this W on Sunday so when I get to AA it's rocking!!
— Sam Mustipher II (@IAmFiveTwo) March 30, 2013
— George Campbell (@GeorgeCampbell0) March 31, 2013
Harris decommitted from what is now the second-best basketball team in the state, and yes, Trey Burke is the truth. Mustipher got the win he was wishing for, and Ann Arbor was most definitely rocking. Campbell lives in Gator country, yet he clearly didn't mind that Michigan was as on as it gets.
This leads me to my next point: the success of the basketball team is huge for Michigan in so many different ways. Anything that puts Michigan in the media puts Michigan in the minds of recruits, and you can bet your bottom dollar that there are football recruits out there who are looking at Michigan more now than they were before this tournament started. When Trey Burke hit that ridiculous thirty-foot shot to send the game into overtime he sent Michigan shooting to the top of SportsCenter's top plays, and consequently into the hearts of young men around the country. Michigan is cool again, and cool means everything in the game of recruiting.
Michigan State, Ohio State, Florida and everyone else are all left behind while the Michigan brand reaches further across America, and damn do I love it.
Cass Tech Is So Good..
..they get their own section in my recruiting roundups about once a month. The Technicians will lose not one, not two, but three offensive lineman to BCS schools next year. Most high schools would see a sharp decline in talent, but not Cass Tech. Michigan is already looking at two freshman on the CT roster, and they're already massive:
#Michigan already looking at a pair of Cass Tech freshman. Both stand taller than 6'2" and are 300+ lbs. Feature story coming tomorrow morn.
— Steve Lorenz (@TremendousUM) March 31, 2013
Said story can be found here. A snippet on freshman monster Ostell Martin:
Heading into next season, Cass Tech will be losing three BCS players up front in Dennis Finley (MSU), Kenton Gibbs (NC State) and David Dawson (Michigan). Despite only being a sophomore, Martin is ready to take a big step towards becoming the next star player at the powerhouse program. Dawson, in particular, is someone he's looking to emulate.
"I'm ready to starting working towards next season. I have been already," Martin said. "And Dave is somebody I look up to and want to emulate on the field. I look at him and think to myself that he's where I want to be in a few years. He became a leader and an All-American this year and is now playing football for a great school like Michigan. He's definitely someone I would consider a role model."
He's currently 6'5" and 315 pounds heavy. I grew four inches and put on thirty pounds between my freshman and senior years of high school, so Martin could end up being a monster among monsters somewhere down the line. David Dawson could be a factor in his recruitment when the year 2016 rolls around.
General Notes and Multimedia Items
Every year there is one recruit who I seem to pull for more than the others, and this year it's definitely Detroit Country Day wide receiver Maurice Ways. Moe takes his academics very seriously, excels on the basketball court (he just won a state title), and has also only played football for a few short years. Things are "heating up" between he and Michigan:
Things are heating up between #Michigan and Detroit Country Day WR Maurice Ways (VIP): michigan.247sports.com/Board/59424/Wa…
— Steve Lorenz (@TremendousUM) March 30, 2013
The story is paywalled, but the tweet is worth embedding nonetheless. I like to think that I know the receiver position extremely well, and when I watch Ways' tape I see a kid who's bound to blow up in college. Kansas and Tennessee have both ramped up their interest in Ways, so here's to hoping that Michigan keeps him from heading south.
Speaking of wide receivers, New Jersey product Juwann Winfree might be a name to keep in mind this year. He dominated at the Baltimore 5up tournament:
Playing mostly as a wide receiver, Winfree was dominant for the majority of the day. In such a confined area, Winfree showed great route-running abilities, which helped him get open consistently. On multiple occasions, he faked a crossing or out route and left the defensive back in the dust as he blew past the secondary for a wide-open touchdown. Winfree's hands also stood out. He was sure-handed throughout the day and made more than his share of one-handed catches.
Michigan offeree Jalen Tabor was there, so we know the level of competition was solid. Michigan is currently his best offer, but don't be surprised to see other powerhouses throw their hat in as well.
Michigan corner recruit Jermaine Roberts has accepted his offer to play in the Under Armour All-American game. It's only a matter of time before the game takes over as the premier All-American game, in my opinion. All of that crazy looking Under Armour gear seems to be appealing to youngsters.