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The early signing period for college basketball began on Wednesday (Nov. 13) and runs through Nov. 20. Some of the top prospects in the country will wait to sign from April into May, but Michigan basketball may not have to wait that long to land its next big fish if things go positively for them.
After the two commits they currently have, the Wolverines currently have two open scholarships for the 2020-21 season pending possible attrition after this season.
Here’s where things stand so far.
The commits
This is by far the biggest win for Howard so far on the recruiting trail. Todd is a long, athletic forward that has long been one of the top names in the 2020 cycle. He still has a ways to go in terms of offensive consistency, but he’s an NBA talent the second he sets foot in Ann Arbor and likely starts right away next season.
Jackson committed to Michigan under John Beilein and has maintained his pledge throughout. He officially on Wednesday signed his letter of intent and is already set to roll at Michigan. He has been committed since Oct. 2018.
Next in line
Four-star center Hunter Dickinson
Dickinson is the name to watch and a guy that could drop any day now and the Wolverines have been trending recently in his recruitment. He made an official visit to Ann Arbor on Sept. 7 and it seems it is just a matter of time before he decides on a school. Duke, Notre Dame and Florida State are also contenders. Dickinson fits the mold of what Juwan Howard wants to do with his bigs and he has the size and ability to be a nice option in the post.
The Wolverines moved on to Miller, a Chicago kid, earlier this week after losing out on Moses Moody and Nimari Burnett, who decided to go to Arkansas and Texas Tech, respectively. Michigan is going to work to get him on campus quickly with a decision looming and he has ties to the Howards having played with Jace in the Nike EYBL circuit this summer. All nine 247Sports Crystal Ball picks have him going to Illinois.
Five-star guard Joshua Christopher
Christopher has an official visit set to Ann Arbor with Arizona State, UCLA and Missouri also named as suitors for him. He is the 11th-ranked player in the class (one higher than Todd) and would be another slam-dunk, instant-impact freshman for the Wolverines. UCLA currently holds 100 percent of the 247Sports Crystal Ball picks.
Three-star forward Jace Howard
At some point, Howard feels like a near-lock to join the 2020 class. It just becomes a matter of space and who is left on the board. In a situation where they whiff on the above names or third scholarship becomes available with the potential that Austin Davis is not brought back for a fifth year.