Michigan basketball recruiting: One 2023 visitor, one off the board

Michigan is continuing to host recruits this summer, and there’s a big one planning to come to Ann Arbor at the end of July. Another target, however, is off the board.

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Five-star Isaiah Collier (6-2, 190) of Marietta (Ga.) High, is one of the elite point guards in the country. He’s planning to visit at the end of July, and Michigan appears to be making a move. He recently rose to No. 10 overall in the On3.com rankings. 

“Collier has a very strong frame,” On3 reports. “He plays with great balance and is able to take a bump when attacking the basket. He surveys the floor well, head up with a great pace, and never gets rushed. 

“He’s an excellent passer in the half-court, plays well out of the pick and roll, makes excellent reads, and his passes are on target and on time.”

The jump shot is “streaky at all levels,” they added, one of the reasons he is relentless attacking the basket. 

“He has the quick-twitch and the toughness to be a good on-ball defender, and quick hands,” they added. “Collier elevates the play of those around him. He is vocal on the floor, calls his team in for huddles, and speaks up. Despite the jump shot woes, his ability to run a team is advanced.”

He’s been watching Michigan for a while. Cincinnati, Alabama and others are heavily involved.

“There are definitely a lot of good guards going to Michigan right now,” the five-star told On3 this spring. “I like how they play and their play style, and I’m looking forward to learning more about them.”   

Michigan target Elmarko Jackson will take fall visits

One of the newer offers, Elmarko Jackson (6-3, On3.com No. 60 2023 recruit nationally) recently announced he’d transfer to South Kent from Richland (N.J.) St. Augustine Prep. That means he’ll be playing with big man recruit Papa Kante, and that could be an advantage for Michigan. 

Kante (6-10, No. 33) is expected to make a decision after this week’s Nike Peach Jam after he goes back to Senegal, Africa. Michigan is thought to be in good shape.

But the Wolverines were later to offer Jackson, and now that he’s blown up, it’s going to be a “battle” to land him, On3.com’s Jamie Shaw tells us. Kansas, Villanova, UCLA, and others have all offered. 

But Jackson is Marlin Jackson’s nephew (former Michigan All-American defensive back), and he grew up a U-M fan. He made it clear to the reporters at the recent NBPA Top 100 camp, though, that he’s “wide open” now. 

“When assessing the big guards at the camp with the most impressive combination of quickness and speed, Jackson is in the top three …” On3’s Gerry Hamilton reported. “There is one difference between [him and the others] — Jackson has high-end physicality to go with the explosive movement skills. 

“Jackson is built like a college safety at 6-foot-3, and nearly 205-pounds. He initiates contact and plays through contact at a high level for a point guard. Defenders seemingly bounce off of him. He went through the body of defenders multiple times over the three day period to finish strong at, and above the rim. His speed in transition is that of a difference maker.”

We expect Jackson to visit Michigan this fall, but others have surged for the player who calls himself a “physical lead guard.

“I can do a little bit of everything to impact a game, creating shots for my teammates and myself, and I defend,” he said. 

He’s picked up 15 offers since June.

“I’ve built a really good relationship with Miami’s head coach, Jim Larranaga, and Coach (Kevin) Willard at Maryland,” Jackson said. “I don’t have any official visit dates set yet, and I won’t look at that until the fall. I recently added offers from Villanova, Nebraska, Virginia, Kansas, Indiana, Michigan. It’s really been a lot over the last couple of weeks.

“I’m going to be looking at how I fit in with each of them,” Jackson said. “How I could earn minutes as a freshman. I want to look at the player development systems each has in place and how family-oriented the programs are.”

He insists he’s 100 percent open, looking for a school with a “nice campus energy,” and that location won’t be a factor.

“I do want to play in an offense that lets their guards have a lot of freedom,” he said. “Playing in the pick and roll with a lot of options and reads, but also get out in transition.”

Michigan should have a solid shot here now that the Wolverines have offered.

Marvel Allen off the board

A day after announcing Michigan as one of his top six, West Palm Beach (Fla.) Calvary Christian shooting guard Marvel Allen, is off the board. Allen, No. 68 in the On3.com rankings after a significant drop this summer, pledged to Georgetown. 

Allen had a rough summer shooting the ball but was still coveted by many programs before pledging to the Hoyas. He was not thought to be a U-M priority. 

The rising senior will spend his final year at Montverde (Fla.) Academy.