Michigan basketball recruiting: Signees, pledges off to great starts

Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard and his staff signed another outstanding class with a quartet of 2022 four-star prospects. All of them have hit the ground running in their senior years. 

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Point guard Dug McDaniel (5-11, 167), the consensus No. 73 player in the country, has led his team to a 3-0 start. The Washington Post puts his Paul VI team No. 1 in the area, just ahead of three Washington Catholic Athletic Conference (WCAC) foes. 

The conference is outstanding top to bottom, and McDaniel is the leader of its best team. He recently made the Post’s ’16 to watch’ list.

“With former stars Trevor Keels and Jeremy Roach playing for Duke, McDaniel will be tasked with running the Panthers’ backcourt,” they wrote. “The Michigan commit is one of the quickest players in the area, but his ability to set up his young teammates will be key to Paul VI’s success in the WCAC.”

McDaniel, also an outstanding football player for Paul VI, struggled a bit in his first game back switching between the two sports. 

“Michigan-bound Dug McDaniel had a rough night, going 2-12 from the field, 3-6 from the line and five turnovers,” Point Guard Eyes tweeted. “But he was terrific defensively, had the ball on a string, provided timely leadership and contributed seven points, seven rebounds and five assists [in a Dec. 4 win over Hillside (N.J.) Patrick].” 

McDaniel notched 14 points, seven assists, six rebounds and four steals in a 74-58 win over Archbishop Spalding Dec. 5 and put up 20 points and five assists in a 75-74 victory over St. George (Va.) Blue Ridge Dec. 11. He earned game MVP honors at the Morgan Wooten Tip-Off event as a result. 

“[He] put a ton of pressure on the defense and was at the rim all night,” Point Guard Eyes reported. “He had a couple of acrobatic jelly rolls, a pair of sweet dump-offs and registered one serious ankle-breaker. The Michigan basketball [signee] was aggressive to the cup from the jump].”

In Florida, Jett Howard — Juwan’s son (a 6-7 forward) — continues to put up big numbers at Bradenton IMG Academy. On3.com’s No. 34 senior nationally scored 12 in a Nov. 17 victory over Southwest Florida Christian Academy and has only improved since. 

Howard scored 16 in a 68-62 loss to Sunrise Christian Dec. 2 and 11 with four rebounds in a big win over Montverde Academy — last year’s national champion — Dec. 3. 

Howard saved his best for game three of the U.S. Marines NIBC Series, going 7-for-9 from long range to score 26 points, adding two assists, to rebounds, two steals and two blocked shots in a win over Oak Hill Academy Dec. 4. 

Michigan signee Tarris Reed continues to rise

In Branson, Mo., Link Year Prep Academy’s Tarris Reed (6-9, 230, consensus No. 43) also continues to elevate his play. He was one of the fastest risers in the country this summer, moving from just outside the top 100 to borderline top 40, and he’s proving why. He registered 15 points and eight rebounds in a Nov. 19 win over Huntington Prep, following up with 16 points and eight caroms in a victory over CBC a day later. 

Reed then notched 12 points, seven rebounds and five blocks in a win over Mitchell Nov.  25 and 15 points, four rebounds and two blocks in a win over No. 9 Prolific Prep a day later. He followed up with 18 points, 10 rebounds, two steals, two blocks in a win over Dream City Christian Dec. 3.

He registered 14 points, four rebounds and three blocks in a win over Veritas Prep Dec. 16, his latest big game. 

Back in Florida, signee Gregg Glenn (6-7, 215, ESPN.com No. 16 power forward nationally) is doing well for his Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) Calvary Christian squad. He scored 23 points in an 82-30 win over Highlands Nov. 27 despite playing less than three quarters in the blowout. It was a similar situation in an 86-43 win over American Heritage Dec. 22, Glenn scoring 22 in that contest. 

Glenn dropped 18 points and 10 rebounds in Game 1 of the City of Palms Classic, a win over Greensboro Day Dec. 17.

Finally, Michigan class of 2024 pledge Christian Anderson (5-8, 140) out of Atlanta Lovett High, is off to an incredible start in his sophomore year. The diminutive but deadly scorer put up 33, 38 and an eye-opening 55 points in his first three games of the season between Nov. 20 and 23.

Per MaxPreps.com, Anderson was a top three-point producer in the nation heading into December (through five games), averaging 31 points per game. He was shooting 45 percent from three-point range (on 57 attempts) and 57 percent from two (on 52 attempts). 

Anderson then put up 32 points in a 73-41 victory over South Atlanta and hit an incredible seven of nine triples (including three straight in the first quarter) on his way to 38 points in a victory over McNair Dec. 7. 

Anderson hit three straight triples again on his way to 28 points in a Dec. 12 victory over Atlanta Kipp.