Michigan hoops recruiting: Where things stand with 2025s — point guards

Dusty May is off and running in his tenure as Michigan basketball coach, having assembled what appears to be a very good team. He’s also made inroads with several recruits from the 2025 class, including a few great ones from the state of Michigan. Here’s the latest on his efforts with the rising senior point guards:

Darius Acuff, 6-1, 175 PG
Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy
On3 Consensus No. 7

Acuff, the top-ranked point guard in the 2025 class and a Detroit native, narrowed his list to four schools recently — Arkansas, Kansas, Michigan, and UConn. Arkansas, Kansas, and Michigan (old staff) have hosted the five-star recruit on official visits, and he has no other trips scheduled. 

“It felt like home there. Coach (Juwan) Howard is my dog. He is like a lost uncle,” Acuff said. “It was sad to see him leave, but they have a great coach there now. One of the first things Coach (Dusty) May said to me when he called was, ‘We hoop over here.’ It was a great conversation we had. He is a good guy, a basketball head for sure. He is trying to get the program back to its winning ways and bring what he built at FAU to Michigan.”

THOUGHTS: May has some work to do here given the competition. Kansas is considered the favorite, with Arkansas right behind.

Cayden Boozer, 6-3, 190
Miami Christopher Columbus
No. 17

On3’s No. 3 point guard earned another state championship this season at Columbus High and is currently the No. 1 seed with the Nightrydas program heading into Nike’s Peach Jam. Michigan is still trying to build the relationship. 

“I’ve talked with Michigan a few times,” Boozer said. “UNC is still involved, and I’ve had a conversation with UConn, too, but they haven’t offered or anything yet.

“Coach (Dusty) May was at FAU and now he has a bigger opportunity with Michigan, being in the Big Ten. He’s just trying to tell me that Michigan is going to become an elite program again. They have had their ups and downs over the last few years, but he is trying to change the program and bring them back to a March Madness team.

“He likes that I can play fast and share the ball. I can do a lot of things offensively and defensively, and he likes that I’m a winner.”

THOUGHTS: The son of former Duke great Carlos Boozer has the Blue Devils on his list with Miami, Florida, UNC, and Arkansas. This would be a tough one to win, but May is trying to build the relationship.

Kingston Flemings, 6-3, 165
San Antonio (Texas) William J. Brennan
No. 25

Flemings is On3’s No. 1 ranked point guard in the 2025 On3 150 after he averaged 17.1 points, 7.1 rebounds, 5.5 assists, and 2.0 steals per game for Brennan High team this year. He’s coming off strong showings at the NBPA Top 100 Camp and the USA Basketball U17 Training Camp.

“I’ve taken an official visit to Texas Tech,” Flemings said. “I’ll probably take some more once the AAU season ends. I’m setting one up with Houston, and I’m talking with Creighton and Michigan about visits, too.”

He’s continuing to build the relationship with May and staff.

“Things are going well with Michigan. They send me a lot of videos of how they play, trying to orient me into that,” he said. “We are new in the recruiting process with them, so we are trying to get to learn each other. Coach (Dusty) May tell me he likes how fast I play. How I drive and kick and am able to get downhill. He loves my athleticism.”

THOUGHTS: Houston is recruiting him “hardest,” but we expect May to come after him hard. He’s looking for a family atmosphere and a place he can develop. He could be tough to pry from his home state, but U-M is making progress.

Nyk Lewis, 6-1, 
Washington (D.C.) Gonzaga
No. 38

On3’s No. 6 point guard and No. 1 player in D.C.  has scheduled an official visit to Michigan for August 1st-3rd. He recently took official visits to Xavier and LSU … Marquette and Oklahoma State (old staff) have also hosted him on official visits in the past, while Virginia Tech, Maryland, and Georgetown have all hosted him unofficially.

He was a top performer at the June NBPA Top 100 camp. 

“The consistent pressure that Nyk Lewis puts on the opposing team is hard to miss. The 6-foot-1 lead guard pressures the ball as well as anyone in the camp,” Jamie Shaw wrote. “He is also able to routinely get two feet into the paint with the ball in his hands. 

“Lewis has a jet-quick first step, but he is also showing a crafty handle with an array of hesitation and change-of-direction moves. He is also an excellent defensive rebounder. Lewis went for over 20 points and 4 assists in all three games this today. He finished with 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 4 assists in his final game. He simply exudes toughness when he is on the floor.”

THOUGHTS: Getting him on campus was key, and that gives the Wolverines a chance. Remember, May and Co. went 8-for-8 with visitors from the portal and high school when he arrived. They have already created a special culture.

Acaden Lewis, 6-2, 170
Baltimore (Md.) Sidwell Friends School
No. 89 

Lewis is averaging 15.3 points and 3.6 assists for Team Durant this season on Nike’s EYBL Circuit and has become a hot commodity.

“I’ve been talking with Michigan, Syracuse, Kentucky, and a couple of other schools about visits,” Lewis said … and he took one to Kentucky June 17, having also taken officials to Florida State and Virginia.

“I love how Coach Dusty May plays and his style. I was a big fan of FAU and how they played when he was there. He puts a battery in his guy’s back, which I really love. I have family in Detroit. My dad is from there and my grandmother still lives there, so I have family ties there.”

THOUGHTS: Lewis plans on taking officials at the end of summer and could commit in October. U-M will have a shot if the coaches get him on campus. 

“The culture of the school will be big for me,” he said. “I want to see how they talk to the top guy, their second guy, their thirteenth guy … see how they treat their managers and everyone in the program.”

Jalen Reece, 6-0, 175
Orlando (Fla.) Oak Ridge Academy
No. 72

Reece has scheduled an official visit to LSU for September 21^st — he also visited the school last October — and has seen Cincinnati, Ohio State, and Providence unofficially. He was a top performer at the early June Pangos All-America camp.

“Jalen Reece was the consummate point guard throughout the weekend … he spent the weekend trying to make his teammates look good, and for the most part, he did,” Shaw reported. “He had multiple games of eight or more assists including one nine-point and 12-assist game. He consistently got the ball to the right spots.

He’s looking for an opportunity to play right away.

“Obviously, I know I will have to do my part with that, as well,” he said. “I just want a school that’s the best fit, treat me as an equal, and a place where it’s like home.”

THOUGHTS: Michigan needs to get him on campus to have a shot.

Isaiah Denis, 6-5, 170
Davidson (N.C.) Day
No. 122

A self-described “great playmaker and three-level scorer,” Denis is a big point guard with great skill. He helped lead his Davidson (N.C.) Day team to a North Carolina state championship during the high school season and is due for a big bump in the rankings. He has visits scheduled to Michigan (Sept. 21-23), Pittsburgh (August 30-September 1), and Ohio State (Sept. 7-10).

“They’ve been watching me since they were at FAU, and then they got the Michigan job,” he said of Dusty May and staff. “They’ve been reaching out pretty consistently. They told me they were going to watch me closely on the stream at the fourth session (EYBL Kansas City) and after that Coach (Dusty) May offered me and he has really prioritized me. 

“I’ve been building a good relationship with them. I’m cool with all the staff there. I talk to Coach May and like three of the assistant coaches. They want to have combo guards with size. They think my size is great for someone who can play on or off the ball.”

THOUGHTS: Tennessee and Mississippi State are also on the radar, but U-M has made a move. He wants to commit in October or November, and he’s looking for a “family presence.” Michigan fits the bill.