D.J. Carton visited Ohio State on July 11th. On July 14th, he made the decision to become a Buckeye and sign on as Chris Holtmann's second top-30 2019 recruit, joining Alonzo Gaffney. Carton had made an official visit to Ann Arbor in late-June, named Michigan in his top three, and if Jalen Wilson was the number one focus on the recruiting trail, then Carton was one(a) for the Michigan staff. Instead of celebrating another recruiting triumph, Michigan has to watch as a top rival continues to reload.
Carton's Skill:
One may ask why exactly this matters, outside from the obvious of a rival getting stronger. That question is answered easily with Carton's game. Carton is a (somewhat generous) 6'1", but that height does not matter. A glimpse at his highlight reel tells you all you need to know: he is an explosive guard who will get to the hole at will. Identified as a point guard, his scoring ability for that position is a massive plus and one of the best in the entire 2019 class. He impressed at the USA Basketball Camp despite not making the final cuts for the U18 national team, he highlighted his athleticism with this posterizing dunk over a much-taller Anton Watson. Ranked 21st on the 247Sports composite, Carton's talent is evident and Chris Holtmann will be thrilled to add him to his team's roster.
The breakdown of the rosters of Ohio State and Michigan also highlight how Carton should be able to start at point guard from day one in Columbus. Luther Muhammad is an incredibly talented off-guard who can play the point, but I see his future at the two. This is a similar situation for Duane Washington who will also be a freshman this year. CJ Walker seems to be a stopgap point guard to me as he fell out of favor in the later stages of his Florida State career, but he will battle Carton for the starting spot. This, however, seems to be an easier guarantee of playing time than three true point guards, including a senior Zavier Simpson, in 2019. There are many variables for committing to a school, but play time is one that if indeed factored in by Carton, there is no blaming him for doing so and heading to a school where that path seems ripe for the picking.
What's Next:
Now that Michigan will have to take on Carton in Big Ten play instead of comprising a roster with him, what are the other options for Michigan? Well first and foremost, we must look at the scholarship situation. While the Wolverines are technically at the limit of 13, it is very likely Charles Matthews will be off to the NBA after next season, opening up another scholarship, but we still may see plenty of roster movement. Michigan is in on plenty of elite 2019 prospects though, here is a quick breakdown of three prospects that have garnered a bit of buzz and have Michigan on their shortlists.
1. Rocket Watts: Top Eight - Michigan, Michigan State, Florida State, Missouri, Louisville, Oregon, UCONN, Xavier
Watts has had the most recent buzz around him of all of Michigan's 2019 targets, so he is number one on this list. The combo guard from Old Redford in Detroit just trimmed his list down to eight and it features both Michigan, Michigan State, but also out of state schools with a strong chance, Florida State garnering the most buzz, but also Louisville, Missouri, UCONN, Oregon, and Xavier. Watts made the U18 national team cut and this will invoke comparisons to Carton by fans, the two are indeed different players. Watts can play the point, but most, including myself, project him more as a combo guard. He can get to the rim, but I personally like him on the perimeter most of all. He can shoot and flat-out score, and I love his passing ability. If played as a shooting guard, you get almost another point guard's worth of passing on the court with him. If you play Watts with a point guard like David DeJulius or Eli Brooks, you have two guys that can score from various degrees while playing you tough. Also, if you play him with a point guard like Zavier Simpson, you have two tough defenders on the court that drive strong against larger foes. There is a lot to like about Watts and he will be one to watch in the state of Michigan.
2. Joe Girard III: Top Six - Michigan, Duke, Syracuse, Penn State, Boston College, Notre Dame
Another guard here on this list, Michigan was in on Girard before he blew up with offers from Duke and Syracuse. As just junior, Girard has already surpassed Lance Stephenson as the New York basketball all-time leading scorer with an eye-popping 50 point per game average as a junior. His EYBL stats see him even out against some of the best players in the nation, but his skills remain undeniable. He jump shot is outstanding and truly a thing of beauty. He can pull-up with it, come off the dribble and create his own shot, but he can also drive to the rim a bit. While he can drive, his shooting is his number one weapon and his strengths are absolutely best utilized with him as a pure shooter. With Girard, Michigan would have a player they desperately need, one that can create a shot from three from behind the line. I would see him almost in a sort of Jordan Poole role from this season where he can come off the bench and hit some shots and swing momentum of the game. His senior season will be thrilling to watch and you hope to see continued shooting explosions, but also see his game take another step forward as a whole.
3. Keion Brooks: Top Ten - Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, UCLA, Purdue, Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, Iowa, Georgetown:
The final player on this list has a dazzling list of offers and is likely a longshot for Michigan to land as Michigan State, Indiana, and Kentucky all are working extremely hard to land the number 15 player in the country. Regardless, Brooks is an ultra-talented 6'8" winger who does almost everything and does it all well. He can impress with post moves, he has a great mid-range jumper, he cuts and drives hard and smart, and also plays bigger than his size, which is impressive considering he is the size of a power forward in the modern game. You'd like to see continued development of an outside shot, but especially with his play style you can see the other areas he impresses in. Michigan made his top ten, but I'm looking at him to head elsewhere, unfortunately for Michigan fans.
Other Players and Final Thoughts:
There are still a huge amount of players I have not covered that have interest from Michigan. Harlond Beverly, formerly of Southfield Christian, is a player that springs to mind that could see heavier interest come his way in the latter stages of summer. With him also come the parade of top five recruits that Michigan has come to be linked to with some frequency (i.e., R.J. Barrett, Mo Bamba). Jaden McDaniels has caught fire in the rankings jumping all the way up to the number four spot on 247 and is Juwan Howard's cousin. The lanky power forward listed anywhere between 6'9"-6'11" is someone to keep an eye on. RJ Hampton is number four in 2020 but has discussed reclassifying; could his best friend Jalen Wilson help lure him to Michigan? What about Cole Anthony? The number three 2019 recruit in the country is also a New York guard and has interest from Michigan.
These, quite frankly, consist quite heavily of longer-shots. The most recent update involving Just taking one of the three, McDaniels shows no real reasons to get hopes up. Anthony. This is no reason for losing positive energy for Michigan fans. There is still plenty of time for recruiting to settle down and coaches to evaluate players not just the rest of this AAU season, but also during their final seasons of high school basketball. John Beilein has shown time-and-time again that even if he doesn't get the top five players in the country, or even top 50, or even top 100 for that matter, he will still coach his players to be the best they can possibly be. While it is always fun to speculate about top-tier recruits coming to Michigan, there is one thing Michigan fans don't have to worry about, and that's Beilein finding the right guys.
Carton's Skill:
One may ask why exactly this matters, outside from the obvious of a rival getting stronger. That question is answered easily with Carton's game. Carton is a (somewhat generous) 6'1", but that height does not matter. A glimpse at his highlight reel tells you all you need to know: he is an explosive guard who will get to the hole at will. Identified as a point guard, his scoring ability for that position is a massive plus and one of the best in the entire 2019 class. He impressed at the USA Basketball Camp despite not making the final cuts for the U18 national team, he highlighted his athleticism with this posterizing dunk over a much-taller Anton Watson. Ranked 21st on the 247Sports composite, Carton's talent is evident and Chris Holtmann will be thrilled to add him to his team's roster.
The breakdown of the rosters of Ohio State and Michigan also highlight how Carton should be able to start at point guard from day one in Columbus. Luther Muhammad is an incredibly talented off-guard who can play the point, but I see his future at the two. This is a similar situation for Duane Washington who will also be a freshman this year. CJ Walker seems to be a stopgap point guard to me as he fell out of favor in the later stages of his Florida State career, but he will battle Carton for the starting spot. This, however, seems to be an easier guarantee of playing time than three true point guards, including a senior Zavier Simpson, in 2019. There are many variables for committing to a school, but play time is one that if indeed factored in by Carton, there is no blaming him for doing so and heading to a school where that path seems ripe for the picking.
What's Next:
Now that Michigan will have to take on Carton in Big Ten play instead of comprising a roster with him, what are the other options for Michigan? Well first and foremost, we must look at the scholarship situation. While the Wolverines are technically at the limit of 13, it is very likely Charles Matthews will be off to the NBA after next season, opening up another scholarship, but we still may see plenty of roster movement. Michigan is in on plenty of elite 2019 prospects though, here is a quick breakdown of three prospects that have garnered a bit of buzz and have Michigan on their shortlists.
1. Rocket Watts: Top Eight - Michigan, Michigan State, Florida State, Missouri, Louisville, Oregon, UCONN, Xavier
Watts has had the most recent buzz around him of all of Michigan's 2019 targets, so he is number one on this list. The combo guard from Old Redford in Detroit just trimmed his list down to eight and it features both Michigan, Michigan State, but also out of state schools with a strong chance, Florida State garnering the most buzz, but also Louisville, Missouri, UCONN, Oregon, and Xavier. Watts made the U18 national team cut and this will invoke comparisons to Carton by fans, the two are indeed different players. Watts can play the point, but most, including myself, project him more as a combo guard. He can get to the rim, but I personally like him on the perimeter most of all. He can shoot and flat-out score, and I love his passing ability. If played as a shooting guard, you get almost another point guard's worth of passing on the court with him. If you play Watts with a point guard like David DeJulius or Eli Brooks, you have two guys that can score from various degrees while playing you tough. Also, if you play him with a point guard like Zavier Simpson, you have two tough defenders on the court that drive strong against larger foes. There is a lot to like about Watts and he will be one to watch in the state of Michigan.
2. Joe Girard III: Top Six - Michigan, Duke, Syracuse, Penn State, Boston College, Notre Dame
Another guard here on this list, Michigan was in on Girard before he blew up with offers from Duke and Syracuse. As just junior, Girard has already surpassed Lance Stephenson as the New York basketball all-time leading scorer with an eye-popping 50 point per game average as a junior. His EYBL stats see him even out against some of the best players in the nation, but his skills remain undeniable. He jump shot is outstanding and truly a thing of beauty. He can pull-up with it, come off the dribble and create his own shot, but he can also drive to the rim a bit. While he can drive, his shooting is his number one weapon and his strengths are absolutely best utilized with him as a pure shooter. With Girard, Michigan would have a player they desperately need, one that can create a shot from three from behind the line. I would see him almost in a sort of Jordan Poole role from this season where he can come off the bench and hit some shots and swing momentum of the game. His senior season will be thrilling to watch and you hope to see continued shooting explosions, but also see his game take another step forward as a whole.
3. Keion Brooks: Top Ten - Michigan, Michigan State, Kentucky, UCLA, Purdue, Indiana, North Carolina, Texas, Iowa, Georgetown:
The final player on this list has a dazzling list of offers and is likely a longshot for Michigan to land as Michigan State, Indiana, and Kentucky all are working extremely hard to land the number 15 player in the country. Regardless, Brooks is an ultra-talented 6'8" winger who does almost everything and does it all well. He can impress with post moves, he has a great mid-range jumper, he cuts and drives hard and smart, and also plays bigger than his size, which is impressive considering he is the size of a power forward in the modern game. You'd like to see continued development of an outside shot, but especially with his play style you can see the other areas he impresses in. Michigan made his top ten, but I'm looking at him to head elsewhere, unfortunately for Michigan fans.
Other Players and Final Thoughts:
There are still a huge amount of players I have not covered that have interest from Michigan. Harlond Beverly, formerly of Southfield Christian, is a player that springs to mind that could see heavier interest come his way in the latter stages of summer. With him also come the parade of top five recruits that Michigan has come to be linked to with some frequency (i.e., R.J. Barrett, Mo Bamba). Jaden McDaniels has caught fire in the rankings jumping all the way up to the number four spot on 247 and is Juwan Howard's cousin. The lanky power forward listed anywhere between 6'9"-6'11" is someone to keep an eye on. RJ Hampton is number four in 2020 but has discussed reclassifying; could his best friend Jalen Wilson help lure him to Michigan? What about Cole Anthony? The number three 2019 recruit in the country is also a New York guard and has interest from Michigan.
These, quite frankly, consist quite heavily of longer-shots. The most recent update involving Just taking one of the three, McDaniels shows no real reasons to get hopes up. Anthony. This is no reason for losing positive energy for Michigan fans. There is still plenty of time for recruiting to settle down and coaches to evaluate players not just the rest of this AAU season, but also during their final seasons of high school basketball. John Beilein has shown time-and-time again that even if he doesn't get the top five players in the country, or even top 50, or even top 100 for that matter, he will still coach his players to be the best they can possibly be. While it is always fun to speculate about top-tier recruits coming to Michigan, there is one thing Michigan fans don't have to worry about, and that's Beilein finding the right guys.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for plenty more Michigan basketball coverage, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Liverpool FC coverage as well!
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