Michigan hopes for big recruiting splash

John Beilein's recruiting at Michigan has steadily improved in his tenure, but the Wolverines haven't competed for the truly elite, one-and-done, program-changing recruits that typically reserve their looks for talent powerhouses like Kentucky and North Carolina. You could describe Michigan's recruiting efforts as solid, but there is plenty of room for elite improvement.

That's where Mitch McGary comes in. McGary, whose insane shattered backboard introduced him to a wide swath of non-recruitniks this summer, is the top-ranked center and the No. 2 overall player in the 2012 class. In August, McGary narrowed his list of potential schools. One of those schools was Michigan.

Last weekend, McGary took one of his official campus visits to Ann Arbor, Mich. That has Detroit News columnist Sam Webb wondering how close the Wolverines really are to landing McGary. And now that you mention it, with schools like Florida, North Carolina, Duke, Maryland and Kentucky all vying for his services, why would McGary choose Michigan anyway? From Webb:

[...] Part of the reason for Michigan's strong standing is his connection to current Wolverines Zack Novak and Max Bielfeldt, as well as future Wolverine and best friend Glenn Robinson III. Aside from that, though, some observers question whether Michigan holds any legitimate appeal. [...]

And therein lies Michigan's great equalizer in the race for McGary's services. The Wolverines may not have the recent national championship success of their contemporaries, but they do possess a characteristic that could prove just as pivotal, if not more so.

"The post player is intimately and intricately involved in John Beilein's system," [McGary's AAU coach Wayne] Brumm explained. "I don't know anybody who runs a better offensive system for a post player than Michigan. So I have to say, why not (Michigan as a possible destination)? Everybody else is (analyzing McGary's recruitment) like they're a friggin fan. We're trying to pick a school that is in Mitch's best interest."

Webb cites the Wolverines' overtures to Brumm, McGary's AAU coach, as another reason why the school may have a leg up in the recruiting department. Likewise, Brumm and McGary seem to like UM assistant Bacari Alexander, Beilein's designated forwards coach.

Still, Michigan faces some stiff competition. Players as good as McGary typically want to know that their school can compete for a national title the minute they arrive, because time is limited in a one-and-done world. Can Michigan be that team by 2012? It's doubtful. But they are steadily improving. If McGary's coaching preferences and stylistic advantages can outshine the glittery pitches from the UNCs, UKs and Dukes of the world, well, maybe Michigan can get to that level sooner rather than later.

And if it doesn't happen? Oh well. In fact, Michigan fans should still be very excited. The thrilling sensation of hoping on a talent like McGary is not something UM hoops fans have had the chance to experience in quite some time.

Source: http://espn.go.com/blog/collegebasketballnation/post/_/id/35100/michigan-hopes-for-big-recruiting-splash

Dwayne Wade Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside Mike Fontenot Brett Pill Pat Burrell