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5 recruits new Michigan coach Juwan Howard needs to target

RANKINGS: 2019 Rivals150 | 2019 Team rankings | 2019 Position rankings

2020 Rivals150 | 2020 Position rankings

Top 75 of 2021

Adam Miller
Adam Miller (Jon Lopez/Jon Lopez Creative @NikeEYB)
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Michigan on Wednesday named Juwan Howard as its next head coach, replacing John Beilein and beginning a new era in Ann Arbor. Whether Howard can succeed in the head coach’s box remains to be seen, but we will know immediately whether he has what it takes to cut it along the recruiting trail. Who are the prospects that he must not just target, but also land? We highlight five pressing recruits of major importance.

RELATED: Wolverines ink Howard to five-year deal

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The top prospect from the city of Chicago - Howard's native home - Adam Miller could become a must-get for Michigan. Not that he wasn’t recruited by the Wolverines in the past, but now that Howard is the head coach, expect the Windy City to be a priority for Michigan from here on out. The city has been down in talent in recent years but there is a revival in the upcoming classes, with Miller being the starting point. What makes his recruitment even more intriguing is that Howard’s son, Jace Howard, is teammates with Miller on the Mac Irvin Fire travel team this summer.

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It might be tough to get back onto solid ground with Jalen Wilson, as the top 50 prospect has already scheduled official visits for Kansas and North Carolina that will be taken over the next 10 days, and there has been very little communication with Michigan since his decommitment. However, no one is more vital to the Wolverines’ success, next year and beyond, than Wilson. Michigan has seen a mass exodus of talent to the NBA in the form of Charles Matthews, Ignas Brazdeikis and Jordan Poole. Combine that with very few enrollments and Wilson would be a key piece to Howard’s first season in Ann Arbor. Could the hiring of one of Beilein’s assistants who already has a strong relationship with Wilson help? It likely would not hurt, as Wilson will be the priority for Howard until he says no.

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Down to a final eight that consists of Cal, Duke, Florida State, Kansas, Kentucky, Miami, Ohio State and Oregon, don’t be surprised if Michigan works its way into the picture for the five-star prospect. While Barnes has never been to Ann Arbor, nor does he have any strong ties to it, Howard does have a small relationship with him thanks to having both of his sons as high school teammates at the University School. A native of South Florida, Howard has seen up and close just how good the five-star prospect is and what makes him tick. Expect Barnes to be one of Howard’s first recruiting calls with an offer not far behind.

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Like Jalen Wilson, Cole Bajema must be a top target right from the start. While he lives in the Pacific Northwest, keeping Bajema’s commitment is of utmost importance. The Rivals150 prospect was just beginning to break out last July before quickly ending his recruitment in favor for the Wolverines. While he was swayed by the Big Ten program’s pedigree, he was even more impressed with John Beilein's system. Now that Beilein is no longer the acting head coach, will Bajema be as excited to go so far away from home and to play for a program that might not fit him as well, thanks to the coaching change? That is up for debate, as the local Washington program could be a landing spot, as could others that had shown heavy interest prior to his Michigan commitment, including Virginia.

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A member of the 2020 class but a Michigan commit since the fall, Zeb Jackson is also one of the top guard prospects from the Midwest. Prior to his commitment, regional powers including Butler, Cincinnati, Illinois and Ohio State were heavily involved. If Jackson were to entirely back off of his pledge, expect all four of those schools to get back into picture, along with a bevy of others, because the 2020 class is light on backcourt talent in the mold of Jackson. It will be difficult for Howard to do much in the 2019 class, as the majority of the Rivals150 has already signed, which makes it important that he gets off to a good start in 2020. That makes Jackson a priority.

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