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Michigan has two commits in 2021 from Bradenton (FL) IMG Academy in football — including a five-star in QB J.J. McCarthy — could it get a 2021 five-star on the basketball side?
Since Juwan Howard took over the program a year and a half ago, the Michigan basketball program has sought out more top-tier prospects compared to former coach John Beilein. While the Wolverines haven’t been able to sign any five-stars — it had Isaiah Todd committed before he chose the G-League route — they’re in contention for several others.
Among them is IMG Academy five-star center Charles Bediako, the fifth-rated center in the country and No. 23 player overall, according to the 247Sports Composite. And Michigan appears to be in contention for him, as he named the maize and blue to his Top 5 on Saturday.
But, it’ll be a difficult pull, still, as he also put Alabama, Duke, Texas and Ohio State in his top group.
Top 5‼️ pic.twitter.com/jLUrgLeQay
— Charles A. Bediako (@CBediako) October 10, 2020
With four commits in the 2021 class, Michigan basketball has the No. 6 class in the country, according to 247Sports’ team rankings.
Bediako isn’t the only five-star center in IMG Academy’s 2021 class that Michigan is in with. Rated one spot ahead of his teammate Bediako, C Efton Reid is the No. 22 player in the class and the Wolverines appear to be in high contention for him as well.
Per Rivals, Michigan is the team to beat for Reid:
Juwan Howard may not have signed a remarkable 2020 class, but he did manage to lure some of the best from the DMV to Ann Arbor and, while Reid isn’t from the DMV, that could help the Wolverines in the end. Reid played travel ball with DMV products Terrance Williams and Hunter Dickinson last summer, and with Michigan facing a void in the frontcourt after the season, the Wolverines could do a lot worse than land the big 7-footer. Howard has communicated with Reid that he can configure a way for him and Dickinson to share the floor together which might make the idea of playing for the former NBA star even more intriguing whenever it comes down to making his decision.
Michigan also made the top group for Chet Holmgren, the top-rated center out of Minnesota and No. 2 player overall in 2021.
As far as Bediako is concerned, there are four 247Sports Crystal Ball predictions in for him to attend Alabama.
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