Best Shooting Guards of All Time and Bryce’s Weekly Recruiting Update.

Michigan landed two 4 star linebackers this weekend, filling up their scholarship limit. So I’m going to talk about them; I’m then going to spin that into my weekly recruiting update and talk about the best shooting guards of all time.

1. Michael Jordan-Bulls

The only real debate is whether to put him at shooting guard or small forward. He is technically a shooting guard, so I put him on this list. He is obviously the GOAT: he won 6 championships, was a 14 time all-star, won multiple MVPs, among many other accolades. I’ll end it at that.

2. Kobe Bryant-Lakers

Kobe was one of the best to ever play the game. He would easily be number 1 on this list if I put Jordan on the SF list. He won 5 titles, winning 2 without Shaq to really solidify his place with the greats. He had 18 all star appearances and won the 2008 MVP. He was truly one of the all time greats.

3. Dwayne Wade-Heat

One of the best attributes a shooting guard can have is being able to play the “number 2” role. Shooting guards mostly play off the ball, hence the number two role. Dwayne Wade is the second best “number two” of all time (behind Scottie Pippen). He won 2 championships, a scoring title, and was a 13 time all star.

4. Clyde Drexler-Trail Blazers/Rockets

One often forgotten fact is that many great players in the Jordan era were overlooked, including Clyde Drexler. Just imagine this 5 year stretch in any other time period: 24.8 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. He was a great player and is largely overlooked in the grander scheme of things, not to mention his 10 all star appearance, Dream Team gold medal, and his championship with the Rockets.

5. Reggie Miller-Pacers

I was deciding between Manu Ginobili and Reggie Miller, but since Miller started I gave him the nod. He is one of the best shooters in NBA history, and he is one of the most efficent scorers in NBA history. He has the numbers to back it up, and on top of that, a killer instinct matched by few ever to play. And that was never more evident then against the Knicks where he had one of the best performances ever in the NBA – 9 points in 8 seconds at the end of the game. He was inducted into the HOF, won an Olympic gold in 1996, and was 5 time all star.

Michigan had a big weekend, specifically at the linebacker position. They took two 4-star linebackers in Junior Colson and Jaydon Hood. I really like these two prospects; one reminds me of a Michigan standout, and the other is a truly unique prospect.

First, the initial commitment, Junior Colson. I think he is more of a unique talent. Michigan is recruiting him to play VIPER, so let me give you some fast facts about the position and tell me what you think. All three VIPERs have been 6 feet and 225, give or take a few pounds. Junior is already 6-2 and 228! He’ll probably add 10-15 lbs or so, and after that he would be 6-2 and roughly 240 lbs. Assuming he keeps the speed and athleticism he has now, he could develop into one of the best defensive weapons in the Big 10. One last thing about Junior is he has an amazing story, probably the best in this class. I’m going to post the link down here. It will take you like 5-10 min to read, but it will be worth it, Michigan fan or not. https://michigan.rivals.com/news/the-haitian-king-junior-colson-s-incredible-journey-from-haiti-to-michigan?ga_source=tm

Jaydon Hood commited on Memorial Day, and since then the Devin Bush comparison has been thrown around a lot. I’m stopping short of saying he’s the next Devin Bush, but I do see where the comparisons come from. He is always in attack mode; in some of his highlights his ability to shed blocks and sprint into the backfield actually do remind me of Devin Bush. He also has great pash rush ability, so another piece of the Devin Bush comparison puzzle. A 4 star linebacker out of St Thomas Aquinas (Fort Laurderdale, Fl), he actually had some surprising offers from Alabama, LSU, and Penn State. So when you have offers like that you know he’s a great prospect. I think he will sit behind someone for a few years and develop, and who knows? Maybe he will be the second coming of Devin Bush.

One player that I forgot to mention in the introduction was KeChaun Bennett, a 4 star defensive end. Michigan earned a commitment from him late last night, which really caught me off guard. I saw a crystal ball last week, but didn’t think much of it. Anyway, most of his game is reliant on speed. So I believe he’ll be a pass rush specialist at linebacker like Josh Uche. He stands at 6-4 and 220 lbs; Uche is 6-3 and 238lbs. I think he’ll be groomed behind Taylor Upshaw and David Ojabo and then released to be a great impact player at Michigan.

With that I’ll transition into the update and keep it to two things. I’ll start with something that is less important. Steve Wiltfong AND Allen Trieu crystal balled Donovan Edwards to Michigan. Now this is “major” for a few reasons, but the biggest one, in my opinion, is the fact these guys are NEVER wrong. Combined their records for crystal balls this year is 312/315. The crystal balls were probably put in because Harbaugh and Edwards have had a growing relationship, and a good relationship is one of the things that Edwards wants in a college. He’s a long way away from a decision, but I think he’ll develop a really strong bond with Harbaugh that will eventually lead him to Ann Arbor. Finishing out, I’m going to talk about Quintin Somerville. A defensive end that will play DE in college. He stands at 6-1 and 230. Here is what Blair Angulo had to say about him:

“Stocky build with broad shoulders and decent length. Smart pass-rusher with array of counter moves. Technically sound and maintains low pad level. Manages to get underneath blocks and uses strong lower half to push forward. Mobile and spry in pass-rush situations. Disengages from blocks and shows flexibility to bend in pursuit. Finishes plays in the backfield. Stays gap conscious in run support. Could improve overall athleticism and quickness off the edge. Potential to be a multi-year Power Five starter and future NFL Draft selection.”

Anyway a flood of crystal ball’s came in yesterday, including ones from Wiltfong and Sam Webb. (A quick note about Webb: I don’t think he puts crystal balls until Michigan tells him that a certain player is commited OR that is absolutely certain thats he’s going to Michigan or elsewhere). Anyway, my gut feeling is that he is silently commited. This is not really uncommon as Junior Colson was silently commited for over a month before he made it public. What silently commited means is that the player told the program that they are coming but hasn’t told the public. Somerville is set to announce on June 20th, so not anytime soon. But when he does, it will almost cetainly be Michigan. That will do it for today!