The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/678402
2016 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE "It's really early, but I like Michigan a lot. A lot," Easley Jr. said. "I love the coaches. I worked out in front of Coach Beilein a few weeks ago, and he came to my game against L.C. I just feel like they are very interested in me." He sees himself as a great fit in Ann Arbor, too, reciprocating the interest. "I love their system," he said. "[Beilein] is a great coach. They know how to win … a school of tradition." Easley went to Michigan April 28 for an unofficial visit, and it couldn't have gone better. Though U-M doesn't offer sophomores until June, the svelte wing could be in line for one of the first ones. His father, Kevin Easley Sr., said it would be a highlight of the early recruiting season for his son and the rest of the family. "My God," he said of the visit. "It went really well. We love the tradi- tion, first and foremost, and the edu- cation. We love the student-athlete fa- cility and Coach Beilein … we really loved how he presented the whole visit, the things he told us. "The way he implements his of- fense, he wants wings. They have the bigs coming in, but he talks about how Kevin can play any one of four positions." Rivals.com's Eric Bossi got a glimpse of that versatility when he saw Easley earlier this spring. "He looked solid and was produc- tive," he said. "I'm not sure many more than a handful of prospects are worthy of that many offers at such a young age, but I can see a bit of where the coaches' heads are at with those early offers. "Easley can stretch the floor with his shooting, he's clever around the rim and he has a good natural feel for the offensive end. Where he goes from here is yet to be determined, but he's one to watch close." Purdue was one of the first to offer and will definitely make his top 10, he said. He planned to visit UConn, Louisville, Illinois and Ohio State this summer and hopes to decide follow- ing his junior year so he can focus on winning a state title his senior season. Michigan, though, has set the bar, and there's no guarantee anyone will catch up. "It's just a perfect fit," Easley Sr. said. Bossi agreed. "I think there was a tremendous amount of hype and expectation for him early on," he said. "I like him. He's a 6-6 — 6-7 if you're generous — four man who is a scorer, can face the hoop, hit medium-range jump shots. He's got range and toughness, even if he's not the most athletic player in his class." And he appears to be Michigan's to lose. Here's a look at several other soph- omores the Wolverines are pursuing: PETE NANCE, PF 6-9 • 190 RICHFIELD (OHIO) REVERE Not rated Nance, the son of former NBA star Larry Nance and brother of former Michigan recruit and current Los An-