The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/751827
60 THE WOLVERINE DECEMBER 2016 BY CHRIS BALAS M ichigan's official three-man bas- ketball recruiting class — all let- ters of intent were signed during the November early period and in hand Nov. 12 — includes a top-100 shoot- ing guard who committed early, a point guard who chose the Wolver- ines over defending national cham- pion Villanova and an in-state power forward who picked U-M over Mich- igan State. The class rates as high as No. 26 nationally (247Sports.com composite, which factors in several rankings) and is No. 32 according to Rivals.com, in part because one of the three has yet to be ranked. That prospect, point guard Eli Brooks of Spring Grove (Pa.) High, picked up a Michigan offer this sum- mer during a visit and also held offers from his childhood favorite, Villanova (only 100 miles from his home), Ohio State, North Carolina State and others. "They are a wonderful group of young men who bring versatility, work ethic and that drive to be suc- cessful both academically and ath- letically," head coach John Beilein said. "We feel they will fit into our Michigan culture and can only go upwards with their potential. "They have the capabilities to help us continue our drive to compete and win future Big Ten championships." Brooks plays at Spring Grove un- der coach, and father, James Brooks. He averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 re- bounds and 2.3 assists last year, and hit 79 three-pointers. Brooks helped lead Spring Grove to 25-4 record, the school's first York-Adams Interscho- lastic Athletic Association champi- onship title since 1971, a third-place finish in District 3 and the school's first-ever appearance in the PIAA Class AAAA state tournament. "Eli has a great feel for the game," Beilein said. "He is a coach's son, so he loves playing and learning about the game. He is a tireless worker in and out of the gym. "He plays with a quiet toughness and will be able to play multiple guard positions for us. He can shoot the ball, but his great floor vision allows him to make plays off the ball screen by scoring or by getting assists." Middle Atlantic Recruiting Ser- vice's Norm Eavenson has been a basketball scout on the East Coast for 25 years. He said it was only a matter of time before Brooks became a national recruit, adding Michigan is the perfect spot for him. "My first reaction when I knew he was getting attention from Michi- gan was it's a real good fit," Eaven- son said. "I've known John Beilein for a long time, and Eli's his kind of player, definitely … the proverbial 'coach on the floor' fits him to a 'T.' "He's got great pace, great poise plus the requisite athleticism to go along with a high-major recruit." Brooks had called defending na- tional champion Villanova his "dream school" at one point and eventually earned more than a dozen offers. He's already scored a school- record 1,525 points at Spring Grove and was named second-team PIAA Class AAAA All-State last season. Beilein received phone calls about Brooks while his future guard was playing with the AAU Jersey Shore Warriors. Brooks' Father's Day week- end visit to Michigan put the Wolver- ines out in front of all other programs and opened a gap too big to close. "Because he isn't coming from a super rich basketball county, he was playing on an AAU team that, in my opinion, deserved a sneaker con- tract and had one a few years back," Eavenson said. "But, for whatever reason, his AAU team was in a situ- ation where they had to play in tour- naments that weren't on anybody's circuit. There was no Under Armour, adidas or Nike. For that reason he didn't get the publicity or eyes you'd see on the sneaker circuit. "But it was only a matter of time. He's worthy of the high major schol- arship he earned and eventually signed with a program that's a great fit." Eavenson added Brooks has all the skills to excel in the Big Ten. "He's got decent burst, can get around most defenders and either go right or left. I'd say in terms of shooting he's a good shooter, not a great outside shooter, but he's good BASKETBALL RECRUITING John Beilein And Staff Sign Three, And Might Not Be Done Yet Eli Brooks, a 6-1 point guard from Spring Grove, Pa., averaged 24.7 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game as a junior, and was a second-team Class AAAA All-State pick. PHOTO BY JOSH VERLIN-CITY OF BASKETBALL LOVE