The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/859588
SEPTEMBER 2017 THE WOLVERINE 69 BASKETBALL RECRUITING Hinton averaged 19.1 points to lead Gaston Day in scoring last sea- son, when the Spartans reached the N.C. Independent Schools 2A semifi- nals. He wasn't necessarily known as a great shooter, but time in the gym has made him a sniper. He recently described himself as a combo guard who can score and contribute to the team in multiple ways. "I can play with the ball in my hands or play off the ball," Hinton said. "With my size and my length, my ball handling, and my shooting I can cause mismatches. I'm a leader on the court, and I bring intensity." Entering August, Hinton had yet to set up a Michigan visit. "I'll look further into it and try to see if I can make that happen," Hin- ton said. "Originally, I wanted to try to decide in November. Now that the list has stretched, I guess time has stretched as well." He plans in-depth conversations with the coaches of the teams recruit- ing him to try to find his best fit. For now, he's reveling in his big weekend, one that raised his stock dramatically. "There was not a more discussed prospect in South Carolina at the adi- das Gauntlet Finale than Hinton," Rivals' Corey Evans wrote in July. "A 6-foot-5 junkyard dog, Hinton finally had the chance to show off his entire arsenal of abilities. "Running with the Team Loaded NC bunch, the Carolina native has never been seen as a good shooter, but that didn't stop him from repeat- edly knocking down open jump shots while, at the same time, defending the opposing team's best scoring weapon." Other schools have also jumped into the conversation recently. He picked up an offer from Florida State and head coach Leonard Hamilton, who is from his hometown, and that appears to be a big one for him. "He's really excited about recruit- ing me. They like to play up-tempo and play hard defense," he said. "They develop pros there." But so does U-M, which should given him something to think about when it comes time to set official visits. CLASS OF 2019 GUARD EXCITED ABOUT MICHIGAN OFFER Michigan has two offers out to rising juniors, the first one going to five-star wing Romeo Weems of New Haven (Mich.) High. Weems (6-5, Ri- vals' No. 22 junior nationally) holds offers from Oakland, Detroit, Creigh- ton, Ohio State and Michigan State in addition to U-M, plus has heard from Kansas, Xavier and several others. His good friend, Detroit native Mark 'Rocket' Watts (6-2, Rivals' No. 62 junior nationally), has the other. He visited Michigan unofficially at the beginning of the summer and picked up his offer June 15, the first day the Wolverines offer rising juniors. "Getting that Michigan offer was real big. I have a great connection with Coach Beilein and the Michigan staff," Watts said in mid-July. "I like how Coach Beilein uses three-guard sets and let's the guards play. They play free. "They love shooters. That's real big. I watched a couple of their games and went to a couple of their games … all their guards can shoot the ball well. They come off a lot of screens … that fits my game." Watts, though, grew up an MSU fan because another Detroiter, Keith Appling, played there. The Wolver- ines would have to overcome that to land him, but they've done it before. Watts also wouldn't mind playing with Weems, his AAU teammate. "Romeo is my brother," he said. "He's a leader. He picks me up some- times when I'm down on the court. I'd love to play with him." Watts made a number of threes in late July in his first action with the 17U AAU The Family team. U-M 2018 point guard pledge David De- Julius used to play with The Family and has been working on Watts since his own pledge. "He tells me he wants me to com- mit and to do it today," Watts said with a laugh. "My visit was exciting and fun. Coach Beilein talked about how he'd be coaching me … He's a hard coach and he'll be hard on the guards, make them work hard, but it will be fun. The players were cool, so I'd be comfortable." Watts holds offers from Marquette, Georgia Tech, Iowa, Cincinnati and Alabama in addition to the in-state schools. He's a Bama football fan, he said, and wants to see the school. He continues to work on his game, hopeful for more offers to come. "Getting bigger, quicker, my explo- siveness," he said of his next steps. "I'll keep working on my game and my shot." ELITE SOPHOMORE RECLASSIFIES, LIKES U-M The former No. 1-ranked basket- ball player in the 2019 class, R.J. Bar- rett of Montverde (Fla.) Academy, is now a 2018 prospect and the No. 2 junior in the country according to Rivals. He also happens to be inter- ested in Michigan. Barrett, a 6-6 standout from Can- ada, will reportedly officially visit U-M, Duke, Kentucky and Oregon. "According to his father [Rowan Barrett], Barrett won't be looking to string anybody along and that he will soon announce the list of schools that he is pursuing," Rivals' Eric Bossi reported in late July. Barrett, a 180-pound natural lefty, led Canada to a gold medal at the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in Egypt earlier this summer, averag- ing 21.6 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. He erupted for 38 points, 13 rebounds and five assists in the finals against the United States. Kansas, UCLA and Arizona have also offered, so this will be a tough one for Michigan to land. However, the Wolverines are in the mix. ❏ Montverde (Fla.) Academy 6-6 standout R.J. Barrett, who was ranked No. 1 in the 2019 class by Rivals before reclassifying to 2018, will reportedly take official visits to Michigan, Duke, Kentucky and Oregon. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM On The Web For regular reports on Michigan basketball recruiting plus videos of U-M commitments and targets visit TheWolverine.com.