Three-Point Play: Bright side for Michigan; Kowacie Reeves; transfers

It was a devastating 24 hours for Michigan fans to begin the week, but might there be a bright side to it all? Rivals national analyst Corey Evans takes a look at the future of the Wolverines in the latest Three-Point Play, along with a final list made by Kowacie Reeves and an update on the some of the top names in the Transfer Portal.

The 24-hours that began on Monday evening and ran through Tuesday was not the easiest to digest for Michigan fans. The long-awaited commitment of five-star Josh Christopher turned into a horror story while the much-celebrated commitment of five-star Isaiah Todd turned ill-fated.

It wasn’t that Juwan Howard and his staff were surprised by the Christopher's commitment to Arizona State, but there was still some hope that all would go as planned. They were told all winter long to just relax by the Christopher camp despite there being a general sense that he was a heavy Michigan lean since January. Why, then, would he wait three months to just commit to the Wolverines if something wasn’t up?

Then came Todd, someone that a number of coaching staffs never even broached the idea of recruiting, knowing that the pro route was always the likeliest route for the fall. That turned out to be true, as Todd will not play college basketball.

If Isaiah Livers decides to keep his name in the NBA Draft, Michigan's prospects for next year decline further, but from the sources that I have spoken with, that would come as a bigger surprise than Todd turning pro.

Maybe I am sipping the Kool-Aid but, taking a step back, I actually like how Michigan’s roster stands compared to if Christopher and/or Todd would have enrolled. Sure, its ceiling for success would have been higher, but cohesion and role allocation will be much more seamless. Replacing Xavier Simpson will be no easy task but Mike Smith should help and Eli Brooks is a more than capable contributor. Livers evolving into the go-to piece, Franz Wagner becoming more efficient, and a breakout campaign from Brandon Johns could do it.

Don’t underestimate the glue-like qualities that Terrance Williams will bring, nor the refined post-game of Hunter Dickinson. Finding a shot-making guard in the Transfer Portal is a must, but it isn’t a necessity. If such a thing is found, maybe Michigan’s awful 24 hours could be an entirely forgotten account by March for a team that could be waist deep in the race for a Big Ten title.

News broke on Tuesday that Kowacie Reeves, a four-star wing from Georgia, had narrowed his school list to a final six. Beyond that, a commitment was not far off, one that I expect to be made by the end of the month.

Primarily known for his athleticism, it is more about his quick-twitch abilities, instincts that he relies upon defensively, and improved skills on the offensive side of the floor, that has caught my eye the most with Reeves.

While an even bigger breakthrough was on the docket for this spring until the coronavirus halted the travel circuit, it would seem as if Reeves is ready to get down to business. A commitment is just a weeks, if not days, away, in which he will commit to Clemson, Georgia, Georgia Tech, Florida, Tennessee or Stanford.

He has already visited the campus at Stanford and the in-state programs have also made a late run at things. Clemson has made for solid in-roads with Reeves, and so has Tennessee, but my gut feeling since the fall was that he would land at Florida. No one has brought Reeves to campus more often than the Gators and it seems that with Keyontae Johnson and Scottie Lewis likely entering their final year in Gainesville before going pro, the opportunity and comfort factor is all present for Reeves to be Florida’s next giant win on the recruiting front.

Never have we seen so many names enter the Transfer Portal and never have we seen so many transfer commitments, especially this early in the offseason. More are ahead and with it, we take a broader look at some of the top available transfers this spring.

The son of former UConn standout Khalid El-Amin, Ishmael El-Amin entered his name into the portal last month after three seasons at Ball State. A sit-one, play-one transfer, the 6-foot-1 guard is in no rush to make a decision and is in frequent contact with Butler, Loyola (Chicago), Minnesota, and Utah State.

A graduate-transfer guard by way of George Mason, Justin Kier is one of the top immediately eligible guards available. In his last fully healthy season, he averaged over 14 points per game, and is currently set on a final 10 that consists of Arkansas, Auburn, Butler, Georgetown, George Mason, Georgia, Minnesota, NC State, Ole Miss, and Wake Forest. However, others are working their way into the picture, too, including DePaul and Michigan.

After starting 56 games the past two seasons at UAB, Makhtar Gueye decided to transfer following the coaching change at the CUSA program. A rangy and versatile big man, Gueye would sit out next season with one year to play thereafter; Georgetown, Hawaii, Miami, Mississippi State, NC State, San Diego State, and Virginia Tech are among the schools involved.

Originally focused on a final five, Morris Udeze, a Wichita State transfer, has decided to reopen his recruitment. He doesn’t seem to be much of a rush with his college decision but did state that Butler, San Diego State and St. Louis have remained in touch, while he also didn’t discount the chances of returning to Wichita State in the fall.