Michigan Basketball Adds 2021 Preferred Walk-On Ian Burns

The Michigan basketball program landed a PWO commit last week when Illinois guard Ian Burns issued his verbal pledge to the Wolverines. See what he will bring to Michigan moving forward.

While Michigan's 2021 football commits list did not grow when Rocco Spindler chose Notre Dame last week, U-M's basketball team did add another pledge when Winnetka (Ill.) New Trier guard Ian Burns committed to the Wolverines as a preferred walk-on five days ago.

So far, Michigan has four total commits in the '21 class as Burns joins Grand Rapids (Mich.) Christian four-star guard Kobe Bufkin, Oak Park (Ill.) River Forest four-star small forward Isaiah Barnes and Stewartville (Minn.) Senior three-star power forward Will Tschetter. According to Rivals.com, Michigan has the No. 9 class in the country, but the recruiting service does not have a profile for Burns, so he did not contribute to that designation.

Burns confirmed that he committed to Michigan as a preferred walk-on via his Instagram account on Aug. 5.

In Burns, Michigan will be getting a 6-6 wing player that lined up as a shooting guard for most of last season. As New Trier produced a 19-11 (6-4 in conference) record on the year, Burns provided steady shooting from the perimeter and could be relied upon to knock down open shots. On the defensive end, Burns also had multiple five-plus steal efforts, so he puts in work on both ends of the court.

Based on Burns' Hudl tape, the wing prospect specializes in catch-and-shoot jumpers where he can square his shoulders to the hoop, but he does show a little bit of playmaking ability in the paint. The new Michigan commit makes well timed cuts to the basket, and he doesn't miss often when he is around the basket.

While the 6-6 guard looks like a comfortable ball handler, his dribbling and passing ability is not yet on the floor general level, so he's likely to suit up as a shooting guard or small forward in college. Still, he looks like he could contribute in spot duty when asked to down the line, so the added depth could be beneficial for the Wolverines down the line.

With Burns in the fold, Michigan now has two clear wing players in the 2021 class when also considering Barnes. Bufkin is a talented guard that could readily play point at the next level, and Tschetter gives U-M some balance as a player with more length at 6-8 who can also knock down jumpers.

Last season, Tschetter had a wildly productive year, leading the state of Minnesota in scoring with 33.6 points per game. Tschetter was efficient in his shot selection with a 60% clip, and his long range shot was reliable as he drilled threes at a 45% rate. On account of that productivity, the U-M pledge, who also averaged 11 rebounds per game, was a second-team All-State selection by the Associated Press.

Based on the current makeup of the Wolverines' roster, it would not be a surprise to see U-M go after one or two more commits in this cycle. A point guard or a true center would probably be the ideal considerations in that respect, but Michigan could go best player available with its remaining spot(s). For instance, the Wolverines are in the running for Dallas (Texas) St. Mark's five-star small forward Harrison Ingram, and it would be hard to imagine the staff telling him no if he were inclined to join Michigan's program.

What do you think of the way head coach Juwan Howard is shaping the 2021 recruiting class so far? Who would you like to see U-M close on to end the cycle? Let us know!