Five-Star Forward Isaiah Todd Commits To Michigan And Juwan Howard
The first big recruiting domino has fallen for Juwan Howard, and they don't come much bigger than this one.
Raleigh (N.C.) Word of God Christian Academy five-star power forward Isaiah Todd has committed to Michigan. The 6-10, 195-pounder had offers from college basketball blue bloods like Kentucky, North Carolina and, most notably, Kansas, who finished second behind the Wolverines for his pledge.
In fact, most recruiting observers had Todd pegged for the Jayhawks until their now-infamous Midnight Madness, which featured a risque performance from hardcore rapper Snoop Dogg. Kansas Coach Bill Self and his program earned near-universal scorn for the bawdy act at a family event. Todd's mother was reportedly somewhere between disgusted and unimpressed with it as well. It might've even been the final factor in Michigan's favor.
Todd is considered the No. 2 power forward and No. 12 player overall nationally in the 247Sports Composite rankings, which take into account how a prospect is ranked by all the major recruiting services. He's extremely long and athletic, the ideal template to develop at the position. He can shoot it from mid-range and beyond the three-point line, put the ball on the deck, and finish at the rim with authority.
Todd already has the elite athleticism you're looking for, and his footwork and fundamentals can only improve under the tutelage of Howard, who enjoyed a lucrative 20-year NBA career thanks mainly to his technical proficiency in the post.
Todd is also the perfect complement to a pure center like a Mark Williams or a Hunter Dickinson. Two elite prospects in the pivot that Howard and the Wolverines are also in the running for.
Howard was once the first domino to fall in the landing of the most legendary recruiting class in college basketball history -- the Fab Five. And now, more than a quarter century later, Howard is hoping Todd will be the same for his first full recruiting class as Michigan's head coach.
