For the Michigan men’s basketball team, the main storyline of the offseason is the influx of six transfers. However, this new-look Wolverines team will also lean on its incoming freshmen. Michigan has three players headlining its 2024 recruiting class, which ranks 12th in the Big Ten.
Guards Justin Pippen and Phat Phat Brooks, a four- and three-star recruit, respectively, have missed a large portion of the offseason dealing with injuries, limiting their early impact for the Wolverines. Nevertheless, Michigan coach Dusty May has already noticed the potential both Pippen and Brooks possess.
“Brooks missed the early part of the summer with a knee injury and immediately upon return you could feel his presence and practice with his defensive acumen,” May said. “And then Pip, he’s missed a good portion of summer too, with a minor injury. But he’s a poised, steady player for a freshman so those guys will all have opportunities to fight their way into the rotation.”
Brooks, the top-ranked recruit in the state of Michigan, joins the Wolverines with plenty of accolades and accomplishments. At Grand Rapids Catholic Central he led the Cougars to a 81-15 record over his four years and became the all-time leading scorer with 1,661 points. In his senior year, Brooks averaged 26 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.5 assists per game, fueling Grand Rapids Catholic Central to the MHSAA Division II State Playoffs quarterfinal.
Similarly to Brooks, Pippen comes to the Wolverines with quite the resume. Ranked by 247Sports as the No. 70 recruit in the country, Pippen is highly regarded. In high school Pippen played all four years at Sierra Canyon, averaging 16.5 points, 4.9 assists and 4.5 rebounds in his senior year. Pippen’s versatility as a scorer and playmaker sets himself up to contend for playing time.
Unlike Brooks and Pippen, who have been sidelined for much of the offseason, L.J. Cason has participated throughout the entire offseason. Beyond simply participating, he’s left a strong impression on May so far.
“He’s been a real pleasant surprise,” May said. “Obviously we thought he’s a really good player. We signed him at FAU and we had really good players there. We thought he fit in, he shot the ball really, really well. He’s been extremely competitive, he’s been very, very coachable.”
Cason, a three-star recruit, wasn’t nationally ranked when he committed to Michigan back in April. Regardless, he is trying to prove the prowess he’s capable of for the Wolverines. A native of Lakeland, FL, he played three seasons at Lakeland Victory Christian Academy where his team won back-to-back District 8 championships.
As a senior in high school, he averaged 24.5 points, 7.2 rebounds and 6.4 assists, helping his team advance to the Florida Class 2A Playoffs Region 2 championship. A playmaking point guard and strong ball-handler, Cason has spent the offseason honing in his skills in hopes of being a key piece for Michigan.
“He looks like someone that physically is going to be ready to contribute. We need really everyone on our roster to be ready to go, but he’s been a little further along than we anticipated.”
With more experienced guards like junior Roddy Gayle Jr., graduate Rubin Jones, graduate Nimari Burnett and junior Tre Donaldson on the roster, all three members of Michigan’s incoming recruiting class will have their work cut out for them if they hope to see much court time.
