Welcome on into the Wolverine.com podcast. Our rapid reaction version, Michigan basketball has its first commit of the 2023 class.

Four-star big man Papa Conte out of South Kent in Connecticut has joined the fold. He picks Michigan over finalists, Memphis, Maryland, Pittsburgh, and Rutgers.

This one, Joanne Howard, been on for a long time since last December.

Didn't look good for a stretch.

Michigan gains the momentum back after being the favorite for probably most of this

recruitment and wins out in the end.

First commitment late in the cycle for Michigan heading into the early signing period,

but a big

one nonetheless, figuratively and literally, number 32 overall player on the on three rankings,

number four center, number two player in Connecticut, also number five on the on three consensus.

So a little bit of mixed reviews there, but he is a top 100 player consensus on a huge land for Michigan. Chris, you first, your reaction to this, how it came together and how big this land is for Joanne Howard.

Yeah, Jowen worked his butt off on this one and made it personal. And that was what landed the kid. He said he loved him. And he was on him. He went up there and he would ask about him after winter loss. He said always staying in contact with him. And you can tell when Juan Howard really wants a kid when he's doing that. So he's a workhorse guys. He's a little raw offensively, but he can shoot the ball and a little bit. And he's getting better in that area. But he's one of those guys it gives it on both ends of the floor and is just a winner. So wants to go to the league, wants to be coached by a guy who's familiar with the league, who's who better than Joanne Howard, and just a really good kid. So really nice land. Took a while to get that first commitment, guys, but really nice one for Joanne Howard. Anthony, when you look at the roster, two bigs, really, on the roster with Hunter Dickinson and then Terrace Reed behind him. But there's kind of a desperate need in this class to get that. There's desperate needs to get some other things. But when you look at the future of the center position, it looks pretty bright. Yeah, because we don't know what's going to. I mean, Hunter Dickinson, NIL could keep him at Michigan for just this year.

I could keep him at Michigan through next year.

We don't know.

Regardless, it's adding another big and, you know, maybe even the best case scenario that Dickinson sticks around.

Terrace Reed sticks around because then it just gives a guy like Papa Conte more time in the lab with Joanne Howard. You know, having watched a little bit of him now, we'll definitely do more of a deep dive now that we know he's coming to Michigan. I mean, he is a guy who he runs the floor well. He's got these big broad shoulders. He's 610, 225. I think it was last, last we looked.

So, you know, again, you know,

Joanne has done a really nice job in finding bigs and developing bigs,

going back to when he was working with the Miami Heat.

So, yeah, this is a good get for them.

Again, he's, you know, I know early on we fell in love with you know the stargazing

and things like that but um i don't have an issue with i mean this is one like like chris that juan

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