Why Aren't Any Top Basketball Recruits From Michigan?
We used to produce the likes of Magic Johnson and Jalen Rose , but now all our top guys are headed to mid-major schools
The state of Michigan has produced some of the best basketball talent ever. Earvin “Magic” Johnson learned the game in East Lansing before attending Michigan State, while Fab Five legends Chris Webber and Jalen Rose started their careers by playing each other in AAU games in Detroit. And last year’s Mr. Basketball, point guard Trey McKinney, is currently playing for the Maize & Blue.
So why are our top recruits now going to mid-major schools like Western Michigan and Bowling Green?
According to 247sports, Michigan has only three of the country’s top recruits for the class of 2026. The top-ranked player in the state, Northview High School’s Cameron Ryans, is a three-star recruit committed to Western Michigan.
That’s not to say that some of the top recruits aren’t from here. The 32nd best player on ESPN’s top 100 guys is Elijah Williams, a small forward committed to Baylor from Birmingham, Michigan. But Williams has been playing basketball in Texas for his high school career, and only lived in Michigan when his dad, Monty was the coach of the Pistons.
There are two other players in ESPN’s top 100 listed as being from Michigan, but neither play ball here. Ironically, the closest any of the players come to being a Michigander is Carlos Medlock Jr., who although he is from Wayne County, has been playing high school ball in Missouri and is committed to playing for Tom Izzo at Michigan State.
Seven of ESPN’s top 100 players are committed to both Michigan and Michigan State. Two schools with enough basketball history to fill books, and a state that has historically had enough high school basketball talent to fill more.
Is 2026 just an off year, or is this a sign of what a bigger shift in our state’s basketball culture?
We have already started to take over the hockey world—could basketball be fading because of it?
