Juwan Howard searching for first recruiting domino

The 2019-20 college basketball season is only a month away, but recruiting is, and always will be, at the top of Juwan Howard’s priority list.

“I’m locked in on recruiting. I haven’t signed a player yet,” Howard quipped when he was asked about the NCAA’s response to the Fair Play to Pay act. “I haven’t gotten a guy to commit!”

Howard knows how important recruiting is to his program. He’s hosted eight class of 2020 recruits (most ranked in the top 40 nationally) for official visits over the last month with three more scheduled to be on campus this weekend.

He’s making his pitch, and it is resonating with the top prospects in the country. He’s putting Michigan in contention for prospects it didn’t recruit under John Beilein, but he hasn’t been able to get across the finish line.

“Recruits have really been excited about the new vision and what we have in store,” Howard said. “Now I just feel that once one recruit commits, it’s going to be like rapid fire. Everyone else will fall in.”