Not even a full weekend has passed by us without new Michigan men’s basketball coach Mike Boynton Jr. making some moves on the recruiting trail, and this one is a pretty spicy one. Announced on social media on Sunday afternoon, Boynton and the Wolverines offered a scholarship to 2028 four-star point guard Mateen Cleaves Jr.
He is, of course, the son of former Michigan State basketball star Mateen Cleaves, who was an All-American and won a national title with Tom Izzo and the Spartans in 2000. He is, in many ways, the face of Michigan State’s modern golden era of hoops — and now Michigan is going to try and land the commitment from his son.
The younger Cleaves is originally from Orchard Lake, Michigan, but currently plays for Dream City Christian in the state of Arizona. He is ranked No. 7 at the point guard position and No. 33 overall on the Rivals Industry Rankings. 247Sports’ Dushawn London ($) wrote an article about Cleaves back in February and had this, in part, to say about him:
Cleaves has our attention from his play last summer and being one of the top prospects at Flyin to the Hoop. At 6-foot-4, Cleaves is a strong bodied guard who plays with toughness, can shoot in the mid range and from deep, and a shot creator who can get hot in a hurry. Cleaves is a prospect to monitor in the class of 2028.
Other than Michigan, Cleaves also holds Division I offers from Michigan State, USC, Georgetown, Houston and Rutgers. With the Spartans already being involved, this recruitment could easily turn into one of the more fascinating in-state battles of the 2028 class. A Michigan native with deep family ties to East Lansing choosing the Wolverines over the Spartans would be one of the crazier recruiting coups in the rivalry’s recent history. Needless to say, Izzo and his staff will not make that easy on the Wolverines.
What also makes this offer interesting is the timing. Boynton has officially been on the job full-time for two days and he is already making aggressive moves on the recruiting trail. Offering one of the best prospects in this class, especially one with name recognition and in-state ties, sends a clear message about the kind of program Boynton intends to run in Ann Arbor. He isn’t just trying to reload for next season by retaining a majority of the roster (as of this writing) — he is trying to build for the future as well, and Cleaves would be a fantastic option for the point guard spot in this class.
It is far too early to know how Cleaves’s recruitment will ultimately play out, and Michigan State will most certainly be the team to beat. But the fact Boynton went out of his way and made this offer in his first couple days on the job tells you everything you need to know about his intentions as the head coach of the program.
Discover more from NAIRAVOICE.COM.NG
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
