The 2018 recruiting class was a hotly debated topic in the state of Michigan. There was high-major talent to be had and both in-state powers, Michigan and Michigan State, leaned heavily into recruiting the class. In the end, the top-five players in the class —
Marcus Bingham, Brandon Johns Jr.,
Foster Loyer,
Gabe Brown and David DeJulius — all committed to either the Wolverines or Spartans. Fans and media wrangled over who might win Mr. Basketball and who should be ranked where. Bingham ended up as the 66th overall player in the 247Sports Composite, tops among those in-state products. Johns was 70th overall. Loyer, who ended up as Mr. Basketball, was No. 96. Brown was No. 101. DeJulius was No. 107. They were all rated as four-star recruits.
And then there was
Trevion Williams. The 6-foot-8, 290-pound center moved from Chicago to Detroit with his family in 2015. Enrolling at Detroit Henry Ford Academy, he put up huge numbers against
light competition
. His college recruitment was slow to pick up steam, so he switched from the Adidas grassroots circuit to the Nike EYBL in the summer of 2017, hoping for better competition and more recruiting interest. He got it, and his name grew inside the state lines.
High-major offers came in, including from Michigan State. Michigan showed interest too. Williams’ ranking, though, plateaued — 128 by Rivals, 136 by Scout, 169 by 247. He was a three-star prospect and No. 154 in the 247 Composite. He was the sixth-ranked player in Michigan.
There was a very clear perception about that 2018 recruiting class in Michigan. Bingham was the ultra-upside prospect with a limitless ceiling. Loyer was the 2,000-point high school career scorer with unavoidable Scott Skiles comparisons. Johns was the skilled, athletic NBA prospect with heavy national recruiting interest. Brown was the late-bloomer who had the makings of a breakout star. DeJulius was a prototype point guard for John Beilein’s system at Michigan.
No one in 2018 would’ve imagined what came of all this. Williams, set to return to Michigan Thursday for a game in Ann Arbor, stands with 1,263 career points. The next closest in that 2018 class is Gabe Brown with 757 career points at Michigan State. Williams’ 824 career rebounds are more than half of what those other five have produced
combined (1,387). For good measure, Williams’ 199 career assists are tops among the group, too. His career averages of 10.8 points, seven rebounds and 1.7 assists are also best among them all, while his minutes (18.8 per game) rank third. Williams was a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season and will earn an all-conference nod this year, too.
Ignoring recruiting rankings works for the Boilermakers, who exceed expectations nearly every season.
theathletic.com