Juwan Howard and his Wolverines will be hosting Patrick Ngongba, an elite Michigan basketball target in the 2024 recruiting class, shortly. Ngongba, the No. 1 recruit in Virginia, has the Maize and Blue among his finalists and will be making the trip to Ann Arbor tomorrow (September 8th).

Elite Michigan basketball target about to be in Ann Arbor

While the 2023 Michigan Wolverines football season is now in full swing and has the attention of the entire fanbase, it’s worth noting that Juwan Howard and the Maize and Blue are hot on the recruiting trail in the 2024 recruiting class and beyond. After a tough 2022-23 season, Howard needs some good news to right the ship in Ann Arbor — tomorrow, he will have a massive opportunity to get one step closer to landing an elite recruit.

Patrick Ngongba is the No. 1 recruit in Virginia (for the 2024 recruiting class) and is an elite Michigan basketball target. The 6-foot-10, 235-pound center is an ESPN five-star prospect and is ranked among the top 30 players in the country in the composite rankings. So far, Juwan Howard has landed two prospects in the 2024 cycle, neither of which is rated anywhere close to Patrick Ngongba in the composite standings.

Can Juwan Howard land Patrick Ngongba in the 2024 recruiting class?

For the time being, Michigan basketball appears to be on the outside looking in ahead of Patrick Ngongba’s visit tomorrow — Duke and Kansas State currently have the best odds of landing him, per the Recruiting Prediction Machine. That said, Juwan Howard is a solid recruiter, and a visit to Ann Arbor, MI, ahead of a football game weekend could be a difference-maker for the Wolverines down the stretch.

According to the On3 visit tracker, tomorrow will be the first time that Michigan basketball gets the No. 1 recruit in Virginia on campus. This further showcases how important the visit will be for the Wolverines if Juwan Howard expects to have a shot against some of the other major programs vying for his commitment.

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Michigan basketball has just gained a massive addition to the 2023 roster. Earlier today, Joe Tipton of On3 announced that Argentinian international prospect Lee Aaliya has committed to the Michigan Wolverines for the 2023 recruiting class.

International prospect Lee Aaliya announces commitment to Michigan basketball

After losing Hunter Dickinson to the transfer portal, Michigan basketball has been looking to add more tall players to the team. At 6-foot-9, Aaliya will make a great addition to the Wolverines as a forward.

Among other schools that fought for Aaliya’s commitment were Miami and Providence. Aaliya will join George Washington III in Michigan’s 2023 freshman class. They are currently the only two freshman additions for 2023, with all other recruits being acquired via the transfer portal.

Aaliya says he chose Juwan Howard and the Wolverines over Miami, Providence, and others. pic.twitter.com/W4EusY6ddD

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) August 26, 2023

Aaliya had a breakout performance playing for Argentina this July at the FIBA U19 World Cup. At the tournament, Aaliya averaged 17.1 points and 9 rebounds per game. He converted on 56.2 percent of his field goals during that time as well.

Against Canada, Aaliya recorded 20 rebounds — his single-game high during the tournament. He also blocked three shots in that same game.

While Aaliya may have a tall physical frame, he has plenty of room to grow in the shooting department. In the tournament, Aaliya converted exactly one-third of his three-point attempts and shot an abysmal 30.8 percent from the free-throw line.

Aaliya will provide Michigan basketball with depth at the forward position and could develop into an elite starter in the future.

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For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. 

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Michigan basketball is coming off of its most disappointing season of the Juwan Howard era. After missing the national tournament for the first time since taking over as head coach, Howard is already looking ahead to the future to right the ship for the Wolverines. Recently, Joe Tipton of On3 Sports announced that Darius Acuff — currently the No. 1 point guard of the 2025 recruiting class — will visit Ann Arbor in early September.

Michigan basketball recruiting will host official visit for No. 1 point guard Darius Acuff

Michigan basketball has a huge opportunity to lock down an elite prospect this September. Acuff’s official Ann Arbor visit will reportedly last from September 1-3.

2025’s No. 1 ranked PG, Darius Acuff, tells me he will take an official visit to Michigan on September 1-3.

The Detroit native recently announced he would be transferring to IMG Academy for the upcoming season. Averaged 20.1 PPG on the EYBL circuit this summer, the most of any… pic.twitter.com/Elgrpx9PSo

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) August 24, 2023

Acuff is among the nation’s best and currently holds the No. 1 On3 industry ranking among point guards in the 2025 class. Across all positions, the six-foot point guard is the No. 9 industry-ranked player in the country.

Acuff is originally from Detroit, MI and played basketball at Cass Tech before recently transferring to IMG Academy in Florida. Michigan basketball currently holds the lead on Acuff’s recruitment on On3’s recruiting prediction machine with a 45.4 percent chance. Also in contention for Acuff’s recruitment are Kentucky, Michigan State, and Ohio State.

While Michigan basketball lost lots of talent this offseason, the recruiting game has been heating up as well. Landing a top-tier talent like Acuff could be just what the Wolverines need to build their recruiting momentum.

Thank you for reading Blue by Ninety. For more Michigan Athletics and Big Ten content from Blue by Ninety, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. You can also subscribe to our YouTube Channel.

For feedback, questions, concerns, or to apply for a writing position, please email our Publisher at Cj@BluebyNinety.com. 

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