Michigan listed in top 8 for 2023 four-star forward Eric Dailey Jr.

Sep 13, 2022 - 5:00 PM

The Michigan Wolverines have yet to land a commitment in the 2023 class, but they still have a chance to land a few elite prospects, including four-star forward Eric Dailey Jr. As first reported by Joe Tipton with On3, Dailey has listed the Wolverines in his top eight.

Playing with Jett Howard at IMG Academy, Dailey was initially a 2022 recruit, but reclassified to the 2023. He explained his reasoning to Travis Branham of 247Sports in April, saying he’d like “to continue to develop and play, at IMG Academy on the post Grad National team.”

The 6-foot-7 power forward is ranked on the 247Sports composite as the 62nd-best recruit in the 2023 class, the 13th-best player at his position and the fifth-best recruit from the state of Florida. Dailey has amassed offers from a number of schools, including Florida, Texas A&M, Alabama, Tennessee and Texas.

Not a lot recruits can say they’ve won three gold medals before graduating high school, but Dailey can make that boast. With USA Basketball, Dailey earned gold medals on the 2022 FIBA U18 Americas Championship, the 2021 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup team, and in the 2021 FIBA 3x3 U18 World Cup dunk contest.

As anyone with a gym membership knows, 3-on-3 basketball is a lot different than full court basketball. That being said, Dailey was playing 3-on-3 at one of the highest levels, and in viewing highlights from those games, we get a glimpse of what Dailey can look like in the half-court.

Dailey does a great job taking defenders to the rim, creating space for himself on drives before flushing it home. He’s also got a nice jump shot, and can hold his own as a defender in the paint.

Much like Detroit Pistons guard Hamidou Diallo, Dailey can take his defender off the dribble before hanging in the air and converting through the contact. Dailey can finish at the rim with crafty moves or can use his sheer power to get to the cup. He also has great court vision, and knows exactly when to hit the roll man for easy buckets.

Dailey also showcases an excellent motor when rebounding, and take the ball himself in transition after corralling a steal or knocking away an opponent’s shot.

Dailey has got a high ceiling in basketball, and will probably get drafted by an NBA team one day. It would be wise for Howard and company to heavily pursue this talented forward, who has already played with Jett Howard.