CLEVELAND, Ohio — John Beilein’s brushes with Northeast Ohio came well before growing interest in the last month between him and the Cavaliers.

Even long after he recruited Cavs assistant general manager Mike Gansey to West Virginia, following a transfer from St. Bonaventure in 2003, Beilein kept his sights on this area.

He sought Medina's 7-foot-1 Jon Teske for his squad at Michigan. Brothers Larry Nance Jr. and Pete Nance at Revere also were on his radar. Beilein will finally get to coach Larry Jr. in Cleveland, and Teske could follow him to the league in a year.

In 2014, as Beilein and his Michigan coaches recruited Teske, Medina coach Chris Hassinger took an opportunity to learn Beilein's system. As a result, he installed Michigan's offense for Teske's final two years of high school.

Hassinger has an idea of what to expect once Beilein settles in Cleveland.

"The NBA is an offensive league," Hassinger said Monday evening. "You've heard people talk about Michigan, how they run different guys to make them better defensively, but when they've been in the national championship they've had big scorers."

The Cavaliers have at least two big scorers now, established All-Star forward Kevin Love and emerging rookie guard Collin Sexton. The plan is to add another (or two) in the draft, which will become clearer after Tuesday night's lottery determines where the Cavs pick.

In his 12 seasons at Michigan, the 66-year-old Beilein produced nine draft picks. Seven went in the first round and two went in the lottery -- Nik Stauskas (two-time Cavalier last season) in 2014 and Trey Burke (Columbus native) in 2013.

Additionally, Beilein recruited Joe Alexander at West Virginia before Alexander became a lottery pick in 2008. Tim Hardaway Jr. went from the No. 161st-ranked high school player in 2010 entering Michigan to a first-round draft pick now midway through a four-year, $70 million contract.

"When guys were recruited to Michigan, they weren't NBA guys," Revere coach Dean Rahas said. "He was able to make them NBA guys."

Beilein has proven he can develop talent for the NBA, but can he develop it within the NBA? He will be one of three active coaches who jumped straight from college, including Brad Stevens (Butler to Boston) and Billy Donovan (Florida to Oklahoma City).

"If Brad Stevens can make it — because I think they're cut of the same mold — I think he can make it," Rahas said.

The Revere coach initially met Beilein during Gansey's recruitment to West Virginia. At the time, Rahas served as Pat Donahue's assistant at Olmsted Falls. Donahue now lives in Nevada, outside Las Vegas.

Like Hassinger at Medina, Rahas' teams at Revere resemble what Beilein tries to accomplish on the court.

"He's like a surgeon," Rahas said of Beilein. "He understands spacing and ball movement and making the extra pass. His teams aren't going to beat themselves. They're going to take high-percentage shots, play smart and play together."

That style made both Larry Nance Jr. and Pete Nance ideal fits for Beilein's system. Neither ended up with him at Michigan. Pete picked Northwestern over the Wolverines two summers ago, but the Beilein-Nance fit will finally happen.

Rahas exchanged text messages with Larry Nance Jr. on Monday.

"Larry said they're really excited," Rahas said. "How can you not be excited?"

In 12 months, Nance could be one of only a handful of holdovers on the Cavaliers' roster. Four players are under contract beyond 2020, not counting restricted free agent Cedi Osman and potential draft picks.

Beilein’s hiring points to a sweeping contrast from how the Cavaliers began the post-LeBron James and Kyrie Irving era. A year ago, they tried to blend veterans with a mix of youth and hoped to make the playoffs.

Of those players with multiple years left on their deals, Love is the only one older than 30.

"An older team, I don't know, like if LeBron and Kyrie were still here," Brush coach Chet Mason said. "But with younger guys, I think he can come in and develop. I know he can."

Mason, who played on the Cavaliers during the 2007 preseason, has encountered Beilein on the recruiting trail as a high school coach. Recently it's been for the recruitment of 6-9 center John Hugley, who will be a senior next season for Mason.

Michigan did not offer a scholarship to Hugley under Beilein, but Mason said his center's improved outside shooting drew more interest from the coach.

“He has an NBA-style offense now with the ball screens and pick-and-pops,” Mason said. “That’s the NBA now with the bigs shooting 3s. Teske and Mo Wagner do that.”

Teske attempted 77 3-point shots last season at Michigan. Wagner took 160 deep shots a year earlier during the Wolverines' run to the NCAA Tournament title game. Wagner hit 39 percent of his 3s then, and 6-10 forward is now on the Lakers.

That could be Teske in a year.

"I'm sure Jon's happy for him," Hassinger said. "Jon Teske really loves Coach Beilein. If anything, I think it helps him. Now he has someone in the NBA that will be an advocate for him, and we all think he's going to be drafted next year."

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