Recruiting has gone well for Michigan basketball under head coach Juwan Howard and the Wolverines fast start should only help.

It’s hard to imagine a better start for Michigan basketball and Juwan Howard than the 8-1 start the Wolverines have gotten off too — a start that includes wins over North Carolina, Gonzaga, Iowa, Iowa State and Creighton.

Everyone knew the early-season schedule was going to be tough and it doesn’t get any easier with Illinois and Oregon on tap for this week, but few expected U-M to win eight of its first nine games.

And the momentum being built on the floor certainly seems to be helping on the recruiting trail. Michigan still has a lot of work to do with only Zeb Jackson signed as part of the 2020 class, however, Isaiah Todd still seems like a solid commitment.

If he was putting off signing to see how Michigan basketball would look under Howard, which is reasonable, he got his answer and he has to like what he sees. The offense has been outstanding and has twice scored more than 100 points.

The Wolverines play up-tempo basketball, shoot a lot of 3-pointers and seem to have plenty of fun doing it, which should only serve to attract more good players to Ann Arbor.

While just keeping Todd would be huge for Michigan basketball, another player that U-M has been trending with is Hunter Dickinson ($), a four-star center that is also considering Duke, Florida State and Notre Dame.

But if Dickinson has been watching Michigan big man Jon Teske, he has to like what he is seeing. Howard has done a great job of building on Teske’s talents and actually, other bigs like Colin Castleton and Brandon Johns have taken a noticeable step forward.

Recruits generally want two things: They want to win and in college basketball, have a chance to go to the NBA and right now, Michigan can offer each of those things.

Howard has the ability to help big-time players improve and raise their draft stock in addition to giving them a chance to play at a program that still looks very much like an elite.

Add in the fact that Howard is getting a reputation as a player’s coach and someone guys love to play for and it’s not a surprise that Michigan seems to be a trendy pick for Terrance Williams too.

Williams recently de-committed from Georgetown. Michigan was among the finalists when he chose the Hoyas and it makes a lot of sense that he could end up in Ann Arbor. He’s another talented big man and those players have taken a special interest in playing for Howard.

It remains to be seen if Michigan can lock down commitments from either Williams or Dickinson, but right now, the Wolverines have got to like their chances, especially with the hot start.