[2023] Western Michigan wraps up their recruiting class early.

[Jieret]

Kalamazoo, MI-

Basketball Head Coach Jieret allowed a relieved smile to cross his face when the third and final fax came in.  He had just received an early Christmas present; a trio of commitments to put a bow on Western Michigan's recruiting class for 2023.  With a full class of five players now in the boat, the Bronco coaching staff could now put 100% of their focus on the current season - one that the kids would call "mid." 

But that's an article for another day.  Today the spotlight is on the (currently) second-ranked recruiting class.  Let's meet the newest Broncos! 

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5* PG Fernando Baylon (Argentina) 5'10"
#43 overall:
Rivals: 55.1, ESPN: 95, 24/7: 69.08

The headliner of this five-man class, the slight Baylon is currently more of a distributor than a shooter.  His slashing drives into the lane end in a dish to a wide-open wing more often than not, although he started to take his own shots more as defenses wised up. Western Michigan offered Baylon fairly early in the recruiting cycle, and he made it clear just as early he wasn't looking to go elsewhere.  With Kiran Patel currently in the fold, Baylon is expected to redshirt and develop a more rounded game.

 

4* SG Juan Cavazos (Michigan)
#69 overall (nice): 
Rivals: 54.6, ESPN: 85, 24/7: 66.16

Cavazos grew up in nearby Benton Harbor a fan of the Broncos, and committed to Western despite some interest from Virginia and Florida State.  His calling card is his outside shooting, with over two-thirds of his 25 points per game average coming from behind the arc.  He led the Tigers to back-to-back league championships, and is excited to help the Broncos do the same for the MAC.

 

4* SF Gary Hutchinson (Vermont)
#108 overall: 
Rivals: 86.00, ESPN: 34, 24/7: 65.11

A late-riser from the Green Mountain state, the WMU staff offered Hutchinson out of tiny Christ Covenant HS after taking a couple of in-person trips to watch him in action.  The Bronco staff convinced the Hutchinson family that they would be the best place to help Gary grow on and off the court.  Hutchinson also held offers Wisconsin, Arizona State, and Washington State.

 

4* PF Randall Greene (Michigan)
#143 overall: 
Rivals: 41.00, ESPN: 86, 24/7: 62.61

The second in-state recruit, Greene plays like an old-school power forward.  He loves the dirty work in the paint, relishing the contact and physical play.  The coaching staff thinks Greene brings balance to the team, envisioning a role where he punishes teams for expanding the zone to defend against the 3.  Western was a bit fortunate in that no other schools had serious offers to him.

 

3* SF Lawrence Carlson (Portugal)
#337 overall: 
Rivals: NR, ESPN: 76, 24/7: 58.66

WMU rounds out their class with their lone three-star player and second international.  Carlson's stock took a hit in his senior year where he was placed on academic probation for skipping class to sneak in extra gym time.  Despite that, the Bronco staff chose to extend an offer after performing their due diligence with Carlson, his coach, and the school.  The Vermont Catamounts showed late interest, but they were just too far behind by the time they talked to him.

Carlson's specialty is the mid-range jumper, a shot that isn't as sexy in today's "Layups and Treys" game.  But he has vowed to work his tail off and show he's more than a one-trick pony.

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Unlike last year's class, there wasn't as pressing a need to find immediate starters.  While it's possible that some members of this class could find immediate playing time (Cavazos being the most likely due to a dearth of natural SGs on the roster), the fact is that this class is primarily seen as developmental.  The coaching staff expects this quartet to be major contributors in 2025 and beyond, not next year.