Coaches believe Wichita State just found its next ‘junk-yard dog’ in JaDun Michael
JaDun Michael, a 6-foot-5 wing from Burlington, North Carolina, gave Shocker basketball fans good news this weekend when he verbally committed to Wichita State at the end of his official visit on Sunday evening.
Even better for coach Gregg Marshall and WSU, Michael has reclassified to the 2020 class and signed his letter of intent on Monday so he can join the Shockers next season.
Michael is rated a four-star prospect and No. 105 overall in by 247 Sports, while Rivals included him in its 2021 Rivals150 list at No. 140. He would be the third Rivals150 prospect to sign with the Shockers in the past two recruiting classes — joining heralded guards Tyson Etienne (No. 117) and Grant Sherfield (No. 118) from the 2019 class — and the sixth overall signed by Marshall.
Shocker fans will be excited about the stars next to Michael’s name, but how does his game translate to the next level — and more specifically to the Shockers? The Eagle spoke with a national recruiting analyst and those closest to Michael to find out.
What kind of player is JaDun Michael?
It’s not often highly rated recruits climb national rankings because of their defense, but Michael appears to be an exception.
Talk to anyone who has watched Michael play and his defense is the first thing mentioned.
“He wants to take on the challenge of defending the best player on the other team every night,” said Joseph Adams, who coached Michael for three years on the AAU circuit with Team Loaded NC. “If you need him to guard the one, the two, the three, he can do it and he loves to do it. He’s a junk-yard dog and an even better kid. He’s going to get there and work his butt off and do whatever coach Marshall asks him to do, he’s that type of kid.”
That defense-first mentality is the way Michael was raised by his father, William.
And when the family came to Wichita this weekend and saw Marshall in action coaching the Shockers in a 103-62 victory over Tennessee-Martin, the father and son were sold on Marshall as a coach. It’s ultimately why Michael picked WSU over teams like Louisville, Cincinnati, North Carolina State, Penn State and Providence.
“I love him and I love that he’s all about the defense,” William Michael said about Marshall. “When I initially talked to coach Marshall, I knew it would be a good idea for us to come check it out here in Wichita. And watching him coach, I can already tell. I love it.”
When it comes to the measurables, Michael is an ideal wing defender for WSU in its new life in the American Athletic Conference. Michael is 6-5 and 180 pounds with long arms and Rivals recruiting analyst Corey Evans has him pegged as one of the best athletes in the country.
A super athletic, bouncy 6-5 wing should sound familiar to Shocker fans and Michael is already being viewed within the program similarly to current WSU star Dexter Dennis in terms of his athleticism and defense. Adams, his AAU coach, believes playing for Marshall will bring out Michael’s best qualities.
“Gregg Marshall is a hard-nosed guy and he firmly believes in defense,” Adams said. “JaDun and his dad really loved how hard he coaches his players and how much he loves them. I think they both just fell in love with the coaching staff. Wichita State really is a perfect fit for the type of player JaDun is.”
Adams and the Team Loaded NC program had a strong relationship with WSU previously, as current Shocker Jamarius Burton also played for the program and WSU assistant Tyson Waterman has strong North Carolina ties.
Seeing how Burton has flourished at WSU played a role in Michael feeling comfortable with Marshall and the coaching staff.
“It’s really exciting for us because JaDun and Jamarius both have the same personalities and same mentalities,” Adams said. “They’re going to work really, really hard and they’re both going to defend really, really hard. I’m so proud of Jamarius showing everyone in the world that slept on him after he tore his ACL that he really is that good. He’s really developing into a great player and hopefully JaDun does the same.”
Where does Michael fit with the Shockers?
Michael figures to be an understudy to Dennis at small forward next season and the future for WSU at the position. It also gives Marshall some protection in case Dennis has a breakthrough year and turns pro following this season.
For those expecting Michael to fill up the basket immediately, that’s not his game. He’s at his best when he’s able to harness his athleticism, attack the basket and use his explosive athleticism to finish over defenders. Here’s the scouting report from Evans, a national recruiting analyst for Rivals.
“(Michael) is a tremendous athlete, one of the best in his class,” Evans told the Eagle. “He’s great out in the open floor. He has to refine his ball skills some and develop his jumper to the point that it can be a consistent weapon on the perimeter. But he has a lot of the proper tools you look for in a two-way producer.”
Michael isn’t likely going to stretch defenses — right away, at least — with his jump shooting. He’s comfortable with a mid-range jumper, but he’ll have to adjust to the extended three-point line in the college game. What Michael does to contribute to winning could translate right away for the Shockers.
Adams, his AAU coach, and his father both say that on top of his love for defense, Michael is also committed to executing the details of the game. That could be things as mundane as a box-out, setting a screen at the right angle, rotating correctly on the weak side, making the extra pass or always chasing offensive rebounds.
Shooting and scoring shouldn’t be a problem for WSU at the three guard positions for the near future with Dennis, Burton and Erik Stevenson slated to be around for two more seasons and Grant Sherfield, Tyson Etienne and Noah Fernandes scheduled to be in Wichita for three more.
The job description Marshall and his coaching staff listed for their lone class of 2020 recruiting spot was a glue guy who would be up for the challenge of doing the little things to help the Shockers win.
“He loves to be in the gym and he loves to play defense,” Marshall said. “With that athleticism and his potential and desire to win and compete on both ends of the floor, he was ideal for what we were looking for.”
It’s not often coaches can find a top-150 talent who not only perfectly fits that description, but who openly embraces that type of job. WSU believes it has filled the role for the next four years with Michael.
This story was originally published November 18, 2019 at 6:00 AM.
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