The Commitments Update -- Chauncey Shelton

The college basketball recruiting process continues to speed up. By the end of July all but one of Michigan's elite prospects had chosen a school.

The trickle down effect is that not only are the Big 10 schools getting it done soon, but then the mid-majors are, too -- Central Michigan got two summer pledges, a coup for a MAC school.

Here are the Michigan high school players who have already committed to Division I schools:

Lester Abram 6'5 WF Pontiac Northern

MICHIGAN

Committed to Brian Ellerbe, then reneged, then Tommy Amaker got Abram back in the fold. Abram, who led Pontiac Northern to the Class A state championship in 2001, can score in myriad fashion. He understands timing and spacing around the hoop so he can score on put-backs. His left-handed jumper just gets better and better.

Maurice Ager 6'4 2G Detroit Crockett

MICHIGAN STATE

While Rochester's Paul Davis is the gem of the Spartans' class to date, Ager is a very important recruit for Tom Izzo. He is the first player MSU has signed straight from a Detroit Public School since Steve Smith graduated from Pershing in 1987. In May Ager blew up on the national scene at the Bob Gibbons Tournament of Champions playing with the Hurricanes, and he's played well ever since. He led Crockett to the Class B state championship in 2001, taking over in the game's final minues. Ager is smooth, athletic, a natural scorer who is a triple threat with the ball in his hands.

Ricardo Billings 6'4 2G Detroit Rogers

OHIO STATE

The Buckeyes had been recruiting Billings for years, and it paid off as they held off Michigan State at the end. Billings missed the Nike All-American Camp with an injury, so his national reputation has slipped some. But he's a major talent, a good ball-handler and passer and a rugged rebounder. The best part thing about Ricardo's game is his toughness.

Clifford Brown 6'6 PF Ferndale

KENT STATE

We had heard in the last week from coaches that Cliff Brown had been "big-timing" some mid-major teams. That doesn't bode well for the schools that were complaining, because Brown "big-timed" it all the way to Kent, which is in their league. Brown has a great frame and has improved dramatically over the last 18 months. He'll definitely be able to bang at the MAC level. Who can forget his dominance of All-Amrerican Paul Davis last winter? Kent State head coach Stan Heath has gotten the best non-Big 10 point guard in the state -- Detroit Southwestern's DeAndre Haynes -- and now he gets Michigan's best non-Big 10 power forward in Brown.

Graham Brown 6'8 PF Mio

MICHIGAN

A sleeper recruit for the Wolverines, who gambled on this big boy from up north. Brown is a strong, left-handed post player. He'll never be a skilled scorer, but is more in the lines of 1980s U-of-M big men like Butch Wade and Richard Rellford -- bangers.

Joe Carr 5'6 PG Detroit Renaissance

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Size be damned. Joe Carr is a player. He's a strong, tough floor leader who can create a lot of havoc on the defensive end. He's done it all at Renaissance, caddying for Rickey Paulding as the Phoenix won the 2000 Detroit PSL title, then, last year as a junior, taking a more proactive scoring role. He started in the same backcourt as 6'2 Marcus Bennett, a late signee in Michigan's 2001 recruiting class.

Paul Davis 6'10 PF Rochester

MICHIGAN STATE

Davis has established himself as one of the country's truly elite prospects. He can do it all offensively -- dunk with authority, use the glass in the post, shoot the perimeter shot, face and drive. Once Michigan State toughens him up, Davis will be an NBA lottery pick.

Chris Grimm 6'10 C Brighton

MARQUETTE

The first Michigan recruit for former MSU assistant Tom Crean. Grimm dominates the Kensington Valley Conference, known more for cross country than basketball. But he came correct last Christmas when he put 39 on Detroit Denty at Cobo. Grimm is a true post player with good hands who still must adjust to the fast pace of elite competition. This summer he started up front with Paul Davis for the Michigan Mustangs.

DeAndre Haynes 6'1 PG Detroit Southwestern

KENT

New Kent State coach Stan Heath beat out PW for this one. DeAndre is a great athlete with size at the one. He can score, pass, defend and rebound. With Trevor Huffman graduating next spring, Haynes will keep the Michigan guard flavor rolling at Kent.

Shawn Hopes 6'8 C Detroit Cass Tech

OAKLAND

A number of oversized big men have come through the PSL in recent years, such as Mark Maxwell and Delvar Barrett. Shawn will be better than either of them. He's like 275 but relatively nimble, with soft hands and some moves. He's young for his class and just gets better and better. Could play at a higher level than Oakland, so definitely a good get for Coach Kampe. Michael Helms and Kelly Williams have really opened the floodgates for Oakland's recruiting in the PSL. Next year there will be six Detroit kids on the roster -- Helms, Williams, Hopes, Terrell White, Rawle Marshall and Adrian Martin.

Kevin Nelson 6'3 2G Detroit Country Day

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Another Mustang, with Paul Davis demanding so much attention in the paint Nelson had a field day at the Big Time tournament in Vegas, repeatedly lighting teams up from three-point ragne. He and Flint Powers senior Anthony Hamo are the two purest shooters in the state. Nelson was getting interest from some high major schools, so this is a good pickup for Jay Smith and CMU. Nelson is also an all-state golfer at DCD.

Dan Redder 6'9 C Zeeland

EASTERN MICHIGAN

A significant recruit for Jim Boone and his staff, who are still trying to establish themselves in Michigan. They came in at a hard time -- PW gets all the premier mid-major guys in Detroit, Jay Smith has his up north/Oakland County thing down, and Rob McCullum and Western struck gold their first time out signing in-staters Ben Reed, Ricky Willis and Steve Green in 2001. So Redder's a good start. GR-area kids can be better than many give them credit for. Redder's a legit 6'9 and will only get stronger, he'll be able to hold his own in the MAC a couple years down the line.

Anthony Roberson 6'2 PG Saginaw

FLORIDA

Broke a lot of Spartans' hearts when he rejected East Lansing for Gainesville. Roberson will probably start right away for the Gators, as Teddy Dupay will graduate and Brett Nelson is a prime candidate to enter the Draft early. Anthony is a shoot-first point guard, and his shot's not always on, but he's still a top 10 national prospect.

Chauncey Shelton 6'4 Sr 2G Detroit Rogers

TOLEDO

He did thing the right way and created a lot of options for himself. But Rogers coach Steve Hall said that like with Ricardo Billings and Ohio State, the coaches that were with Shelton the longest won out in the end. Chauncey will be able to play multiple positions at Toledo, whose coaches love him for his versatility, athleticism, toughness and defense.

Brian Snider 6'5 2G Cadillac

WESTERN MICHIGAN

Broncos head coach Robert McCullum and his assistants are straight kicking ass on the Michigan recruiting trail. WMU freshmen this fall, Ben Reed and Ricky Willis were both excellent recruits who will likely start this winter. Now comes the commitment from Snider, one of the state's top 10 players regardless of class. Huge.

Particularly appealing about recruits like these three is that, not only are they all very talented players, but Reed, Willis and Snider are all tough kids who hate to lose. You can never have enough of that, especially with a program like Western's which is trying to learn how to win.

Brandon Voorhees 6'6 WF Wyoming Tri-Unity Christian

CENTRAL MICHIGAN

Another in Tri-Unity's line of all-staters and the second headed to Mt. Pleasant, after Chris Kaman. Last year Voorhees averaged 18 points, 10 rebounds and 4.5 blocks per game. Though not overly athletic he's a lanky kid with long arms and good hands who can work inside and also step out and nail the jumper.

Terrell White 6'7 PF Detroit Northwestern

OAKLAND

Last season, before Oakland and Detroit played, U-of-D coach Perry Watson commented that he hadn't even recruited Mike Helms and Kelly Williams, the Detroit King alumni who were breakthrough PSL recruits for Greg Kampe at Oakland. Will he be able to say the same about White? Terrell is a sleeper because he plays for a not so good team and was injured last season and this summer. But he's coming back around, a big kid who can move and score inside.