Monday July 24, 2006 sports.michigandaily.com sports@michigandaily.com SPORTS 13 Class of 2007 continues to grow as Legion rejoins By Scott Bell Daily Sports Editor In just two weeks, the Michigan men's bas- ketball team's 2007 recruiting class has gone from nearly non-existent to nearly elite. Less than a week following the announce- ment of Detroit Redford's Manny Harris to join the team, former commitment Alex Legion announced that he was recommitting to the Wolverines. "In the back of my mind, I knew that Mich- igan was the best place for me all along," Legion said. "It's where I felt most comfort- able and where I had the best bond with a coach - with coach (Tommy) Amaker." Legion verbally committed to attend Mich- igan in November, but reopened his recruit- ment in early April after deciding to transfer from Detroit Country Day to Virginia's Oak Hill Academy for his final year of high school ball. Legion's announcement on Tuesday came out of nowhere for most people. A number of teams, including Florida, Illinois and Kansas, were all pursuing Legion, a four-star recruit. But Legion said that the potential Michigan's program shows, along with recent moves by the team, are what sold him. "Bringing in Manny (the week before) was big," Legion said. "It showed that other good players want to come here, and I think Michi- gan is definitely on the rise." The 6-foot-5 guard believes a lot of the bur- den for making sure the program continues to grow now rests on his shoulders. He has talk- ed to other recruits about joining Michigan, and says continuing to do so is very important to him. Both Rivals.com (No. 38) and Scout.com (No. 35) have Legion listed in their respec- tive top 40s. Legion said he feels his biggest weakness right now is his defense, and plans to work on that at Oak Hill prior to coming to Ann Arbor the following fall. Legion was ranked No. 15 by Rivals.com when he originally committed to Michigan, and was listed as the No. 2 shooting guard in his class. An inconsistent season at Detroit Country Day caused him to drop in the most recent rankings. But Legion is excited for the future, stat- ing that Oak Hill Academy will better prepa him for college. He also said he's excited both for the new setting next year and for the time he plans on spending in Ann Arbor after that. "I'm sure Michigan is going to be a great place for me," Legion said. Legion will be the third member of the 2007 class. East Grand Rapids guard Kelvin Grady was the first to join the class, which has no more available scholarships with the additions of Harris and Legion. Members of the Michigan coaching staff can't commit on verbal commitments until after the November signing period due to NCAA rules. Shepherd to stand on guard for Canada By H. Jose Bosch Daily Sports Editor Hockey may be Canada's national sport, but that doesn't matter to Michigan bas- ketball wing Jevohn Shepherd. This summer, Shepherd is representing his home country by playing for the Cana- dian Senior Men's National Team. Shepherd was selected as one of the 15 members of the team after a training camp held in Ontario's Humber College. Twen- ty-one players were invited, and Shep- herd was one of the seven NCAA players selected. Five of the remaining eight play- ers chosen were from professional leagues overseas. Though this may be his first time on the Senior Men's National Team, it's not his first experience playing for his country. 'a In 2005, he played for Canada for the Nike Hoop Summit where he notched 14 points, seven rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal in 25 minutes. Shepherd also won a bronze medal with Team Canada at the 2005 FIBA Under-21 World Championship. Yesterday, Canada has finished up an exhibition tournament in Italy and will continue its European tour in Germany, where they will play a two game exhibi- AP PHOTO tion series against the Germans on July 28 (in Hamburg) and July 30 (in Nuremburg). The team will finish its summer season by participating in the International Alpos Cup in Maribor, Slovenia, where the team will square off against Venezuela, Leba- non and the host, Slovenia. As a freshman last season with the Wol- verines, Shepherd averaged 1.8 points, 1.1 rebounds and 8.7 minutes while appearing in 26 games. He was mostly used off the bench by Michigan coach Tommy Amaker, but did start in three contests. Shepherd made a splash in his first col- legiate start in February against Purdue. After seeing additional playing time because of injuries acquired by his team- mates, the Toronto native notched career- highs in points (9) and rebounds (6) against the Boilermakers. Shepherd was used primarily as a high- energy player by Amaker, utilizing his speed as a weapon on the defensive end of the court. With the departure of seven seniors, he expects to see more consistent playing time as a sophomore for the Wol- verines. Notes: Former Michigan guard Daniel Horton wrapped up his first experience as a pro, completing the 2006 Pepsi Pik Summer league with the Miami Heat. The Cedar Hill, Tex., native averaged slightly over five points and two assists per game, starting twice during the Heat's 2-3 run. Jevohn Shepherd hopes to have a successful summer in Europe with Team Canada. MMMMMS DAILY SPORTS: GOOD, CLEAN INTERNET FUN. CHECK US OUT ONLINE AT SPORTS.MICHIGANDAILY.COM. Flo' alLanesPlaza 552 S tsda'strial H .Soiten