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North Carolina’s Michael Phillips commits to Marquette’s Shaka Smart
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North Carolina’s Michael Phillips commits to Marquette’s Shaka Smart

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The Marquette men’s basketball team continues to expand its 2025 recruiting class.

Michael Phillips II, a 6’7″ forward from GRACE Christian High School in North Carolina, announced his commitment to the Golden Eagles on social media Tuesday.

Phillips, who turned 17 on Tuesday, is reclassifying from the class of 2026 so he can join MU for the 2025-26 season.

Phillips joins 6’1″ guard Nigel James and versatile 6’7″ forward Ian Miletic in the 2025 class.

What kind of player is Michael Phillips?

Phillips is shaping up to be the type of player coveted at the highest levels of basketball. Recruiting site on3.com had him ranked among the top 35 players in the class of 2026 before he was reclassified.

Phillips is a tall, fluid athlete who is very comfortable shooting the ball from behind the three-point arc.

Those physical tools also help Phillips be a disruptive presence on defense.

As a sophomore, Phillips averaged 16.2 points in 33 games for GRACE Christian. According to MaxPreps.com, he shot 97 of 262 from three-point range (37%).

Keeyan Itejere also attended Grace Christian in Cary, North Carolina.

Phillips attends the same high school that produced former MU player Keeyan Itejere.

Itejere spent two seasons with the Golden Eagles before transferring to Northern Kentucky.

Itereje was initially recruited when MU head coach Shaka Smart and his staff were in Texas. GRACE Christian head coach DeShannon Morris was impressed with the coaches’ abilities to spot and develop talent.

MU coaches watched Phillips closely this summer, including at GRACE Christian games during the June academic evaluation period.

Phillips played AAU football with the Boo Williams program. He also had scholarship offers from Michigan, Georgetown and Oklahoma State, among others.

NCAA will allow up to 15 scholarship players in the 2024-25 season

MU will lose Kam Jones, Stevie Mitchell and David Joplin after next season.

Even with the additions of Phillips, James and Miletic, the Golden Eagles can still add more players to the 2025 class.

That’s because, due to the monumental settlement in the House vs. NCAA case, men’s basketball teams will be allowed to have up to 15 scholarship players beginning in the 2025-26 season.

MU remains in the mix for several 2025 prospects, including 6’4″ guard Adrien Stevens, who recently placed MU in his top six.

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