Michigan might have a new fan in Justin Fields.
Jessica Fields, the younger sister of the former Ohio State quarterback, has committed to play basketball for the Michigan women’s basketball team. On Sunday, she made it official on social media, becoming part of the Wolverines’ class of 2025.
Fields, a power forward, will attend his senior year at Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw, Georgia, and is the second member of Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class.
She had many offers, including three from Georgetown and Northwestern.
“I was ready to finish my recruiting process,” Fields told On3 after announcing her decision on Sunday. “I started really early in eighth grade, so it was a really long process. I got to watch both of my siblings go through that, so I always looked forward to when the coaches would finally focus on me during their visits instead of being the little sibling running around.”
“At the end of the day, I just try to keep in mind that I’m going to be with these girls every day for the next four years.
“That’s why I definitely want to be in a place where I feel comfortable and feel like the family is my second family.”
Fields told On3 that Michigan offers many of the things she was looking for, including academics, player development, a good coaching staff and a positive team culture. Of course, it also helps that the Wolverines have reached the NCAA Tournament six years in a row under head coach Kim Barnes Arico, though they may be entering a rebuilding phase.
Justine Raterman, who joined Barnes Arico’s staff this year after six seasons at Marquette, was the person primarily responsible for recruiting Fields. Raterman was the one who recommended Fields, who won multiple high school state championships at Georgia, to Marquette.
The other member of Michigan’s 2025 recruiting class is four-star guard McKenzie Mathurin from Oklahoma, who committed earlier this month.
Fields’ older brother Justin played quarterback at Ohio State in 2019-20, defeating Michigan in his only game against the Wolverines in 2019. He was drafted 11th overall by the Chicago Bears in 2021 and played three seasons there before being traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers in the offseason before the Bears drafted USC QB Caleb Williams with the No. 1 pick.
New job for Davis
Former head coach of the Detroit Mercy men’s team Michael Davis stays in the game.
Earlier this summer, there were reports that Davis, the former head coach of the Detroit Mercy men, was Penny Hardaway‘s staff in Memphis. But Davis is still not listed on the Memphis sports page and Memphis has not made an official announcement. But Davis confirmed to The Detroit News on Tuesday that he has accepted the new job.
He spent six seasons as head coach at Detroit Mercy, the last of which was a disastrous 1-31 season. Last season was Davis’ first at Detroit Mercy without his son, the star shooter Anthonywhich ranks second all-time in NCAA men’s history.
His contract was supposed to run for another year, but Detroit Mercy and Davis announced an “amicable” separation.
Before the end of last season, there were rumors that Davis, 63, who spent 24 years as a head coach, might want to leave the coaching business to pursue his son’s professional career, Antoine, who is thriving in the G League.
Davis, who was head coach for six years at Indiana, UAB, Texas Southern and Detroit Mercy, has not been an assistant coach under Bobby Knight at Indiana. He replaced Knight when Indiana fired him.
Davis was 60-119 at Detroit Mercy and was replaced by Mark Montgomery.
Giving something back
Speaking of Montgomery…
One of the criticisms of Davis during his time at Detroit Mercy was that he was rarely seen doing community outreach. One of the few times I saw him out and about was when Antoine was back in town earlier this year playing a G-League game at Wayne State Fieldhouse. Montgomery stressed to me the importance of getting the community, especially the campus, back involved in this once proud program.
So it was nice to see Montgomery throw out the ceremonial first pitch alongside the head coach of the women’s team at a recent United Shore Professional Baseball League game in Utica. Kate Acker. Achter hit (“Still got it,” she joked); Montgomery did not (though to be fair, the left-hander hit with his right hand because his left arm hurt).
It’s a small step, but a step nonetheless.
“The community is important,” Montgomery, an Inkster native, told me when he was hired in early April. He came from Michigan State, where he was an assistant coach under Tom Izzo. “That’s what I sell (to my players).”
In other news, joining Montgomery’s staff Kyle LeGreairwho played four seasons for the Titans from 2020 to 2024. He will serve as a research assistant.
Meetings outside the conference
Several mid-major teams in the state plan to release their nonconference men’s team schedules soon, some as early as this week.
Oakland’s schedule will be the most exciting, especially after its stunning victory over Kentucky in the NCAA tournament. That was great for the university’s visibility, but it was challenging in terms of scheduling. There are far fewer suitors at the Power Five level.
Michigan State will always be a suitor as long as Izzo is around, of course, and they will play at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Dec. 19. It’s the final year of the recent contract between the teams, but a long-term extension is widely expected. Oakland will also play at Kansas, Illinois and Arkansas in another impressive non-conference schedule.
Detroit Mercy, which normally started the season with several road games under Davis, will play three of its first four games at Calihan Hall; or four of five if you count the Oct. 27 exhibition game against Wayne State. Toledo’s visit to Calihan Hall on Nov. 16 will be a good early test. The Titans also have road games at Davidson and Wisconsin in December. An early highlight for Eastern Michigan will be a trip to Drew Valentine‘s Loyola-Chicago, while Central Michigan has games at Marquette and George Mason in mid-November.
I have nothing to report about Western Michigan yet, as athletic director Daniel Bartholomew continues to look for one or two more home games before making his final noncon retirement.
Slam Dunks
➤ The women of Michigan State were in the defense in the midfield of the head coach Robyn Fralick‘s first season, so the Spartans were busy recruiting reinforcements. A strong transfer class includes former Bowling Green guard Nicoletta Hammonda two-time Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Year who played under Fralick and a former Arizona State guard Jaddan Simmonswho twice earned honorable mention on the All-Pac 12 defensive team. MSU has four transfers, including four freshmen.
➤ A very interesting addition to the Michigan women’s squad this offseason was the transfer from Oakland Brooke Quarles-Danielsa former Macomb L’Anse Creuse North player who averaged 13.6 points for the Golden Grizzlies last season. She was the Horizon League’s top freshman two seasons ago. When she decided to transfer, dozens of schools were interested in her, including Oakland’s main rival Detroit Mercy.
➤ Jay SmithHe will spend his 39th year as a college basketball coach at Eastern Michigan, where he has joined the head coach of the men’s team. Stan Heaths staff as a player development assistant. Smith, Michigan Mr. Basketball in 1979, was on the Michigan staff from 2019-2024 and has been head coach at Central Michigan, Grand Valley State and Kalamazoo College.
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