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As has been the case for the entirety of Juwan Howard’s tenure, the Michigan Wolverines have a very talented recruiting class coming in next season, and a few of the members of the class should compete for serious playing time.
One of the most talented members of that class is Juwan’s son, Jett Howard. According to the 247Sports composite rankings, the 6-foot-7 four-star small forward is the No. 37 overall player in the class, the 11th-best at his position and the 10th ranked recruit from Florida.
Howard joins a Michigan team in desperate need of three-point shooting, as it ranked 172nd in the country last season in three-point field goal percentage. Howard reportedly shot the lights out and impressed a lot of people at the Jordan Brand Classic this past weekend.
Great day so far for future Michigan wing Jett Howard. Knocking down catch and shoot 3s with range and confidence in 5 on 5 action. Shoots a really easy ball. Won King of the Hill earlier. Nice combination of size at 6-7 and shooting. pic.twitter.com/RnEXYwyBKD
— Mike Schmitz (@Mike_Schmitz) April 14, 2022
Jett Howard showed why scouts love his game at the Jordan Brand Classic practices yesterday @JettHoward5 | @PaulBiancardi pic.twitter.com/XpquOKwUm7
— NIBC (@NIBCOfficial) April 15, 2022
Michigan signee Jett Howard at the Jordan Brand Classic 〽️ pic.twitter.com/OuVH6WHyiJ
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) April 16, 2022
As you can see, his three-point stroke is smooth and he’s not afraid to let it fly quickly.
In the main showcase, Howard and Tarris Reed both turned a few heads, proving they can make standout plays against excellent competition.
Reed was able to clean up on some offensive rebounds and cash in from mid-range, while Howard showed he can thrive in transition, create space for himself on shots and convert from deep.
While he’s mostly known for his three-point shooting ability, Howard proved he’s much more than a marksman this past season. You can see in the game against Montverde below that he can slash to the rim, use a pump fake to keep defenders honest and finish through contact (he showcases all of these skills in a sweet and-one around the 5:39 mark).
It’s easy to picture Howard getting a lot of minutes next year and even fighting for a starting spot. He has proven he can create his own shot and score from multiple levels. Once he adjusts to the pace of the college game, those skills will come in handy for a Michigan team that was way too stagnant on offense last season.
There is a world where Caleb Houstan returns, and he certainly makes a nice pairing at the wing with Howard. If Houstan or Howard are making their threes (which is a big if for the former, considering how streaky he was last season), the Wolverines will always have a constant threat from deep on the floor. That would do wonders for floor spacing for drivers like Frankie Collins and slashers like Kobe Bufkin.
We’ll be sure to keep an eye on Howard as he continues to put his talents on display in various showcases this summer, as he could emerge as one of Michigan’s best players sooner than later.