The Wolverine

June-July2022

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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28 THE WOLVERINE JUNE / JULY 2022   2022 BASKETBALL RECRUITING ISSUE BY CHRIS BALAS I t's a well-known fact that preps good enough to play for their fa- thers' Division I programs usually do, no matter how big or small. Aubrey Dawkins left Michigan to play for his dad Johnny's UCF team several years ago, while more recently, Patrick Baldwin Jr. went to play for Pat Sr. at Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Rising junior Jace Howard, too, was a no-brainer for the Wolverines when his father asked him to join him at Michi- gan. But Juwan Howard had to sweat a lit- tle bit when it came time for decision day with his youngest son, Jett. What seemed to be a foregone conclusion be- came a true recruiting battle, the Michi- gan head coach insisted, when Tennes- see's Rick Barnes turned up the heat. "I couldn't come there as arrogant and saying, 'Hey, this is family. Family's got to stick with family,'" Juwan Howard said before Michigan faced the Volun- teers in the NCAA Tournament. "I still wanted my son to choose his school that he felt was best for his college future, because I've already had mine. "It's about him, and I wanted him to enjoy the recruiting experience because he deserved it. He earned that right." And he took it. Jett visited North Car- olina State and considered Georgetown and others. And when he visited Knox- ville, he became more conflicted than expected. "Tennessee being a great program, I left impressed with them, too. But my wife was too damn happy about Ten- nessee," the Michigan head coach said with a laugh. "And Jett was excited about the program and what they had to offer for his development, and he was truly impressed with Coach Barnes." He might have even been leaning to Tennessee, his dad said, at least for a moment. But when it came down to it, Jett's heart was in Ann Arbor with his family. His addition will mark the official end of a prep career that has come full circle, culminating with his MVP performance at the April 30 Allen Iverson Roundball Classic in Memphis, Tenn. He shared the honor with Keyonte George, a Baylor signee, after scoring 20 points on 9-of- 12 shooting with several different moves. One of his biggest plays came when the game was still in doubt tied at 99. His floater broke the tie and spurred the run that helped lead his team to a 120-110 win, impressing former NBA star and Basketball Hall of Famer Allen Iverson. "Jett has everything that it takes to be a superstar on every single level," Iverson said on the CBS Sports broadcast. "It comes so naturally to him … so easy to him." "He's the most pro-ready right now," analyst J.R. Smith added. Whether that's true remains to be seen. But the No. 36 overall player na- tionally in the On3 Consensus (and No. 34 in On3's individual ratings) has his eyes set on only one place as of right now … Ann Arbor. "It was just fun," Howard said of the all-star experience. "I just tried to have the most fun with it — listen to my coaches and play hard. [But] I can't wait to get to work and build some camara- derie with my [Michigan] teammates. "I just can't wait to get to Ann Arbor and win." He'll get his chance soon enough. The 6-foot-7, 220-pounder has con- tinued to improve, and he's put himself in the conversation as a future pro. He's not there yet, On3 national basketball recruiting analyst Jamie Shaw said, but he has the potential to play at that level if he continues to work. "He's going to have to have a lot of things break right for him, but he's got the frame and the lineage, the name and Michigan, which is a high-profile school," Shaw said. "He'll probably end up on draft boards, but I don't think he's a can't-miss NBA guy. "But I do think he's a hell of a high- major player. He's the kind you need to win championships with." Michigan envisions him as a shooting guard and a wing. Shaw thinks he'd be better — for now — as a wing and power forward. "He's a pure three, but maybe even a little bit of four," he said. "I know Juwan likes to play big, but if he ever wanted to go four out or five out [on offense], I think Jett could possibly play the four. He's a big, strong, long-framed kid." The lateral movement would need to improve for him to play guard, Shaw said, and that could always improve. Michigan strength coach Jon Sanderson has a way of loosening the hips, too, and will help him prepare. Wherever he plays, though, he'll likely help not only on the court, but off. He's a lot like his brother in that respect, according to Michigan assistant coach Phil Martelli. "They're just good human beings, good young guys," he said. "It's a great gym. Forget the team. It's great going to a gym, and there's happiness, They are not sullen … they play with joy." A group, thanks in part to three How- ards now, he can't wait to help coach. ❏ READY TO TAKE OFF Jett Howard Has His Sights On Winning A Championship With His Dad, Brother In Ann Arbor Allen Iverson, 11-time NBA All-Star and Basketball Hall of Famer "Jett has everything that it takes to be a superstar on every single level. It comes so naturally to him … so easy to him."

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