The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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FEBRUARY 2023 THE WOLVERINE 13 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS FIRST-ROUND NBA DRAFT HYPE CONTINUES TO GROW FOR JETT HOWARD Michigan basketball freshman forward Jett Howard has been just what the doctor ordered for a team that needed to improve its shooting this season. Howard, who had a career- high 34-point performance in an overtime loss to Iowa on Jan. 12, is considered one of the top prospects in the Big Ten Conference in the 2023 NBA Draft class. On3 analyst Jamie Shaw threw that label on him, along with Illinois forward Coleman Hawkins, Indiana point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino, Iowa forward Kris Murray and Ohio State wing Brice Sensabaugh. "Howard has proven to be a player with great positional size and versatility," Shaw said. "He has the look of a good off-ball defender. He is also making over 40 percent of his threes to this point, with an understanding of how to move off the ball. A connective piece with size." Sports Illustrated's scouting report reads as follows: "A projected 3-and-D prospect, Howard is extremely versa- tile on both ends of the floor. He's got a good balance of size, defensive upside and shooting touch that should translate well at the next level. He's really not an elite athlete but has an NBA build already. "Especially in spot-up situations, Howard is an elite shooter. Like many young prospects, he does dip the ball down dur- ing his shooting motion, but there's still time to fix that. If he is able to learn to catch in the shooting pocket and im- mediately start the upward motion of his shot, he could be an elite shooter at the NBA level." The Athletic sent Howard to the Phoenix Suns at No. 16 overall in its most recent mock draft, praising his offensive skill set but questioning how his lack of athleticism fits at the next level. "He's not a great athlete," Sam Vecenie wrote on Jan. 12. "It's hard to see him truly separating right now from his man. But he does have some shake that he could grow into. The de- fense pushes him slightly outside of the lottery for me — he really struggles with his quickness to guard — but Howard is terrific and possesses many skills that evaluators covet." MAZI SMITH SENTENCED TO 12 MONTHS OF PROBATION Football senior defensive tackle Mazi Smith was sen- tenced to 12 months of probation on Jan. 12 after being pulled over in October for carrying a concealed weapon without a license. The sentence came under the Holmes Youthful Training Act, which gives young adults the oppor- tunity to avoid a criminal record upon completion of the conditions handed to them from the court. Ann Arbor 15th District Court Judge Karen Quinlan Valvo ruled that Smith can be discharged from his probation if he completes six months without violations, which include not being allowed to partake in illegal drugs, alcohol and mari- juana or be present around anyone using them. Smith must also complete 40 community service hours by April 1 and retake his concealed pistol license training class, in addition to paying $600 in fines and $360 in probation oversight fees. "I've had an opportunity to learn," Smith said in court, via the Detroit Free Press. "I learned immediately in the back of a police car, but I had an opportunity to turn this into a lesson quickly." Smith was charged with a felony in late November but pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge as part of a plea deal reached in December. After the offense took place on Oct. 7, Michigan head coach Jim Harbaugh, athletics direc- tor Warde Manuel and university president Santa Ono jointly decided Smith would not be suspended from the team. Smith, a team captain, started all 14 games for U-M in 2022 and finished with 48 tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack. He declared in early January for the 2023 NFL Draft. — Anthony Broome MAIZE AND BLUE NOTEBOOK Midway through his freshman season, Howard is already consid- ered one of the top NBA prospects in the Big Ten and is a projected 2023 first-round draft pick by some analysts. PHOTO BY LON HORWEDEL