Juwan Howard 'not sure' on Jett Howard's status after injury

Projected first-round draft pick Jett Howard left the Michigan Wolverines‘ win over Minnesota with an injury. After the game, head coach Juwan Howard explained that he isn’t sure about Jett’s status going forward.

The injury was to his ankle and occurred during the first half of the game and Howard didn’t return.

“No, I don’t have any information to give you on Jett, other than, as you saw, he was in a boot,” Juwan Howard explained. “He came back out there to the second half to support his teammates, which was great. Feel sorry for the young man because I hate missing basketball. He’s in love with the game of basketball and wanted to help his teammates on both ends of the floor.”

Jett Howard left the game after playing only 15 minutes, forcing the Wolverines to find a way to win a tough conference game without one of the team’s key players.

“Not sure how long he’s gonna be out, but it goes to show how our season is panning out. You know, we have so many built-in excuses for injuries, starting with Jaelin [Llewellyn], our starting point guard. Then, Dug [McDaniel] in the Maryland game. Dug stepped on a basketball and turned his ankle and he still came out and played in the Maryland game. You have Kobe Bufkin, you know, who’s dealing with injury. Terrance Williams dealing with an injury. You also have Jace [Howard] out with the concussion and now, hopefully, we’ll get him back soon,” Juwan Howard said, listing the team’s injuries.

“I mean, the list keeps going one and one and keeps piling up. I’ve been a part of something like that where everyone has some kind of injury, but that’s part of the game of basketball. You can’t predict it when it ever happens. You wish it never happens to you and your team, but I love how our guys responded as far as next man up mentality and still not making excuses for themselves because they have the right to but they still love going out there and competing. Gonna lay it all out on the line.”

Juwan Howard on the growth of Michigan’s freshmen

Jett Howard is one of Michigan’s freshmen players. He has proven to be an excellent player, though, despite still being a freshman like everyone else.

“No, they’re still freshmen. Who says that? … At the end of the year, that’s when they get their letterman jacket. That’s when they’re no longer freshmen. You get your letterman jacket? That means you are an upperclassman your sophomore year,” Juwan Howard said.

“I always go back to thinking back — I’m not that old. But knowing that when I was a freshman, Jalen Rose was a freshman, Chris was a freshman, Jimmy King and Ray [Jackson]. Our first game, we had like 30 turnovers and we still won by 30. Now, I’m not saying that we’re that good and those three freshmen are that good. But at times, you’re going to see my hair starting to turn a little bit grayer if you haven’t noticed it now because that’s part of the growing pains.”