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Michigan's Jett Howard named one of Big Ten's top freshmen ahead of 2022-23 season

clayton-sayfieby:Clayton Sayfie•08/20/22•

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Jett Howard scored 30 points for Michigan in a win over Ferris State.(Jett Howard / Player submitted photo)

Michigan Wolverines basketball freshman guard Jett Howard was the fifth-highest ranked Big Ten signee in the 2022 class, slotting No. 40 nationally per the On3 Consensus. However, he’s set to make an even bigger impact than even that number would indicate.

On3’s Jamie Shaw ranked the top freshmen in the Big Ten using new intel from the month-plus that freshmen have been on campus. Howard checked in No. 3, behind Indiana point guard Jalen Hood-Schifino and Illinois point guard Skyy Clark.

“With new information coming in daily about how players are looking, how they have developed over the Summer, and what the rosters look like, we wanted to rank the Big Ten freshmen as of August 14,” Shaw explained.

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Howard is a favorite to jump into the Michigan starting lineup right away, a reason for his inclusion at No. 3 on Shaw’s list. The Wolverines aren’t particularly loaded with experience on the wing, and Howard will have to learn on the fly, but he’s got the talent.

“The path is clear for Jett Howard to jump right into the starting lineup and play a role,” Shaw wrote. “The 6-7 wing is an excellent perimeter defender, and he can handle, shoot, and pass well in the half-court. With [junior center] Hunter Dickinson back, the Wolverines will play inside-out, so Howard, who is physically ready, should have time to get acclimated.

“The pre-season expectations are not as high for this Michigan team as last year, but there is talent here, and Jett Howard should be able to carve out a role.”

Michigan is currently on its 10-day trip to Europe (Paris and Greece) that will include three exhibition games. The team already scrimmaged and lost to Fos Provence Basket from the LNB Pro A, the top league in France.

It appeared Howard was already in the Michigan starting lineup with graduate point guard Jaelin Llewellyn, sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin, junior forward Terrance Williams II and Dickinson. His Wolverines career has began in strong fashion, and his father, head coach Juwan Howard, said he’s improving.

“He’s coming along very well,” Howard said Aug. 11. “With freshmen, there’s so much thrown at you so fast. Different terminology. Speed of the game, strength. And then, this is something that only a few had to deal with. Many of the vast majority of college basketball players have never experienced this: playing for your father. That is not an easy transition. Not making excuses for him but he embraced it.

“Yesterday, I’m leaving – and I was the last one to leave at like 6:30 yesterday – and we didn’t have practice. The guys had a nice little session. Then, I heard a ball bounce. I was like, ‘man, who is in there?’ I peek in and open the door because I can’t watch them work out and it was Jett. Jett is in there getting extra shots up.”

Continued the Michigan coach: “His skillset, what he has, is what we need. We need him. He’s a shooter, a playmaker, big wing playmaker. He’s almost up to 6-8, 6-7 legitimately. You play with shoes on it’s 6-8. [He can] stretch the floor. The key with him, one percent better, is at times he loves to make the play. What the play is, he wants to make the play for someone else.

“Trying to teach him to embrace being more aggressive offensively. He wants to make a play. Hunter is going to love playing with him. He had three-straight turnovers trying to get the ball to Hunter and two of the three he could’ve shot the ball. That’s the unselfishness of Jett.”

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