The Wolverines secured the fourth pledge in the 2022 class today with 4-star wing Jett Howard making his commitment to Michigan. 

GURU RANKINGS

Rivals	ESPN	24/7	EM Scouting
4*, #35 overall #8 SG	4*, #41 overall #12 SF, #9 FL	4*, #44 overall #13 SF, #11 FL	4*, #34 overall #10 SF

There is general consensus from all four services that Jett is just a cut below 5-star status with an overall ranking in the 34-44 range. Howard has been a stockriser since the Spring when his playmaking ability for others took him from a 50-70 type prospect to now being considered one of the best perimeter prospects in America. 

There is some variation on list heights, with 247 and ESPN going with 6'7. Rivals goes with an outdated 6'5 and EM Scouting splits the difference at 6'6. Weight is where the bigger discrepancy comes in. Rivals and ESPN go with 180 and 185 pounds. It only takes one look at Jett to determine those numbers are nowhere near accurate. EM Scouting gives him 210 pounds, while 247 goes all the way up to 220. For context, Jett checked in at 6'5 (without shoes) and just a tad under 194 pounds at the 2019 Nike Elite 100. It's safe to say he's put on at least 10 pounds since then and likely and inch or two. 

 

SCOUTING

As someone that has a plethora of live viewings on Howard over the last year in multiple settings, I can confidently say versatility is his biggest asset. At 6’6 - 6'7, he can potentially slot anywhere between the 2-4 spots and excel at each depending on Michigan roster construction and matchups with the opposition.

Jett has long been touted as a knockdown shooter and he's certainly an above-average/good perimeter shotmaker, but he's more than that. While he was more of an off-ball floorspacer for IMG, the most impressive part of his game in recent months has been the ability to make plays for others. Howard had some really strong moments over the spring/summer on the travel-ball scene as a half-court facilitator in ball-screens that created easy shots for his roll-man. He also thrived with transition dimes that hit bigs/wings in stride for easy buckets.

As a shot-creator for himself, Howard flashes the ability to change direction/speed with a live dribble in order to create some space, but doesn't really have the handle to string together combination moves that puts defenders on their heels. He's more adept at using ballscreens to get space or using a single crossover/hesitation to get to his pull-up game. Jett probably doesn't have the shiftiness or acceleration to be a primary on-ball weapon in Ann Arbor, but definitely looks the part of a secondary shot-creator with his combination of size/handle/vision.

Circling back to the shooting prowess, Howard makes pull-up jumpers off the bounce with regularity from both distance and midrange. He takes and makes tough shots, which is a valuable commodity at any level of basketball. But his percentages aren't necessarily that of an elite shooter, partly due to difficulty associated with the aforementioned pull-ups. Beyond that though, Jett has been above-average on catch-and-shoot attempts in my live viewings but not necessarily a marksmen in the mold of an Isaiah Livers/Caleb Houstan type. His shot origin/ball placement is a bit too close to his face and he ends up leaning his head a bit to the left to compensate for the ball placement when getting into the upward motion of his shot mechanics. I'm sure some of that will be corrected at Michigan and more consistency is likely to be the result. 

Howard is a good finisher in transition and run + jump scenarios in half-court settings where he can elevate off two legs in space when attacking closeouts. But he doesn't have enough lift to finish over legit length in traffic. Some of his attempts at the rim can be a bit off-balance as he's tries to go around defenders in the air and doesn't get the requisite elevation to convert. At the next level, I'm sure Dad will teach him to use his superior strength/mass to go through defenders/get into the chest to create space in the air. 

Jett is a solid athlete, but lacks quick-twitch ability in terms of acceleration and elevation. His agility grades out at the same level, which is to say adequate, but not great. His biggest physical advantage is mass/strength. Howard has some real potential to be a bully-ball straight-line driver/finisher if he can incorporate more physicality to his game. He's more of a finesse player at this stage of development. 

On the defensive end Howard is at his best checking big wings and PF types. He does a really good job of using 3/4 fronting technique and having active feet to deter easy passes. His size/length is a real plus when contesting jumpers and it allows him to cover a nice amount of ground. Jett doesn’t move well enough to defend legit guards with good speed/shiftiness and won't be tasked with doing that at Michigan, but I definitely like his potential as a wing defender.

247's April 2021 evaluation largely echoes my take with high-praise for Howard's versatility:

"Jett Howard's combination of size, shooting, and versatility is translatable. He has a strong frame, a solid motor on the defensive end, and can knock down down the open jumper with range. His versatility is mainly displayed in his ability to help out at the point guard position in a pinch. He is a good facilitator who can run an offense and make the right decisions with the basketball. However, he will be more effective in a secondary supportive ball handling role because of his efficiency as a three-point shooter while playing off the ball. Howard has the ability to play all three perimeter positions and will be a valuable asset to a program for multiple years."

Jamie Shaw of Rivals called Jett the best SF in attendance at the NBPA Top 100 Camp in late July:

"While Howard may have started the camp off a little slow and ended the camp seventh overall in scoring and 3-point percentage at 11.4 points and 36.4-percent. The 6-foot-5 Howard is the No. 40 prospect overall in the 2022 class and played 23.8 minutes per game, and showed his composure on the ball and his burst and ability to score the ball. Howard plays with a great pace and a lot of strength, it was his confidence and composure that stood out, also his willingness to compete."

[After THE JUMP: stats, film and projection]

OFFERS

The offer list here isn't indicative of Jett's status as a prospect. It has been widely assumed the youngest Howard would play for Pops in Ann Arbor the day Juwan Howard took the helm at Michigan, and the list of options was extremely limited because of it. Even so, Florida, Tennessee, LSU, N.C. State, Georgetown, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest all extended scholarship opportunities. 

HIGH SCHOOL

IMG Academy (FL) is a national powerhouse program located just south of Tampa. Freshman Moussa Diabate is an alum and the current senior class at IMG is full of elite prospects and former targets like Jaden Bradley, Jarace Walker and Eric Dailey in addition to 5-star Keyonte George. IMG plays one of the toughest schedules in America and undoubtedly prepares Jett in a way that few other HS programs can. 

STATS

Howard went for 9.8 points and 2 assists per contest while connecting on 44.4% from distance during his abbreviated junior year in a supplementary role for a stacked IMG team. He averaged 9.2 points, nearly 4 rebounds and 3 assists a game during a seven game stint in EYBL play this summer. 

VIDEO

2021 AAU highlights from EM Scouting:

 

Junior Year Highlights from Courtside Films:

 

2021 NBPA Top 100 Camp Highlights from EM Scouting:

 

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Michigan has great depth at the wing/forward spot and Kobe Bufkin is likely to lock down the starting spot at the SG position for 22-23. With that you can expect Jett to get limited playing time as a freshman. Just how much time will largely depend on how things go with Caleb Houstan during his freshman season.

If Houstan returns, its going to be nearly impossible for Howard to nab real minutes during conference play with a wing/forward rotation featuring a returning starter in Houstan, along with Terrance Williams, Isaiah Barnes, Will Tschetter and Jace Howard lurking as well. 

On the other hand, if Houstan has a successful freshman campaign and bolts for professional opportunities, you might see Jett as a rotational piece at both the SF and SG spots. He would likely be in competition with only Isaiah Barnes at the wing spot while Terrance Williams locks down the PF position in that scenario.

With Bufkin looking likely to be a starter at SG in 22-23, Howard might be in the mix for some time as a backup SG depending on how things turn out with Zeb Jackson this season. His versatility means that Jett can plug holes at multiple spots while giving Pops lineup flexibility. 

In any event, Howard's sophomore season is when we're really looking at him to be an impact rotational piece. With Houstan a near lock to be gone and the SG spot working itself out, Jett should be in line for a significant role at the SG/SF spots with PF also being a possibility depending on Michigan's roster and matchups. He's going to be a player that's around for a minimum of two years in what projects to be a jack-of-all-trades role where he does most things above-average, but probably not elite in any one area. He has the feel of double-digit scorer as early as year two, with some flashes of playmaking coupled with solid to above-average defense as his career progresses. Jett is well-suited to be a very good secondary option that helps Michigan win lots of games with his versatility and ability to flourish in multiple roles. 

 

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

The staff is willing to take one of Yohan Traore/Ernest Udeh as we need depth in the frontcourt. That's about the only realistic projection anyone can make at this point. This section is functionally moot with the transfer portal. Every coach I've spoken with prefers the portal for competition level/sample purposes and so it is simply impossible to project with any sort of intelligence.