The Super Bowl has passed us and now the college basketball season is finally getting it’s share of the limelight, with March Madness right around the corner.
I’ve spent the past few weeks traveling around the Midwest, catching a handful of games in the Big Ten, Big East, and ACC. Here are some of my thoughts from the handful of prospects I’ve seen over the past month.
Jett Howard – Michigan – 6’8, 215 lbs – September 2003
It was my first time seeing Howard in college in person (I saw him in high school), and it was a good reminder that he did not become 6’8 overnight and is still very much 6′ 6 at best. I don’t think it changes his long-term outlook, but it’s worth noting.
Howard shot the ball well in warm-ups and has a fluid stroke that should translate well to the next level. It was good to see Northwestern’s Chase Audige matched up with Howard, as Audige has been one of the premier perimeter defenders in the Big Ten this season. As a result, Howard struggled a bit with Audige’s on-ball pressure and length. He had a hard time getting into the paint, and his lack of a dynamic handle was illuminated. Howard finished just 2-8 and just one of his shot attempts came from inside the paint.
Howard doesn’t have the best handle, but he has shown some prowess in the pick-and-roll this year. Michigan’s “zoom” action does a good job of getting Howard going downhill and allowing him to read defenses as a playmaker and I think he’s done a good job sharing the ball. Seeing him live in Evanston, there were times I thought he missed reads but Michigan’s lack of shooting doesn’t open the floor up that well. Nonetheless, Howard should draw gravity as a shooter and attack closeouts at the next level. It’s notable how much Northwestern’s defense shifted towards Howard on any off-ball screening action.
Howard’s defense has been nitpicked this year and I didn’t think he was great on that end. He’s got positional size but is too frequently out of position, costing himself the opportunity for digs and rotations. He was late a few times on rotations against NU, leading to some bad closeouts. I thought his ball pressure was generally solid.
It’s worth noting that Howard is still fighting back from an ankle injury that caused him to miss a game, which likely inhibited him athletically. I liked his approach to the game (not a surprise coming from an NBA son and college coach son) and still feel like there’s enough to like with his shooting and potential on-ball upside. I’ll likely check back in on Michigan in a month in either Champaign or the B10 Tourney, but I do like Howard and think he should go in the lottery. Shooters with size and awareness are some of the easiest to pigeonhole into an NBA lineup. I wouldn’t be shocked if he went in the middle of the lottery and he’s firmly in that 7-16 range for me now.