Michigan basketball freshman Jett Howard a lottery pick in early 2023 mock draft
Michigan Wolverines basketball saw two of its former players Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate selected in the 2022 NBA Draft, both in the second round. The Wolverines have sent nine to the first round over the last 10 events, and it could be 10 in the last 11 if one way-too-early mock draft comes true.
CBSSports.com’s Gary Parrish released his early 2023 mock draft, and included Michigan incoming freshman guard/forward Jett Howard at No. 10 overall to the San Antonio Spurs. He’s the highest-rated Big Ten player in the projection.
Parrish acknowledged he’s going out on a bit of a limb, taking into account there were plenty of recruits regarded as better players. However, Howard impressed enough this spring to earn his top-10 spot.
“Howard’s consensus ranking among his high school classmates does not align with this slot in the 2023 NBA Draft,” Parrish explained of the Michigan wing. “But he was the MVP of the Iverson Classic and left some evaluators insisting he was the most NBA-ready player at the All-Star game that also included projected lottery picks [Baylor‘s Keyontae] George and [Kentucky‘s Cason] Wallace.”
The son of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, Jett Howard was ranked the No. 37 overall recruit and No. 10 small forward in the class of 2022 on the On3 Consensus. He’s expected to be a significant contributor for Michigan this winter, but not as the primary option. He’ll play in the backcourt and on the wing, benefitting from the attention junior center Hunter Dickinson commands down low.
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Howard’s is an interesting case. He does not appear at all on some early mocks, including ESPN.com’s, in which no Michigan player is listed, but is viewed so highly by Parrish. In addition, SB Nation slotted Howard No. 17 overall.
Starting his high school career at University School, Howard helped guide the Sharks to two consecutive Class 5A State titles before transferring to IMG Academy. As a sophomore, Howard was the second-leading scorer with 15.6 points and 3.7 assists per game, while also being named to the All-County second team.
Transferring to IMG, Howard teamed up with Diabate during his junior season and closed the campaign with a 21-3 mark. Howard averaged 9.8 points and 2.0 assists, while shooting 44.4 percent from beyond the arc. In the summer circuit, he played in the Nike EYBL circuit with Nightrydas Elite and averaged 11.8 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.9 averaged assists.
Juwan Howard was the No. 5 overall pick to Washington in the 1994 NBA Draft, one of 29 first-rounders in Michigan history.
