Michigan basketball: Jett Howard unavailable for NIT game vs. Toledo
Michigan freshman wing Jett Howard did not warm up with the team ahead of Tuesday night’s game against Toledo in the NIT opening round. A program spokesman confirmed he would miss Tuesday night’s game with an ankle injury. Graduate wing Joey Baker gets the start in his place.
It remains to be seen what his availability would be moving forward. He was out to support his teammates during pregame, but not dressed to play.
Howard is averaging 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2 assists per game this season, starting and playing in 29 games so far in 2022-23.
Many NBA Draft analysts have Howard as a potential lottery pick in the 2023 class. Teammate Kobe Bufkin has worked himself into a potential draft hopeful this season, additionally. Bufkin dressed and was in the starting lineup with freshman point guard Dug McDaniel, Baker, redshirt freshman Will Tschetter and junior center Hunter Dickinson.
Michigan’s game against Toledo tips at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2. With a win, the Wolverines would play the winner of Vanderbilt vs. Yale this weekend. A Vanderbilt win would send Michigan to Nashville, while Yale would come to Ann Arbor with a victory.
“Being able to coach this team again means a great deal,” head coach Juwan Howard said in a statement. “We get a chance to play for a championship. That means something. These guys have put their hearts and souls into this year despite all the adversity. This team has grown throughout the year, and we are looking forward to the opportunity to suit up and compete again.”
Junior center Hunter Dickinson said: “We weren’t able to reach one of our goals and play in the NCAA Tournament. However, we have another chance to get out there. So many different things have happened to us this year, but we never put our heads down. The guys in that locker room are special and they know how much this means. Not only to ourselves but to our fans as well. We are competitors. We have a chance to play for something and we will go after it.”
The Wolverines ended the season with a 17-15 record, missing out of the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2015. Should it find a way to advance through the 32-team NIT, the semifinals and finals will be held at the Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas from March 28-30.
