Caleb Houstan a first-round pick in latest CBS Sports mock draft
Michigan basketball’s roster will look a lot different next season with both Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate off to the 2022 NBA Draft. While the Wolverines are still sorting things out on that front, the prospects’ statuses are coming into focus.
CBS Sports released a new NBA mock draft this week, which sent Houstan to the Golden State Warriors with the No. 28 overall selection. This would allow the Warriors to keep building on its Michigan pipeline established with Jordan Poole’s breakout this season.
“Houstan declined an invitation to the NBA Combine, at which point speculation grew that he might have a first-round promise,” CBS Sports analyst Gary Parrish wrote. “His lone season at Michigan was largely underwhelming — but he’s still a talented wing with size in possession of an encouraging jumper, which automatically makes him a legitimate prospect.”
Houstan, who was a five-star signee and No. 10 prospect in the 2021 recruiting class, started 34 games at Michigan this season. He averaged 10.1 points, four rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. Houstan shot 38.4% from the field with a 35.5% mark from three-point range. He came into the season as a potential NBA lottery pick but did not appear on draft boards at year’s end.
Diabate was Michigan’s other five-star addition in 2021 and started 26 of 32 games for the Wolverines. He averaged nine points and six rebounds per game while shooting 52.4% from the floor. Like Houstan, Diabate was also considered a potential lottery prospect. He did not appear in the first round of the CBS Sports mock draft.
Michigan wing works out for Toronto Raptors
Houstan, an Ontario native, is putting in some work during the pre-draft process. While his exposure has been kept under wraps, he did workout for the Toronto Raptors this week as he looks to stamp his case.
“Watching DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry,” Houstan said of his first exposure to the franchise as a kid. “That’s probably where it started, like when DeMar was younger, and Kyle first got to the team. Just growing up watching them play.”
Houstan has never paid too much attention to draft noise or chatter from pundits. He is not feeding into any rumors about his status or what type of feedback teams are giving him. Houstan’s biggest emphasis is to improve the things he can control.
“I mean, you’re going to find out on draft night,” he said. “I just trying to control things that I can control. Obviously, those things are out there, but I try to focus on myself. Try to get better every day.”
The 2022 NBA Draft is set for June 23 in Brooklyn, New York, so Houstan will learn his fate soon enough.
