ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Michigan basketball freshman Jett Howard was selected by the Orlando Magic with the No. 11 overall pick in the NBA draft.
Howard spent just one season in Ann Arbor, averaging 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2 assists per game. He shot 41.1% from the floor, 36.8% from 3-point range, and 80% from the free-throw line.
The youngest son of head coach Juwan Howard, Jett came in as a highly touted recruit and gave an immediate boost to a Michigan offense in desperate need of shooting. That, combined with his 6-foot-8 frame, made him an elite NBA prospect.
But Howard is far from a finished product. At only 19 years old, NBA teams see a pure shooter with room to grow in other areas, especially rebounding and on defense. If he can improve in those areas, his upside is massive.
The season had its ups and downs for Howard, which isn’t uncommon for a freshman thrust into such a major role. After getting off to a 7-3 start, the Wolverines went just 8-11 in Howard’s final 19 games, including a loss to Central Michigan, two crushing overtime defeats at the end of the regular season, and a punchless effort against Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament.
Howard didn’t play in either of Michigan’s NIT games due to injury.
He was named to the All-Big Ten Third Team by the media and made the conference’s All-Freshman team.
Howard’s upside was most obvious on Jan. 12, when he knocked down seven of 13 three-point attempts en route to a 34-point effort at Iowa. He also surpassed 20 points at Penn State and against Nebraska.
With the selection, Howard joins former Wolverines 2021 No. 8 overall pick Franz Wagner and his brother 2018 No. 25 pick Moritz Wagner down in Orlando.