Michigan Has 3 Howards
The 22nd-ranked Michigan basketball team has three Howards this season.
Juwan Howard is entering his fourth season as coach, and his first with two sons on the roster.
Highly touted freshman Jett Howard is expected to be in the starting lineup on the wing. Junior Jace Howard will have an opportunity to play a larger role, possibly as his brother’s backup, after being a reserve during his first two years with the Wolverines.
The Howard reunion was widely expected to happen this year, but Tennessee coach Rick Barnes made a strong push while recruiting Jett Howard a few years ago.
“It was very serious,” Jett Howard said. “I even told my mom I was favoring Tennessee at one point.”
Juwan Howard, a former Fab Five and NBA player, made it clear he’s not going to take it easy on his sons.
“At times, there’s going to be some hard, tough love,” Juwan Howard said. “Am I coaching them harder than their teammates? Maybe. Maybe not, but they’re going to get coached.”
Jett Howard found that out recently, noting that he has attention deficit disorder that led to him losing focus.
“If he senses you’re drifting and not sharp, he’s going to address it,” he said. “I didn’t realize that until my second week here.”
In practices, the brothers are often matched up against each other with Jett in the starting group and Jace with reserves in a spirited competition
“I give it to him hard in practice because he’s in front of me for a job now,” Jace Howard said. “I know all of his moves. You can ask him that, too.”
