Michigan Basketball: Breaking down addition of DeVante Jones

Juwan Howard and Michigan basketball have done it again, adding a top-flight transfer for next season following the commitment of DeVante Jones.

Jones is the former Sun Belt Player of the Year, an award he won last season after scoring 19 points per game and grabbing an average of seven rebounds.

The 6-foot-1 guard had narrowed his list down to Michigan basketball, Texas, Texas Tech, and Memphis. However, it was clear earlier this week that Jones was leaning heavily towards U-M, and Saturday, he made his decision official.

When looking at Jones’ comments following his Zoom meeting with Howard, it was clear that Juwan had made an impression and from there, it was basically a done deal.

The addition is huge for the Wolverines, who haven’t lost anyone to the transfer portal, but are losing Isaiah Livers, Chaundee Brown, Austin Davis, and Mike Smith to graduation/NBA.

Franz Wagner is also expected to enter the NBA draft, although he has yet to make a decision. Assuming Wager leaves, Michigan had one spot open and Jones is the guy to fill it.

How does Jones fit, what will his role be?

Jones said that Howard told him he wanted to come in and run the team, assuming that means point guard and that’s the most likely role.

Back in the 2019-20 season, Jones played mostly point guard for Coastal Carolina and averaged 5.7 assists per game. That number dipped last season but he also played off the ball more.

For his career, he shoots 48 percent and was a good finisher. Yet, we have to remember he played in the Sun Belt. Smith was able to make the transition from the Ivy League to the Big Ten but he also scored much less, so don’t expect Jones to score 15-20 points a game.

Jones does seem like a good fit to be the point guard next season. He does have a history of scoring/distributing out of ball screens and U-M needed another shot creator.

If Howard hadn’t landed a player such as Jones, it would have placed a heavy burden on Frankie Collins to score and create as a freshman.

Collins could be ready sooner rather than later, but even so, Jones can play the two just as well as the point. He’s a career 33-percent shooter from beyond the arc and while he shot 36 percent last season, back in 2019-20, he was at just 29 percent.

Jones is a tough, experienced player though and he can create his own shot, although we’ll see how well that translates to the Big Ten.

Either way, the backcourt added another veteran scorer, ballhandler, and defender, which will be extremely valuable in next year’s Big Ten race, and also next March.