What Caleb Houstan’s NBA Draft Combine invite means for Michigan Basketball

Caleb Houstan has reportedly received an invite to the NBA Draft Combine and here’s what it means from a Michigan basketball perspective. 

Michigan basketball fans aren’t alone in this, but they always seem to underrate the talent on their own team. Case in point: Moussa Diabate and Caleb Houstan.

While the two former five-star freshmen weren’t spectacular last season for Michigan basketball, each started and played important roles on a Sweet 16 team. There were ups and downs, but both have been invited to the NBA Draft Combine.

We learned of Diabate’s invite last week, which didn’t come as a surprise. My prediction has been that he won’t come back. He just has too much potential at the pro level and that’s where he will get the work that needs on his game.

There was no word on Caleb Houstan yet, but it was reported by The Wolverine that he also received an invite to the draft combine, which goes out to the top 60 players. Eli Brooks got a G-League invite so his playing days aren’t over yet either.

What does Houstan’s invite mean for Michigan?

It means that the Wolverines need to be prepared to lose both Diabate and Houstan to the NBA draft. Diabate seems gone already. There have been whispers all offseason that he wanted to go pro and even if that meant playing in the G-League next season.

With Houstan it’s harder to read. I think Michigan fans have underrated his freshman season. He re-classified and was supposed to be a high school senior but still shot 39 percent from 3-point range in Big Ten play and averaged over 10 points.

Houstan also improved greatly as a defender as the season wore on and with his size (6-foot-9) he’s got great potential as a three/four-man in the NBA.

Since both players were invited to the NBA combine it stands to reason that each could be drafted in the two-round NBA draft. But would Houstan leave Michigan if he wasn’t a first-round pick?

That we don’t know. But we’ll know their decisions by June 1 and in the meantime, the coaching staff should be prepared to replace two of its most talented players.