Caleb Houstan joins other Michigan Basketball players in Orlando

Caleb Houstan wasn’t selected in the first round of the 2022 NBA draft but he did go early in the second round to the Orlando Magic. 

It seems like we have said this before, but if you’re a Michigan basketball fan looking for an NBA team to follow, the Orlando Magic is a good choice.

That’s especially true after the Magic selected a Michigan basketball player for the second year in a row, taking Caleb Houstan, a former five-star recruit No. 32 overall.

Houstan left Michigan basketball after one season and came to the Wolverines known as a sharpshooter. He did have his moments and more than people realize but he struggled on the road and wasn’t consistent shooting the ball.

Still, Houstan shot 39 percent in Big Ten play. There was a drastic difference in his home/road splits but he had some stellar moments and if he can be consistent, he’ll be a value pick for the Magic at No. 32.

Houstan averaged more than 10 points per game last season but appeared to struggle with the college game at times. He’ll have to learn to shoot on the road if he wants to play in the NBA but one college basketball season is also a small sample size.

Houstan is 6-foot-9 and has played well on the international stage before coming to Michigan. NBA scouts know what they’re getting and Houstan could be a 3/4 combo forward with the ability to shoot 40 percent from deep.

That’s pretty valuable if it works out and while he wasn’t consistent last season, he’s likely to spend some time in the G-League. Still, he’ll join Franz Wagner, Jon Teske, and Iggy Brazdeikis on the Magic.

It sounds like the talk of a promise was right and even though some might disagree, the Magic made a smart investment in a player that prior to the season was being talked about as a potential lottery pick.