3 things we learned in Michigan Basketball win over Purdue Fort Wayne
Michigan basketball opened its season with a 19-point win over Purdue Fort Wayne and here is what we learned about the Wolverines.
You always want to be careful not to overreact to the first game of the season, but Michigan basketball sure had some stellar moments in a 75-56 win over Purdue Fort Wayne.
Jett Howard obviously stole the show with his 21 points. 10 of them came in a second-half stretch that put the game away for the Wolverines.
After playing some bench guys a little too long, Purdue Fort Wayne got within 10 before Howard simply took the game over.
It’s amazing how much more polished Howard looks than Moussa Diabate or Caleb Houstan. This is what Michigan basketball thought it was getting in Houstan. But it got it in Howard, who is going to be the No. 2 scorer and have a legit shot to win Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
Michigan basketball was fortunate to land an impact freshman with Hunter Dickinson two years ago and it looks like Juwan has found another superstar in his son.
Here’s what we learned from the Wolverines’ 19-point win.
Jett Howard is better than advertised
Michigan basketball had the perfect role for Jett Howard and beyond the fact that his father is the head coach, that’s why this was such a great fit.
Howard is the perfect No. 2 scorer to Dickinson. He can attack the basket, create for others and he’s a volume shooter who actually has a mid-range game. Remember when Michigan used to struggle to get shots in one-on-one situations or late in the clock?
Howard is going to solve a lot of those issues. At 6-foot-8, he’s going to be able to shoot over most defenders and he can drive by others.
His defense is going to need work but he’s long. Michigan also really needs him to become a better rebounder. He only grabbed two of those on Monday night and that’s an area the entire team needs to improve at before Big Ten play.
The step-back 3-pointer in the first half was filthy but Howard showed he can do a lot more than shoot after 21 points and five assists. Again, it’s just one game but Jett has passed the eye test and if you include the exhibition win last Friday, he has 51 points in his first two games.
Why wasn’t he a five-star?