Jett Howard has a better night than Emoni
Emoni Bates was an intriguing option for Michigan basketball this summer. He’s got all the one-on-one skills needed to excel on the offensive end and is a solid 3-point shooter, although his volume is a little concerning at times.
That’s why he wouldn’t have fit that well at Michigan and with Jett Howard in the fold, there really wasn’t a reason for the Wolverines to target Bates.
Yes, Michigan basketball fans didn’t know exactly what the Wolverines had in Jett Howard, but Juwan did and Jett was stellar in his debut making five 3-pointers. He also scored 30 in his exhibition debut last week.
With both Bates and Howard at the three, Jett should start off guarding him and it’s going to be a fun matchup to watch. Howard needs to improve his defense and checking Bates who is long and athletic, will be a good test.
However, Jett is a very skilled player too and Bates isn’t an all-world defender. Howard is going to get his looks and my guess is that he has a solid night and plays as well or better than Bates, who is going to feel a lot of pressure to perform in his first game of the season.
Michigan doesn’t need Jet to score 20. But I think he gets at least 15.