Nightrydas is one of the top teams on the Nike EYBL circuit, and the squad is right in the middle of its most important time of the year. During the July live period, college coaches are allowed to attend games while elite teams compete for the prized Peach Jam title.

TheWolverine.com was in Atlanta for Elite 32 last weekend, and caught up with Nightrydas assistant coach Rasheed Wesley to discuss one of his star players, 2022 Bradenton (Fla.) IMG Academy four-star Jett Howard — the son of Michigan head coach Juwan Howard — the U-M program and more.

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Wesley and the Nightrydas coaching staff are stressing defense with their entire team, and it fits in nicely with what they're attempting to get Howard to improve himself. Known as a shooter and elite-level scorer, Howard is working on buckling down on the defensive end of the floor.

"He stepped it up, especially on the defensive end," Wesley said last Saturday after a blowout win. "We know what he can do on the offensive end, but our thing is ‘play defense, play defense, play defense, and let your defense turn into offense.’ And that’s what he’s done the last couple games.

"He didn’t play the first game [due to an ankle tweak], but the last two, he’s been playing really well — especially on the defensive end. That’s what we preach to our guys — everybody can score the basketball, but if we get a team where everybody plays defense, then we’ll be really hard to stop.

"He has a tendency to take plays off. He wants to use his energy on the offensive end. Meanwhile, if you use it on the defensive end, then the offense will come easy."

Howard is also working on his ball-handling. The 6-foot-7 wing says he has the ability to play point guard, shooting guard or small forward at any given time, and Nightrydas is giving him the opportunity to work on those skills and showcase them.