Caleb Houstan Ready To Pick Up Where Isaiah Livers, Franz Wagner Left Off
Caleb Houstan is finally getting settled in as a Michigan Wolverines basketball player.
While the rest of his freshman classmates that made up the nation's No. 1 recruiting class arrived to Ann Arbor in late June, Houstan wasn't able to join them until a few weeks later, once his duties as a member of Team Canada in the FIBA U19 World Cup were finished.
The No. 6 recruit in the class of 2021 according to Rivals.com, Houstan helped lead Canada to a bronze medal, and is now going through voluntary workouts with the rest of the 2021-22 Wolverines.
"It’s been a smooth adjustment to this point, and it’s been great," Houstan told Brian Boesch on the Defend The Block podcast. "I’m excited to be here."
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Originally a 2022 recruit, Houstan felt ready enough both athletically and academically to reclassify to 2021, with his prep school — Montverde (Fla.) Academy — standing as one of the top in the nation and a factory for elite players. After three years at the school, he feels more than prepared for the next level.
"Practices were always harder than the game," Houstan said of Montverde. KB [Montverde head coach Kevin Boyle], he obviously knows his stuff. And I think a big thing about him is that he really gets players to play hard.
"In practice, everyone is going hard and everyone is really good. Everyone is fighting for a spot, because if you don’t play well for a couple practices or a couple games, your spot can get taken from you because there’s so many good people. The practices were crazy."
Similar to the intensity level he's already felt at Michigan, Houstan added.
Because of the high level of talent Houstan has already competed with, he has learned to play different roles. At times during his Montverde career, he was asked to be a spot-up shooter. Other times, both at Montverde and with Team Canada, he had to create his own shot. He thrived in both situations.
"I think that helps a lot, to be honest. I’ve been on teams where I’ve been ‘the guy’ or one of the guys, or have had a smaller role, a bigger role, a leadership role — different things," Houstan said. "I’ve played with people who are better than me and all that type of stuff. I think it makes me versatile, and I’m ready for really any situation. I’m mature and I can take advice on how to improve my game and what the team needs, so I think it definitely makes me versatile and ready to come into different situations that other people might not be able to."
Michigan head coach Juwan Howard and Co. made Houstan feel "the most comfortable" out of any other school that was recruiting him, which played a big factor in him ultimately deciding to become a Wolverine. But he also watched the team closely in Howard's first season on the job in 2019-20, and loved the style of play. Watching the Wolverines' Big Ten title-winning club last season made him feel even better about his choice.
"As a whole, I really like their offense — from their point guards, guards, to their wings, to their big men," Houstan explained. "It was a very solid team all the way through; they didn’t just rely on one position — they had outside scoring, they had inside scoring, they scored in a variety of different ways."
The Maize and Blue will be without wing Franz Wagner and forward Isaiah Livers this season, as both are off to the NBA. That's a combined 25.6 points, 12.5 rebounds and five assists that will have to be made up, not to mention the void left behind by guards Mike Smith and Chaundee Brown, both of whom decided not to utilize their extra year of eligiblity.
The expected starter at the three position, Houstan — who models his game after Milwaukee Bucks forward Khris Middleton, Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum and Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson — feels he can step into a role similar to that of Wagner and Livers.
"I definitely could see myself in that type of role and making plays similar to what they did, as well as the way they shot the ball," Houstan said. "I think that can definitely translate for me, too — the threes that they got up in transition and coming off different screens. Those were things that, when I was watching the film and different games, I said, ‘Yeah, I can definitely do that.'
"With Isaiah, I like the way he scored and the way he shot the ball, attacked the rim.
"Franz, obviously a really good two-way player, can defend really well, and I really saw how he attacked the closeouts really hard to get by his man and get downhill and get to the rim."
While fans shouldn't expect the same kind of production as a Wagner or Livers right away (though it shouldn't be ruled out), Houstan provided some insight into what he will bring to the Wolverines once they tip the season off Nov. 10 versus Buffalo.
"Basketball-wise, you can expect someone that is going to come in every day, work as hard as they can, go as hard as they can, give it 100 percent every single day and make the right plays for the team," he said. "I can score for myself, I can make plays for my teammates and I can defend. So, just doing the right thing for the team — that’s the biggest thing I bring."
Houstan can't wait to be in front of the Michigan faithful at Crisler Center.
"Just seeing all the pictures on the wall of the stadium filled — I think it’s going to be surreal," he said. I didn’t take any visits, so I’ve never really been to a game, any game of NCAA basketball. So it’s going to be crazy, definitely, for the first time.
"It’s going to be crazy for the first time, with all the people in the stands and everyone going crazy, so I’m excited."
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