"Tremendous family. Unreal talent and kid!”
"You’re going to love covering this kid!”
The texts came fast and furious Friday, Oct. 30 following the news that five-star wing/forward Caleb Houstan has pledged to Michigan. There was no huge production or “look at me” … just an announcement via Tipton Edits on twitter that he had made his decision and was ready to continue on his journey.
It was plenty, though, to capture the attention of the college basketball universe. Juwan Howard had added the gem to his already outstanding recruiting class, serving notice that U-M’s second-year head coach was serious when he said he wanted to build on former coach John Beilein’s outstanding success.
And if unsolicited praise is a great way to judge its sincerity — and in this case, is sure seems to be — Michigan got a great one in the five-star Canadian transplant, now starring at Montverde (Fla.) Academy. The calls and texts continued to trickle in for days praising Howard for landing not only one of the best players in his class, but one of the best people.
ITF EXTRA: WILL MOUSSA DIABATE PLAY AT MICHIGAN, AND HOW DID JUWAN HOWARD LAND HIM?
“He is mature beyond his years,” former Rivals.com analyst Corey Evans, one of the most respected in the business, told us shortly before leaving for an NBA job. “Caleb is the ideal wing-forward that brings a high-level basketball IQ to the floor. He’s fundamentally sound, first known and respected for his shooting — he is elite in that capacity — but he has the abilities to be more than that.”
His ball skills have improved tremendously, Evans said, adding Houstan can be a plus-defender as well, able to slide his feet on the defensive end to stay in front of defenders with his 6-8 frame.
As a teammate, Evans continued, they don’t come better.
"He has already shown that he can play to his role for his team's betterment, which he did last year for the top-ranked Montverde Academy squad,” he added.
So … add 'unselfish' to the mix.
In that respect, he’s a lot like his future head coach. Howard wasn’t looking to be the big fish in a small pond when he was the first to commit to Michigan in 1991 out of Chicago Vocational. He wanted to play, of course, but he also wanted to win, and he took it upon himself to start recruiting the best of the best to join him. He helped land Chris Webber and Jalen Rose, and the Fab Five was born.
Though Michigan’s entire coaching staff played a part in Houstan’s recruitment, Howard was out front and persistent, just as he was 30 years ago as a student-athlete. That played as big a part as any in helping him make up ground on schools like Duke and Virginia.
“I think it was that he just really led my recruitment, was always on the phone with me,” Houstan said when asked what pushed U-M over the top. “We talked a lot, and it wasn’t really just about basketball. We talked about life, and we really connected in terms of that.
“In general, I could tell the whole staff was very invested in me as a person and a player, but I had a great relationship with [Howard]. We would probably talk three times a week.”
It didn’t hurt, either, that Houstan’s roommate last year was also a future Wolverine. Freshman Zeb Jackson, a bench player at Montverde in 2019-20, and Houstan got along great, and Jackson had nothing but praise for his future coach.
He never pressured him, though, similar to the coaches’ approach. But he didn’t have to. Howard did a great job selling the university and the recruits coming in, and Houstan found his fit.
“Zeb talked to me about it here and there, but we just more talked as friends,” he recalled.
While he wasn’t able to visit before pledging due to COVID-19, Houstan was familiar with Michigan basketball and its success when fellow Canadian Nik Stauskas, also a Mississauga (Ont.) native, was winning championships and Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 2013-14.
“I watched them a lot when they had Nik. That’s when I watched them the most, because of that and because I went to camp there when I was younger,” Houstan said. “Seeing the facilities and everything, being amazed at how nice a campus it was. They were just really good as a program.
"Then last year, I watched them a good amount because of Zeb. I just liked the way they played with Isaiah [Livers] and Franz [Wagner]. I felt I’d definitely fit in that system.”
Howard and staff told him he’d have an opportunity to play right away, and he was sold.
The Wolverines need shooters, and Houstan might be the best in the country. He was the second-leading scorer at the 2019 FIBA Americas U16 Championships playing for Team Canada, averaging 22.8 points in 29 minutes per game. He was among the tournament leaders in triples made and free throw attempts for a 5-1 squad that lost in the championship game to the United States.
He’s got one more year of ball at Montverde, a program known for developing elite talent, and he’s intent on making the most of it. He’ll then switch gears with high expectations, an elite talent who checks all the boxes of what Howard is looking for … just the way Howard checked his.
“[Howard] as a person, probably being able to relate with him [is what sold me],” Houstan said. “I could tell he was being totally transparent with us, and the vibe we got from him and his staff … they are really good people. Between that and the basketball part, it just fit me.”
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