Michigan Wolverines basketball coach Juwan Howard didn’t have to look far to land one of his 2020 pledges. His son, 6-8 forward Jace, pledged in February and continues to put in the work and make strides in his game.
Jace Howard, who along with his brother Jett played for Ron Oliver’s Fort Lauderdale (Fla.) University squad, averaged 15 points and seven rebounds for an outstanding team that won its district but lost at the buzzer in the regional semifinals. But the numbers don’t come close to telling the whole story, former Wolverine point guard Oliver said.
“The good thing for Jace … the game of basketball has changed so much, and people are looking for kids who want to do the hard things, talking about defending, diving on the floor, making winning basketball plays,” he said. “That for whatever reason is deteriorating in our game. It’s very difficult to find kids willing to do those things.
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“Jace is more than willing to do those things. Those are things that help you win. Of course, I follow the Big Ten very closely, and they’re always battling Michigan State. The reality is, they have been able to sustain their success because they constantly have kids willing to do that. I think a lot of people have decided to match that by getting more and more skill players. The way I see it is you also have to match it by getting similar type players willing to do those types of things.”
Jace Howard provides that with improving skill, Oliver continued, to give his dad what he feels will be a necessary presence in the lineup.
“You’ve got to have a mix [with elite talent], but you’ve got to have two or three guys who are going to battle, know that this is what it’s all about. Even if it’s four minutes, just a battle,” Oliver said. “It doesn’t have to be the full 40 minutes. If you lose a four-minute stretch and at team goes up six or eight points, that’s the game.
“You’ve got to have kids like Jace. That’s the difference between winning and losing, because like we all know, a lot of coaches decided to go the sklll route, find guys who only shoot and make threes. Games have gotten closer over the course of time, and you look at Tom Izzo and how he’s won championships. You’ve got to find guys who will win little battles, and Jace is going to get you the loose balls, extra possession needed again teams consistently at the top because of that … Michigan State, Wisconsin, those teams.”
Don’t be stunned, he added, if Howard makes an impact earlier than expected. He’s mature, has developed a corner three-pointer to complement his outstanding rebounding and defense and can get to the rim. His jump shot is “coming along,” and he’s already got the college body.
In addition, Oliver said, Howard is like his dad in one key respect.
“He’s a vocal leader. You don’t have to teach him how to be that,” he said. “Too often you’ve got to find kids and teach them how to be a vocal leader. Jace is already that, very similar to his dad in that regard. Leadership — being a good kid, doing the right thing, showing up on time. Understanding what it means to be professional. We always throw it out there, but how often to do we teach our kids how to be professional?
“One thing I always stress is being on time, what that means and says about an individual when you’re on time. That’s stuff you don’t have to teach Jace. He’ll be that type of leader from day one. He understands how to train because he's been around pros his whole life. He knows what work is.”
Soon enough, he’ll bring that skill to Michigan. And for those who think he won’t be able to contribute …
“He’s still growing (in his game),” Oliver said. “It two or three years … look out.”
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