Michigan basketball coach Juwan Howard picked up another huge piece to his 2021-22 Saturday. Coastal Carolina guard DeVante' Jones, one of the top guards in the transfer portal, announced his commitment to the Wolverines Saturday over Texas, Texas Tech and Memphis.
The 6-1, 200-pounder was Sun Belt Player of the Year this past season after averaging 19.3 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists and 2.8 steals and shooting 36.8 percent from three-point range as a redshirt junior.
He thanked the coaches of his finalists before announcing.
"Unfortunately I can only pick one that I feel like fits for me, and the school I will be going to is the University of Michigan," he told @TheFieldof68. "Just the relationship we built early. As soon as I put my name in the portal, [Juwan Howard] reached out to me. He is a genuine guy, picking apart film on my game .... he was showing love throughout the whole process. Also, talking to some of the players, Mike Smith was giving me great pointers what to expect going into Michigan.
"They're family oriented. I already felt part of the program before I came in. It's a family environment."
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Like last year's point guard Smith, who he spoke with at length before making his decision, Jones has NBA aspirations, as well. He'll even wait until the deadline to remove his name from Draft consideration in case he hears a team might draft him.
"I'm definitely going to wait until the last deadline, because I honestly feel like I’m an NBA player now,” Jones told KSR. “I’ve talked to a couple NBA guys, and they agree with me. I don’t want to overlook my ultimate goal and just rush back to school.
"My decision to enter the portal was for a coach to understand what my dream is. … The deadline for me is going to be probably June.”
But if anyone understands, it's Howard. He's as connected to the NBA as any collegiate coach in the country, having played for two decades and spent years as an assistant with the Miami Heat. Jones couldn't have asked for a better mentor, and it's likely he'll spend a year learning from him. He's not currently ranked among ESPN.com's Top 100 prospects — that could change after a year in the spotlight with the Wolverines.
Jones is a former Rivals.com two-star prospect out of New Orleans who blossomed at CCU. He can play on or off the ball, as he did this past year, but can certainly handle running a team. He averaged 17.3 ppg and 5.7 assists as a sophomore, along with 5.8 rebounds.
"In my next school, I'm looking to join a winning culture with a loving community," Jones said before his decision. "I'll only have one year, so I just want the chance for a coach to trust in me to put the ball in my hands and trust me to make game-winning plays. But also, I want to be around a group of guys who love the game as much as me, if not more."
He found what he was looking for under Howard and Michigan.
Jones will likely be scholarship player No. 13 if Franz Wagner leaves for the NBA Draft, as expected, filling the roster for 2020-21. The scholarship situation: MICHIGAN SCHOLARSHIP CHART
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