Michigan's Jett Howard, Juwan's Son, Will Declare for 2023 NBA Draft

University of Michigan star guard Jett Howard is set to declare for the 2023 NBA draft, ESPN's Jonathan Givony reported Thursday.

The 20-year-old freshman is the son of former NBA All-Star forward Juwan Howard and will look to follow in his father's footsteps, going from Michigan to being a lottery pick. The elder Howard just wrapped up his fourth season as the Wolverines' head coach.

"This was a great learning year for me," Jett told ESPN. "It's what I needed. It taught me how to play within a pro-style offense and be effective, to get out of my comfort zone and play with other good players."

Although Howard was ranked as the No. 43 player in the class of 2022, according to 247 Sports' composite list, he took a lot of people by surprise with an excellent year. He averaged 14.2 points and 2.0 assists per game en route to being named to the All-Big Ten third team and the league's all-freshman squad.

His best performance came in an overtime loss at Iowa in which he lit it up for 34 points on 54.5 percent shooting from the field. He showed off the level of shot-making that has him projected as a borderline lottery pick in Jonathan Wasserman's most recent mock draft.

One thing to monitor with Howard is his health, as he dealt with ankle issues on both legs, although the extent of the injuries aren't quite clear. They were enough to keep him out of the Wolverines' two NIT games after he talked to an ankle specialist.

He is expected to make a full recovery and will be ready to go once it's time to work out for NBA organizations.

The draft is set to take place in Brooklyn on June 22, and the NBA combine will be May 15-21 in Chicago.