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Former Michigan basketball captain Jace Howard entered the college basketball transfer portal at the conclusion of this past season, and he committed to Fordham on Tuesday. Howard is the son of former Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, and he has been with the program for the past five seasons. Juwan is now an assistant with the Brooklyn Nets, so he will be close to Jace as Fordham is located in the Bronx.
“Michigan transfer Jace Howard has committed to Fordham, he told @On3sports,” Joe Tipton said in a post. “The 6-7 senior is the oldest son of ‘Fab Five' member and former Michigan head coach Juwan Howard. With Juwan now serving as an assistant coach for the Brooklyn Nets, he’ll be just a short distance from Jace, who is set to play at Fordham.”
Jace Howard had an up-and-down career with the Michigan basketball team. His first year was a great one for the Wolverines as they won the Big Ten and made the NCAA Tournament as a one-seed. The Wolverines made it to the Elite Eight before losing to UCLA. Howard didn't get a lot of playing time that year as he averaged 1.1 points per game in 11 games.
Howard didn't play much during his sophomore year either as he averaged under five minutes per game. The Wolverines were expected to be one of the best teams in the country, but they barely squeaked into the NCAA Tournament as an 11-seed. Michigan ended up making a run to the Sweet 16 to make the year look a little bit better.
After barely playing in his first two years, Howard became a captain for the Michigan basketball team during the 2022-23 season. It wasn't because of his skill as he was still a bench player who averaged just 7.8 MPG, but he was still a captain. Michigan failed to make the NCAA Tournament that season. Jace's brother, Jett Howard, was also on that Michigan team. He spent one year with the Wolverines before being drafted by the Orlando Magic with the 11th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft.
Year four was a bad one for Michigan as it was one of the worst seasons in program history. Howard was a captain again, and he averaged just under 13 MPG and 2.6 PPG that year. The Wolverines won just eight games, and Juwan Howard was fired at the end of the year.
Dusty May revived the Michigan basketball program this season, but Jace Howard didn't play a big role on the team. He appeared in just five games and averaged 0.8 PPG. Still, Howard remained a great leader and teammate. He could've transferred after his dad got fired, but he chose to stay. The Wolverines went on to win the Big Ten Tournament, and Michigan made a run to the Sweet 16.
Now, Jace Howard is hoping to see the court more at Fordham. The Rams aren't quite on that Big Ten level, so Howard should have a more important role.
