Jace Howard enters transfer portal after five seasons with Michigan basketball

After five years with the Wolverines, Jace Howard is looking to finish his college career elsewhere.

The son of former Michigan coach and Fab Five member Juwan Howard has entered the transfer portal, a program spokesperson confirmed Monday.

Howard, a 6-foot-7 forward, will be applying for a medical redshirt after playing a total of 19 minutes in five games this season, with his last appearance coming in the nonconference finale against Western Kentucky on Dec. 29.

Howard's freshman season in 2020-21 didn’t count toward his eligibility due to the NCAA’s COVID-19 waiver.

“Dear Michigan, these 4+ years have been life changing and I cannot thank you enough. From the wins and losses, championships and injuries, this place has become my second home for life,” Howard wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday. “Playing for Michigan, wearing the Block M, and becoming a Michigan Man was truly a dream come true. And to that I say, THANK YOU and GO BLUE.”

Howard played in 70 games over his career — all off the bench — but was never a consistent part of the rotation. A two-time captain, he recorded 95 points, 61 rebounds, 12 assists, six steals and five blocks in 475 minutes as a Wolverine.

Coming out of high school in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Howard was ranked a three-star prospect. He considered Ivy League schools like Brown and Princeton before deciding to play for his father and the college he grew up cheering for.

Although Juwan Howard was fired after the 2023-24 season, Jace stayed with the program under new head coach Dusty May. Howard had offseason knee surgery that limited his preseason participation, and he sometimes dressed for games and didn’t for others throughout the season.

Howard took part in Michigan’s Senior Day on March 2, which his father was in attendance for.

“If I was able to get that opportunity (to come back after the coaching change), I always wanted to do it,” Howard said in October. “I feel like once I signed my National Letter of Intent back in 2020, I made a commitment to stay here and dig it out, no matter who was here. I feel like I owed that to the university because of what they've given me.”

Howard is the second Wolverine to enter the transfer portal, joining freshman guard Justin Pippen, who put his name in last week.

jhawkins@detroitnews.com

@jamesbhawkins