Jalen Hood-Schfino Gets The Best Of Jett Howard In Big Ten Thriller

On Saturday afternoon, Indiana and Michigan clashed for a big-time matchup in the Big Ten. The face-off came down to the wire, with Indiana taking the nail-biter on the road by a final score of 62-61. This game featured two of the top freshmen in the nation as Jalen Hood-Schfino and Jett Howard squared off for the first time this season.

Both wings have thrived this season flanking their superstar big man teammates, Trayce Jackson-Davis and Hunter Dickinson. On the year, Hood-Schfino is averaging 12.6 points and 4.2 assists per game while shooting over 39% from deep. Howard has racked up just under 15 points per contest and is shooting over 38% from beyond the arc in 7.3 attempts a game. The freshman sensations have skyrocketed their draft stock, and both names are expected to be called in the top twenty on draft night come June.

Despite getting into foul trouble early on, Hood-Schfino took control of the Wolverines’ defense, scoring a total of 21 points with an efficient 8-for-15 split from the field. He diced them in the pick-and-roll, navigating to his spots with patience and craft, and finishing plays with smooth floaters, easy layups, pull-up jumpers, or by dropping a dime.

Hood-Schfino’s ball-handling prowess at his size makes him a legitimate wing creator, and the perfect complement to a potent roller such as Jackson-Davis. He found his big man for alley-oops on multiple occasions, contributing to his 5 assists on the day. However, he did turn the ball over 6 times, which is something that will need to be worked on.

On the other hand, Howard’s performance wasn’t as spectacular. He shot just 5-of-14 from the field en route to 12 points. He also missed a potential game-winner at the buzzer.

Still, the 6-foot-8 flashed a lot of what makes many consider him a top-10 prospect. He had instances of using his shifty handle to get to the rim and made many difficult pull-up jumpers reminiscent of star scorers in the NBA.

In this thrilling matchup, Hood-Schfino certainly got the best of Howard, controlling the game from the perimeter and willing the Hoosiers to victory. However, Michigan’s stud freshman will get the chance to get revenge when he leads his squad out to Bloomington in early March.

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