Prospect Spotlight: Jacob Howard (2017)
Jacob Howard is a rising senior center out of Warren East High School in Bowling Green, Ky. The 6-foot-3 big man plays with consistent energy on both ends of the court, shows tenacious defense and presents mind-blowing athleticism. “I typically like to put defense…
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Continue ReadingJacob Howard is a rising senior center out of Warren East High School in Bowling Green, Ky. The 6-foot-3 big man plays with consistent energy on both ends of the court, shows tenacious defense and presents mind-blowing athleticism.
“I typically like to put defense first, and I would also consider that the strongest part of my game,” Howard said. “I typically run the ‘five spot’ and have to guard the biggest player on the opposite team, even if I am undersized — and that’s typically the case.”
Howard played a big role in the Raiders’ success last season. The junior, who started most of the time, appeared in 29 games and averaged 1.2 points per contest along with 2.0 rebounds. Howard also dished out a significant amount of assists. He may of not put up big numbers, but the one thing the player didn’t do is back down. He is ready to compete this season.
“This season I hope to accumulate at least a 20-win season, look for my shot a little more than last year, and make it to the regional tournament — something (Warren) East hasn’t experienced in basketball in a while,” Howard stated.
Although the school hasn’t saw its boys hoops team in the 4th Region Tournament in quite a while, Howard’s improvements will be key in the squad’s success this year.
“Over the summer I have been focusing on my shot more and have become more confident from the three (point-line), nailing several during summer ball games,” he said to me. “Defense still comes before offense for me, though.”
Howard is at the very top of his class at East, who carries an extremely high GPA and works hard in the classroom.
“I have around a 4.16 GPA and scored a 30 on the ACT,” he said. “Coaches should be aware of this because I have over a 4.0, meaning I take the most advanced classes possible and still manage to keep solid A’s in those classes as well.
“This proves that I work hard in the classroom. Student-Athlete — student comes before athlete.”
Howard is playing for his own school’s AAU club this summer. Despite only getting to play for his high-school’s unit due to the fact that he is attending the Governors Scholar Program at Northern Kentucky University for five weeks this summer, the athlete has done nothing but improve.
“In the summer games I have played in, I would say I was significantly more involved in both our offense and defense compared to last year,” he said. “I have been getting more minutes, which leads to more stats overall. My offensive game has been more apparent over the summer, due to the fact that I simply shoot the ball more than I used to. You can’t hit a shot if you don’t take it.”
“I will be more of a factor in every game we (he and the Raiders) play in this season and will have more chances to make the bigger plays on both sides of the court.”