Can we please get a little more love for Jace Howard? There has been so much chatter about his scholarship being expendable on behalf of a possible transfer. If he and the Howard family are amenable to this and it makes the team better, then by all means go for it. But something rubs me the wrong way about how cavalier we are with this scholarship and what it might mean, even if only symbolically, to a young man who earned it. Jace was my favorite player this year, as I think he most exemplified the quality this team most lacked: hustle and passion. On top of that, he was a genuinely good defender, upon whom we could alway rely for an honest effort. I even see potential for him being a decent offensive player. The kid is athletic, hard working, and I believe will be a rotation player for the next two years. So, yes, let’s all get excited about new recruits and transfers, but let’s appreciate what we have in Jace.
I think he’s going to be a really good player for us by his senior year.
I think this needed to be said. Thanks.
Jace deserves a pedestal for his efforts against Kofi.
And he deserves accolades for clearly being a program leader and taking the ambassador reigns seriously that being the coaches son entails.
But I need to see a little more skill from him before I anoint him valuable minutes to a top NCAA program. Hope he’s got it, but he feels more like a guy you want on your team and not a guy you want on the court (that’s not meant to be disrespectful).
He can play better defense than the vast majority of guys on this squad. That’s pretty skillful.
I could not like this post more! Jace is an outstanding young man and a good and athletic player. He is a GREAT teammate, and he certainly helps make the team better. I also appreciate your comment about how “cavalier” many who comment on sports message boards are about his scholarship. I agree with you!
I think Jace is an ideal energy guy off the bench for a few minutes per game at the 4 and a great insurance policy for a game where there are injuries, foul trouble, or a “big” team that gives us trouble. I’m glad he’s a part of this program and I too am not bought into the “take his scholarship so we can bury him further on the bench” narrative.
That being said, I will acknowledge the limitations to Jace’s game in that he’s a tweener in the sense that he’s not big enough to be a big and not agile enough to be a wing. His lack of shooting ability is also a problem. But there is always a role for a smart, aggressive, hard-working player who knows his limitations and will work his tail off to maximize his strengths.
Talking about Jace coming off scholarship has literally nothing to do with how good he is at basketball. Even if Jace was a projected starter we’d be having the same conversation. The idea that it’s somehow insulting to him is silly. It’s a numbers situation and he’s the guy with the outrageously wealthy parent who happens to be the head coach. That’s all.
Kobe deserves a thread too.
People writing him off and not even including him in some minutes distribution projections
Sadly, not everyone in here agrees, but for those of us who have coached*, we know how valuable players like Jace are to the program. In addition to all you have listed here, he will have a great attitude and will do everything he can to make the team better. He is a T-E-A-M first guy who can hold his own on the practice floor and push his teammates and for whatever time he may get on the floor during games. He will never complain about playing time, his mom might, 
but he won’t. And let me say this, too, it is not easy being the son of the coach, but he does it beautifully.
- I know there are a few non coaches on here who understand this, too.
Couldn’t have said it better. Thanks Ernie!