A member of the Bronze Medal Canada U19 team in 2021, Caleb Houstan struggled to live up to his top 10 recruit status at Michigan. As a freshman, Houstan averaged 10 PPG, 4 RPG, 1.4 APG, 0.7 SPG, and 1.5 TOPG on shooting splits of 38/35.5/78. Below is his full scouting report:
Name: Caleb Houstan
Height/Weight: 6’8/205
Wingspan/ standing reach: N/A
Hand size: N/A
Position: Wing
Pre-Draft team: Michigan
Tools: Shooting, IQ
Pros:
- Clean shooting stroke with minimal dip
- Good size to shoot over defenders
- Intelligent in knowing where to be at the right times on both ends; knows where his teammates are at all times
- Potential as a team defender
- Good footwork on both spot up and moving jumpers
- Strong P&R passing instincts
- Can pass with both hands
Cons:
- Limited athlete; 2 regular season dunks all year
- Lacks explosiveness off of spot up drives (Rutgers game)
- Doesn’t create separation on drives
- Below the rim finisher; poor percentages at the rim
- Inefficient within the 2 point line
- Needs to add strength
- Struggles to defend through screens, both on and off ball
- Unlikely to be a self-creator
- Must improve ball security
- Simple ball handling skill
- Rushes spot-up shots at times (vs Tennessee)
Overall:
Caleb Houstan is a high-ranking freshman shooter with great size and excellent footwork on his jump shot. The selling point around Houstan starts with his age/size/shooting combo, being a 19 year old (turns 20 in January 2023) at 6’8 that can shoot over defenses, which remains a highly coveted combination for a shooter in the draft. However, Houstan may be limited in many other areas leading to a low ceiling outcome.
Defensively, Houstan leaves a lot to be desired: despite length and size, his minimal athleticism, P&R deficiencies, mediocre recovery ability, and lack of strength. However, he does possess a good knowledge of the game on both ends, which helps him project as a team defender, which has become a growing skill on the defensive end in the NBA. His underwhelming on-ball defensive skill makes Houstan difficult to project growing into a 3&D mold.
His athleticism will also hold him back offensively, only having 2 dunks all year. He is not a strong finisher at the rim in the half-court, and he struggles to create separation with the ball in his hands. However, the main advantage he can have offensively when not scoring is that he has a strong skill as a pick & roll passer, only having 1 turnover all season out of P&R passes. If his P&R playmaking translates, he could be looking at developing into post-prime Vince Carter off the bench for a team.
Similar to: Aaron Nesmith, old Vince Carter, Cameron Johnson
Projected draft range: 20-35
Expected role: Mistake-free shooter
Unplayable if: Jump shot isn’t falling. Mostly applicable to his early years, he will need to provide secondary skills of some sort if his shot isn’t falling in order to stay on the floor.
Exceeds expectations if: Shooting translates at a high level and his passing develops into a legitimate threat upon the catch, while maintaining a neutral to above average defensive rating.
Videos:
Shot chart:
