Auburn Basketball has had no shortage of talent come through the program, whether through the portal or high school. Under Bruce Pearl, he brought in some of the highest-rated high school recruits in the country.
Pearl brought in two more high school recruits this offseason, including Jahki Howard.
"Jahki is one of the most underrated prospects in the 2024 class," Pearl said. "We've been watching and recruiting him since his freshman year – seeing so much growth, maturity, and commitment to becoming great. His basketball IQ, his athleticism, and his motor make him a great fit for our program."
Howard is a four-star recruit and the No. 61 ranked recruit in the class of 2024 from Atlanta, Georgia. The small forward is listed at 6-foot-6 and 185 pounds and was part of the Overtime Elite league in Atlanta.
In the 2023-24 season in the Overtime Elite league, Howard averaged 15.1 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while shooting 43.6 percent from the field.
Howard has been highly touted for his athletic ability. He won a dunk contest in the Overtime Elite league and was seen jumping over Pearl this past week at the Tipoff at Toomer's event.
“If Jahki Howard’s dunk over the top of Chad Baker and Johni Broome doesn’t make SportsCenter, I don’t know what will,” Pearl said. “It tells you that we have a couple of pretty good athletes there in Chaney Johnson and Jahki Howard, and if I'm a decent coach, I’ll get them in some position where you will see some of that through the course of the season.”
His ability to provide explosive plays on offense and versatility at defense will get him time on the court this season. Pearl has expressed the desire to play ten players, with Howard expected to provide valuable minutes off the bench as a two-way forward.
“You know Jahki (Howard) is super athletic,” said Auburn center Johni Broome. “What people don’t know about him is his defense. He is very long, he can be in the passing lanes, and he can bother offensive players a lot.”
Auburn will be looking to fill the hole left by the departure of forward Jaylin Williams, the team's winningest player in program history. Williams spent five seasons with the team and was an All-SEC second-team player.
“Jahki is a special talent, and he is just a freshman,” Pearl said. “I just love watching him take steps every day.”
Howard will get a chance to show off his two-way ability when the Tigers play an exhibition game against Furman in Greenville, S.C., on Sunday, Oct. 27. Tipoff is set for noon CST but will not be televised.
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Craig Noyes is a senior from Kensington, Maryland, majoring in journalism. He joined The Plainsman in January 2023.
You can follow him on X (Twitter) at @CraigNoyes58
