Prospect Overview
Promising spot up shooter whose ability and willingness to fill a role and do some little things leave room for optimism about his ability to grow into a contributor at the next level.
About Caleb Houstan
Caleb Houstan is a floor spacing wing who had some ups and downs as a freshman at Michigan but showed his potential in a role similar to the one he could fill at the next level. Emerging as a prospect extremely early on averaging 5.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists over 11.6 minutes per game playing up two years at the 2018 FIBA U17 World Championship, Houstan subsequently enrolled at Montverde Academy (FL) where he played alongside players like Cade Cunningham, Scottie Barnes, and Jalen Duren over three seasons before reclassifying. Finishing his prep career ranked among the consensus top-10 prospects in the high school class of 2021, the 19-year old justified that placement leading Canada in scoring averaging 17 points per game at the FIBA U19 World Cup. Stepping into a significant role for the Wolverines under Head Coach Juwan Howard, the Mississauga native finished his freshman year averaging 10.1 points, 4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 32 minutes per game while shooting 36% from beyond the arc.
• Listed at 6’8 with a lean 205-pound frame, Houstan has nice size for a swingman, but lacks a degree of length and still has room to continue getting stronger.
• Serving primarily as a floor spacer, Houstan’s production often hinged on his ability to make shots with his feet set. He found mixed results off the dribble this season which is not particularly surprising for a player who could just as easily still be in high school. Showing the ability to make simple reads as a passer and cutting with good timing, he displays a solid feel for the game and flashes some ability with the ball in FIBA play all of which leave some room for optimism about his ability to grow into a more versatile offensive player.
• A disciplined defender with solid technique and some instincts in the passing lanes, Houstan is not particularly rangy, but held his own at the college level competing with steady energy.
Advanced Stats
• Leaning heavily on his ability to make catch and shoot jump shots as a freshman, Houstan provided valuable spacing for the Wolverines but had a somewhat uneven year shooting the ball as he ran especially hot mid-year after a slow start. Finding mixed results looking to score off the dribble, the freshman wing had some big games when he put everything together but also had a number of very quiet nights as well.
• With nearly two-thirds of his shots in the half court coming on catch and shoot jumpers, Houstan averaged 1.13 points per catch and shoot jump shot [75th percentile]. While he was somewhat streaky on the year and lacked a degree of consistency converting contested shots in the half court, he showed the ability to run hot for stretches, was reliable when left open all season, and shot the three very opportunistically in transition. He has long shown a willingness to fill a role as a floor spacer and that factored heavily into his best nights offensively last season.
• Averaging 0.44 points per pull-up jump shot [9th percentile] and 0.93 points per finishing opportunity [20th percentile], Houstan never really found a rhythm when looking for his own shot off the dribble the way he did as a set shooter. While he casually tossed in a few midrange pull-ups dribbling off handoffs, finished off a few layups off rangy eurosteps, and earned some layups with his movement off the ball, his floor game remains a work in progress.
Defensive Analysis
• Bringing nice intensity to the defensive end, Houstan had some positive moments both on and off the ball as a freshman. He is not particularly long for his size, but makes an effort to be quick over screens and sound with his feet when closing out shooters.
• Allowing 0.61 points per isolation possession [71st percentile], he held his own for the most part but has room to fill out to better matchup with more physical swingmen at the NBA level.
— Profile by Synergy Sports
