It's no secret that South Carolina's Class of 2022 is absolutely brimming with talent. Nearly a dozen scholarship-level point guards have already emerged with various others right on the cusp. Julian Phillips is a clear star, Perry Smith continues to steadily progress, and guys like Jordan Simpson and Seth DeBruhl have already stood out as leaders for their respective programs, but what about someone like Isaiah Howell' Although his talent and upside seem to be widely acknowledged, Howell appears ready to vault himself into new territory and assert himself as someone that college coaches should be prioritizing.
Outside of Phillips, Howell might legitimately be the most efficient player throughout his entire class. He's long, smart, and active on both ends of the floor, able to naturally affect the action and fill up all categories on the stat sheet. Howell possesses a fairly quiet demeanor but plays a tough, unselfish, well-rounded brand of basketball. He consistently leads by example and sets the tone very well on defense. Howell's sixteen double-doubles last season only trailed five players, including Cesare Edwards, and arguably made him one of the most productive sophomores in South Carolina.
In terms of nightly averages, Howell posted 12.4 PPG, 11.0 RPG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.8 BPG while shooting 52% from the floor on a high volume. He is a prospect that has continually trended upward since entering high school and looks likely to continue turning heads. Though his game, numbers, and overall identity clearly speak for themselves, Howell feels like a guy who should gradually start earning respect from scholarship-level coaches over the foreseeable future.
