Auburn had a strong start in this past season’s NCAA men’s basketball tournament, entering as the No. 1 seed in the South region. They cruised through the first two rounds with wins over Alabama State and Creighton, then defeated Michigan in the Sweet Sixteen and No. 2 seed Michigan State in the Elite Eight. However, their momentum was halted in the Final Four by Florida, who handed them a 79-73 loss. Auburn had led for much of the first half and held a slight edge early in the second before being overtaken.
Now, freshman reserve forward Jahki Howard is transferring from Auburn to join the Utah Utes. His former teammate Johni Broome acknowledged the move with an Instagram comment saying, “10 to 5.” Howard averaged 4.2 points in just over nine minutes per game this past season. Though his playing time was limited, he showed promise. A former four-star recruit from Atlanta’s Overtime Elite Academy, the 6-foot-6 Howard impressed scouts with his athleticism and defensive upside.
Howard joins a Utah team coming off a 16-17 season, finishing 11th in the Big 12. The Utes are now under new head coach Alex Jensen, who brings NBA experience from his time as an assistant with the Dallas Mavericks and previously the Utah Jazz. Jensen, a former standout for the Utes in the 1990s, will look to turn things around at his alma mater.
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