Michigan’s Caleb Houstan already has high expectations as he prepares to make his Wolverines’ debut in the next few weeks.

He’s firmly a projected top-10 pick entering the 2021-22 season, with both ESPN and The Athletic having him ranked in the top seven.

Houstan is No. 5 on ESPN’s way too early 2022 mock draft, according to draft expert Jonathan Givony. He trails Gonzaga center Chet Holmgren, Duke center Paolo Banchero, G-League guard Jaden Hardy and 5-star center Jalen Duren.

The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie is also very high on Houstan, ranking him at No. 7 on his 2022 big board. Here’s an excerpt of Vecenie’s analysis:

“Houstan is just an easy translation to today’s NBA. At 6-foot-8 with reasonable length, he has about as clean a stroke as you’ll find. He attacks closeouts well off an advantage and makes good passing decisions. On top of that, he’s a good defender who takes that end of the court seriously. Even though Houstan may not be an outstanding athlete, he’s obviously what NBA teams are looking for today, and I’d expect this Canadian to be a lottery pick because of it. He’s also on the younger side for the class with a 2003 birthday.”

Houstan is a 5-star prospect and was the No. 7 overall player in the 2021 recruiting class, according to 247Sports Composite rankings.

Michigan is expected to be one of the top teams in the country this season. If Houstan meets these expectations, the Wolverines should be in great shape next March.