Juwan Howard impressed by play of Kobe Bufkin

Michigan won the big one on Sunday, defeating rival Ohio State 77-69 at home. Star center Hunter Dickinson had yet another strong performance, leading all players in points and rebounds with 26 points and 11 rebounds. But sophomore guard Kobe Bufkin had a solid game as well, and has stepped up big for the Wolverines all season in his second year.

Head coach Juwan Howard spoke about Bufkin’s recent play, his buy in, and how he’s evolved as a player following their win over the Buckeyes.

“Kobe, he’s been solid all year. He’s one of the young men that has had a buy in since the time he stepped foot on campus,” Howard said. “Last season it’s very challenging when you come from a high school that you were the focal point, you were the guy and then you join a team where other guys were the guy, the main focal point on their high school team and it takes guys to make an adjustment.”

Bufkin was a four-star prospect and the No. 2 ranked player in the state of Michigan out of Grand Rapids Christian high school according to On3 Consensus. He averaged three points per game in his freshman season coming off of the bench, but this year has started every single game for the Wolverines and is their third-leading scorer with 12.2 points per game.

His offensive output and leap has been evident, but he also has improved on the defensive end according to Howard, leading the team in steals per game and improving immensely in his on ball defense.

“So Kobe was patient knowing that his timetable was a little different from others and waiting his turn. But then putting in the work in the offseason, so you see how this young man has improved defensively,” Howard said. “And I start with that because last year defensively there were times where he’d get blown by or he was not engaged defensively and there were a lot of different concepts that took him a time to learn and there was a learning curve with that. And that’s a part of it when you have a freshman.”

Bufkin has been playing particularly well in the Wolverines’ last two wins, stuffing the stat sheet in each game. He’s averaged 14 points in the two-game stretch on over 50% shooting, and versus the Buckeyes led the team in assists with five while also grabbing eight rebounds and recording a block and a steal. And in Michigan’s previous game versus Northwestern, he had a career-high 12 rebounds and eight assists, also snatching two steals and a block on the defensive end.

“So like now the second year he has a bigger role, he’s earned it, and that’s what makes it so special to see the process is moving in the right direction because of the buy in he’s had in the beginning,” Howard said.