Michigan prospects Kobe Bufkin, Jett Howard invited to 2023 NBA Draft green room
Michigan Wolverines basketball has two NBA Draft hopefuls heading into the June 22 event at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, and both will be in attendance. According to ESPN.com’s Jonathan Givony, Bufkin and Howard were both invited to take part in the draft from the green room. Seventeen others received invitations, making up the entire top-19 on ESPN.com’s top-100 prospects list.
Assuming Howard accepts and attends the draft, there’s a strong possibility Michigan head coach Juwan Howard will be representing the Wolverines in Brooklyn.
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Both Bufkin and Howard are widely projected as first-round picks. The former, though, has a strong chance to be selected in the lottery (within the top 14 choices).
Bufkin went through measurements at the NBA Combine in May, but while he was invited, Howard did not participate in any capacity.
Juwan Howard, a 1994 first-round pick himself, has already sent four players to the NBA Draft, including a first-rounder in Franz Wagner, who went No. 8 overall to the Orlando Magic in 2021.
Michigan has had nine first-round draft picks since 2013, the most among Big Ten teams. Indiana and Michigan State are tied second with five. The Wolverines have had 14 overall selections during that span, including two last year in second-rounders Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate.
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There have been 15 drafts in which Michigan has had multiple draftees, and that’s expected to continue this year. The Maize and Blue have had 65 selections throughout history, including 18 lottery picks. Given the stock of both Bufkin and Howard, that number could grow this summer.
Bufkin declared after two seasons at Michigan, including a breakout sophomore campaign in 2022-23. The 6-4, 195-pounder averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game this past season, shooting 54.6 percent on twos and 35.5 percent on threes.
Bufkin’s “sophomore leap” of averaging 11.4 more points per game in his second season than he did his first marks the biggest increase year over year in the Michigan program over the last 15 seasons.
Howard, meanwhile, is Michigan’s fourth one-and-done prospect this century and the third in the last two seasons. The 6-8, 215-pounder averaged 14.2 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2 assists per game in his lone year in the maize and blue. He shot 41.4 percent overall and 36.8 from three-point range. Howard’s 78 made three-pointers were tied for the ninth-most by a U-M player in a single season.
Here’s the list of invitees so far, according to Givony:
• Victor Wembanyama
• Brandon Miller
• Scoot Henderson
• Amen Thompson
• Ausar Thompson
• Cameron Whitmore
• Jarace Walker
• Anthony Black
• Taylor Hendricks
• Gradey Dick
• Bilal Coulibaly
• Cason Wallace
• Nick Smith
• Dereck Lively
• Kobe Bufkin
• Jalen Hood-Schifino
• Jett Howard
• Jordan Hawkins
• Keyonte George
