Michigan guard Kobe Bufkin on 'sleeper watch' for 2023 NBA Draft: 'I think he's draftable'
Michigan Wolverines basketball sophomore Kobe Bufkin has a lot on his plate, serving as the team’s starting shooting guard and backup point guard, and he’s been delivering on a consistent basis this season. He’s averaging 12.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3 assists per game.
Bufkin has also taken his game to another level over the last two outings, combining for 28 points, 20 rebounds and 13 assists in wins over Northwestern and Ohio State.
Now, Michigan’s youngest scholarship player is starting to generate some NBA Draft buzz, something that wasn’t true months or even weeks ago.
Sports Illustrated analyst Jeremy Woo mentioned Bufkin as a potential “sleeper” for this summer’s draft.
“Keep a close eye on the Michigan sophomore guard, who is freshman-aged and appears to be turning a bit of a corner in conference play,” Woo wrote. “Scouts were a bit skeptical after a very iffy freshman season in which Bufkin played sparingly, but he’s clearly earned minutes and [head coach] Juwan Howard’s trust, playing a high-energy, competitive style that shone last week against Northwestern. Bufkin had 15 points, 12 rebounds, eight assists, two steals and a block and was clearly the best player on the floor, pouring in effort defensively and showing a real nose for making big and small plays.”
Bufkin has made a lot of growth from his freshman year to this season. He was unplayable on defense at times last season, but is now one of Michigan’s top defenders, grading out in the 82nd percentile nationally in ball-screen defense (including passes), per Synergy. He ranks first in the Big Ten among the seven guards who have defended 100 or more ball screens this season, allowing only 0.640 points per possession.
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He’s also taken a big leap with his offense, developing as a passer and continuing to progress as a shot creator. Bufkin is shooting a whopping 70.9 percent at the rim, with 56 makes this season. The only thing holding his offensive game back at this point is his jump shot. He’s just 23 of 76 from three-point range (30.3 percent) this season and has a 40.5 effective field goal percentage on jump shots.
“This is light-years from where he was a year ago, and while there will be some questions as to whether he can play point guard full time and whether he’ll shoot well (he’s at only 30% on the year from three), I do think there’s some credence to what Bufkin is doing and value in what he can be moving forward,” Woo continued. “If he stays on this type of track, I think he’s draftable, and it wouldn’t shock me if he gathers some momentum with teams going into the spring.”
Bufkin could test the NBA Draft waters and even participate in the combine but still return to Michigan.
