Former Michigan basketball star stirring up major NBA Draft hype

The NBA Draft is fast approaching, and new Wolverines standouts are in the running to be first-round draft picks. Specifically, former Michigan basketball star Kobe Bufkin, an efficient guard who shone during many moments of the 2022-23 season, is generating tons of pre-draft buzz and is being touted as a potential top 15 pick this year.

Former Michigan basketball star Kobe Bufkin being pinned as a top NBA Draft pick

Next week, former Michigan basketball star Kobe Bufkin, a quick guard who showcased a high ceiling last year for the Maize and Blue, is likely to be a first-round NBA Draft pick. Even more impressive, Bufkin is being projected as a top 15 pick in the 2023 draft by ESPN, who currently has him at No. 12 overall to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

As a recruit, Kobe Bufkin ranked as the No. 2 recruit in the state of Michigan and was a four-star shooting guard in the class of 2021. He has since gained a few years of experience in Ann Arbor under head coach Juwan Howard, who took over for the Maize and Blue in 2019-20.

Bufkin has had a solid playing career as a Michigan basketball player. In 2020, he earned Player of the Week honors, and in his most recent season, he was named a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media for his consistent performance.

During the Wolverines’ 2022-23 season, Kobe Bufkin played in 33 games for Michigan basketball. Despite Michigan’s sub-par record and an up-and-down season, Bufkin managed to shine in many moments, shooting over 48% from the floor and averaging 14 points per game and 4.5 assists per game.

Is Bufkin a top-15 pick this year?

In a recent NBA mock draft, ESPN writer Jeremy Woo placed Bufkin as one of the top picks in this year’s class, ranking him just outside the top 10 at No. 12 overall.

“Bufkin has quietly gathered a good deal of interest in the pre-draft process and is being extremely selective where he works out, with a lottery selection potentially on the horizon,” Woo said, according to his ESPN column. “The Thunder have plenty of young guards and can go in a number of directions at No. 12, but Oklahoma City rarely hesitates to grab the best talent on the board, and Bufkin has built a strong case to be the first player drafted among a large group of guards jockeying for position. He’s a name to watch over the next week, with room to potentially rise higher. Washington and Utah appear to be candidates to select guards at No. 8 and No. 9.”

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