Juwan Howard continued his impressive run on the recruiting trail when 4-star wing Kobe Bufkin announced for Michigan today on Twitter and Instagram. Bufkin gives the Wolverines their third pledge for the 2021 class, joining Simeon HS (IL) 4-star wing Isaiah Barnes and 3-star Stewartsville (MN) big Will Tschetter.

First I thank God for the blessings, abilities and talents - I cherish them!
Thank you to my family n friends
All my Coaches Trainers and Mentors
Thank you to all my many teammates/ brothers and basketball moms n dads.@TiptonEdits pic.twitter.com/RNMdwQBS8x

— Kobe Bufkin (@kb33zy_04) July 10, 2020

GURU RANKINGS

Rivals	ESPN	24/7	Endless Motor
4*, #61 overall #17 SG	4*, #62 overall #15 SG, #1 MI	3*, #134 overall #28 SG, #3 MI	4*, #40 – 70 Overall Wing

Three of the four services agree that Bufkin is a solid 4-star prospect, with 247 the outlier. Frankly, Bufkin hasn’t been scouted much by any of the services sans Endless Motor (more on that below), so the lack of love from 247 isn’t cause for concern. The consensus weight is 175 pounds, with Endless Motor going with 6’5 as opposed to the 6’4 height reflected by the remaining outlets. Kobe measured at 6’4 (without shoes) and a tad under 160 pounds at the Nike Elite 100 in June 2019. I think its probably safe to assume he’s a legit 6’5 (likely taller) and hovering around 170-175 pounds at this point. For what its worth, I do have recent evidence that he may be approaching the 6’6 mark and has certainly added muscle mass.

Note – I haven’t taken up the task of individual player rankings yet with AAU events just now tipping off over the last week. I need live evaluation opportunities against legit competition on a relatively level playing field in order to adequately rank hundreds of prospects. I am comfortable issuing a general star ranking/tiered structure as indicated above. In more simplistic terminology, I’d probably have Bufkin in the 40-70 range overall pending more detailed live viewings.

[After the JUMP: growing]

SCOUTING

As someone that has most likely watched Bufkin more than anyone both nationally and locally, I can confidently say he has the complete package offensively. At 6’5 – 6’6 he can play the 1 – 3 spots and excel at each depending on the matchup. He’s that skilled and versatile.

As an on-ball shot creator he is superb in large part due to his pull-up jumper. Kobe has NBA range off the bounce and connects on such attempts with good volume. He also thrives in ballscreen action where he likes to reject the screen and attack in a straight line once he catches his primary defender looking away or angling to ice the screen. From the wing he displays good perimeter footwork, and gets defenders off-balance by jab-stepping and then getting to the rim + finishing in 1-2 dribbles. In what may be a mild surprise to most considering his frame, Bufkin is very good finisher at the rim. He consistently absorbs contact and maintains balance before converting contested layups over bigger/longer defenders.

Kobe is outstanding as a traditional catch-and-shoot SG. With one-motion mechanics, a high release point and good size/length, he is able to get his shot off against closeouts with ease. His range already extends out to 28 feet in what is very fluid shot that doesn’t appear to stress him regardless of distance. There is real potential for Bufkin to be a potent shooter for the Wolverines.

Playmaking is also a strong skill facet for the Grand Rapids native. He collapses the opposition with dribble penetration and finds teammates on dumpoffs for easy baskets. Against zone defense, his size allows him to see over the top and hit open windows.

Kobe is a fluid athlete that has some deceptive pop as a leaper. He doesn’t necessarily have great first-step acceleration, but his long strides allow him to get separation in tandem with his footwork and the threat of his pull-up.

Defensively, I don’t necessarily think he moves well enough to defend quicker guards in the B10. I’ll reiterate that for me position designation is determined by the defensive assignment you are most likely to draw. In my opinion, Bufkin is best suited to defend the SF position. A few of the coaching staff members among his final 5 are of that belief as well.

Third party scouting reports on Kobe are rather scant for a prospect of his caliber. Much like me, Rivals’ Corey Evans seems to like the versatility to play both guard and wing:

“A skilled and versatile guard who can play both on or off the ball, Bufkin is a rangy rising senior who still needs to add bulk to his lean frame. But, he can shoot some, he has some burst at the rim and shows wiggle off the dribble.”

Eric Bossi acknowledges he only saw a brief glimpse of Bufkin last Summer, but that limited time left a favorable impression:

“Of anybody on this list, Bufkin is the guy that I saw the least of but his talent jumped off the court at me. He's a slick driver, wields a good looking jumper and is a fine playmaker for others. When he grows into his body he's going to be very dangerous and he'll be an easy call to bump to four-star status and move into the rankings when we update 2021.”

247 has no evaluation to speak of, which largely explains the #134 ranking. In all likelihood the folks over there have never seen him live.

OFFERS

Kobe chose Michigan over DePaul, LSU, Ohio State and Michigan State. He also held offers from Missouri, Rhode Island, VCU, Northwestern, TCU and a few mid-majors. There is no doubt in my mind that Bufkin’s offer list would’ve absolutely exploded if live evaluation periods were on the docket. Don’t get me wrong, an offer list with 3 of the 4 best programs in the B10 is impressive in its own right, but his recruitment most definitely would take on more of a national vibe in a normal cycle.

HIGH SCHOOL

Grand Rapids Christian (MI) is an average/above average team that doesn’t play the strongest competition around. Former standouts include Michigan State center Xavier Tillman, Duane Washington of Ohio State and Miami-Ohio’s James Beck.

STATS

Bufkin averaged 22 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists per game during his junior season at Grand Rapids Christian.

VIDEO

2019 EYBL Session I Highlights:

2019 EYBL Session II Highlights:

January 2020 Single Game Highlights vs Wyoming:

PREDICTION BASED ON FLIMSY EVIDENCE

Difficult to project what his role is early on with the waiver status of Chaundee Brown not clear just yet in tandem with the college basketball season not being an absolute certainty. Assuming Brown is granted immediate eligibility and the 20-21 season is played, Bukin should crack the rotation as a freshman in a bench role unless Juwan Howard goes all crazy with 5stars to fill out 2021.

With a frame that still needs additional muscle mass, it is likely he’s more of an off-ball shooter in his first year that has occasional wow moments of on-ball creativity.

After a year in the strength and conditioning program, Kobe probably becomes an impact rotational player in a starting role that is one of the better players in the B10. Bufkin’s combination of size/skill/versatility makes him compatible with nearly any lineup because he can play on or off the ball.

He’s going to be utilized from multiple spots on the court depending on the opposition, and he has the tools to be a number 1 or number 2 option for a good team. I think its a safe bet to assume Kobe averages double digit points as a sophomore (or RS freshman if the 5star party goes down).

This comparison is totally unfair to Bufkin for obvious reasons, but his movements and frame remind me of a smaller Jalen Rose. The skillset is somewhat different in large part because the game has evolved, but both are jumbo guards on offense that can knock down perimeter shots and run the offense while being deceptively athletic.

Kobe certainly has the size/length/skillset that is intriguing to the NBA. He’s 6’6 – 6’7 for official listing purposes (we all know official heights are fudged), with a great stroke from distance and good playmaking skills off the bounce. If he’s productive as a sophomore/RS freshman there is going to be some NBA interest based on his ceiling.

UPSHOT FOR THE REST OF THE CLASS

Michigan has at least 2 more available scholarships, with 3-4 more likely. Bufkin gives Juwan some flexibility because he can play up to 3 different positions on offense, so he can sort of swing for the stars on remaining guards/wings at this point. Regardless, we will absolutely take another big along with an on-ball guard. After that, we’re likely taking best available talent. Juwan Howard and staff are assembling quite the class, and its only going to get better.