NCAA Basketball: Midseason scouting notes and takeaways on 2023 NBA Draft prospects
Kobe Bufkin – Michigan – 6’4, 175 lbs – September 2003
Bufkin has been on my radar the past two seasons, but after a disappointing freshman season, I wasn’t a huge fan. He has definitely gotten better this year in my viewings on film, particularly as an on-ball defender.
Bufkin was the star when I saw him in Evanston, going for 15 points, a game-high 12 rebounds, 8 assists, and 2 steals. The defense really stood out. It’s not like Northwestern has the best guards in the country or anything, but Bufkin guarded his butt off. He pressured the ball, shed screens with ease, and was constantly in the right spots, forcing Audige and Boo Buie into tough shots. On one possession he just flat-out ripped the ball away from Buie and went the other way for a dunk.
On offense, Bufkin didn’t force anything and did a good job just playing within the flow of the game. He operated as the handler out of the pick-and-roll and DHO’s quite a few times and did a good job pressuring the defense to get downhill. He’s more of a straight-line driver than a shifty handler. Bufkin does a good job keeping his head up and reading help defenders: whether they dropped with the big on the roll or stayed attached to corner shooters and he made a few impressive passes leading to buckets or leading to the pass that led to a bucket.
The jumper is his biggest question at this stage as Bufkin is at 29% from deep this season and a career 26% three-point shooter. I thought his mechanics looked functionally passable, he made 1 of his 2 threes in game and hit a smooth one-dribble pull-up attacking a closeout. He seems to have good touch and is a plus free-throw shooter so I have some optimism there.
I’m still not totally sure what Bufkin’s offensive role is. Can he be tasked with on-ball creation responsibilities? If not, can he score enough and attract enough attention to play off it? I think the defense can interest a coach to play him early on, especially if he can defend both guard spots. But, I’m not sure he can be a full-time point guard.
Bufkin was undeniably awesome Thursday and does a lot of the things I look for in a role player; competitive, plays hard and impacts the game without needing to dominate the ball. He is also the age of a freshman, which is another positive sign. I think Bufkin will likely return but there is enough here to make me interested in the early second round if he did come out this year.