With Zeb Jackson sidelined, Kobe Bufkin embraces expanded role
Of the three 2021 McDonald’s All-Americans who signed with the Michigan men’s basketball team this past spring, two are already well on their way to establishing themselves as star freshmen.
Through just two games, five-star forwards Caleb Houstan and Moussa Diabate have accounted for 37 points and 22 rebounds. Both appear poised to play a major role in the Wolverines’ rotation from the get-go, with Houstan solidifying a wing spot in the starting five and Diabate coming off the bench as the sixth man.
Shooting guard Kobe Bufkin, on the other hand, is the least-heralded of the three. But with Michigan lacking backcourt depth, he has quickly emerged as an early-season X-factor. His length and athleticism allow him to score at a high level while playing both on and off the ball.
In the Wolverines’ exhibition win over Wayne State, he got a chance to show what he could do during a stretch of extended minutes. With freshman guard Frankie Collins (groin) and sophomore guard Zeb Jackson (illness) bothsidelined, Bufkin logged 17 minutes.
It could’ve been an early breakout opportunity for Bufkin, but it didn’t go as planned. He shot just 1-for-4 from the field, and when Collins returned for Michigan’s season-opener against Buffalo, Bufkin was relegated to the end of the bench. He saw just four minutes of action and didn’t score against the Bulls.
But when Jackson remained out during the Wolverines’ trip to Washington, D.C. this past weekend, another chance presented itself. Bufkin saw 17 minutes of action against Prairie View A&M and posted eight points on 3-of-4 shooting, four rebounds, two steals, an assist and a block. He checked nearly every box on the statsheet — an encouraging sign for a versatile guard in an era of specialization.
“Great minutes. That comes from a guy that's been putting in the work,” Michigan coach Juwan Howard said Monday. “It’s good to see that it's been able to translate to a game situation. I’ve had trust for him, just like I have trust for all of our players.”
Behind the scenes, Howard has noticed similar growth.
“Kobe has been working extremely hard,” Howard said. “He’s been tuned to film, growing in a lot of areas in the offensive end and defensive end. Sometimes, as a freshman, some freshmen have a higher learning curve and (are) able to adapt quicker, faster, than others. With Kobe, he has such a unique skill set. For him, he’s probably in the combo guard position. At times, you could see him at the ‘1,’ ‘2,’ or ‘3’ and his versatility, with that being a strength of his, is giving him a chance to grow in a lot of areas and have a grasp of a lot of moving parts in our offensive and defensive end because of his strength that God has blessed him with. He has worked on his versatility.”
As Bufkin acclimates to the college level, it’s unclear how much longer Jackson will be out. He’s currently dealing with a non-COVID illness which has kept him out since mid-October. He wasn’t on the court for practice at Michigan Media Day on Oct. 15, and his game conditioning may need time to get back up to speed even after he gets the green light from the medical staff.
For now, Howard wants to see Jackson stay in tune mentally.
“At times, it can be very frustrating when you are injured and you’re not out there practicing or playing in the game,” Howard said. “In due time, he’ll have an opportunity to come back healthy and provide whatever he can to help the team. I know, (and) his teammates know, that we truly miss him.”
Until that day comes, however, Bufkin has a chance to find his footing as one of the first Wolverines off the bench. And if future games are anything like his performance against Prairie View A&M, that could be permanent.
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