The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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AUGUST 2020 THE WOLVERINE 51 COMMITMENT PROFILE K obe Bufkin isn't a talker. He made that clear during the re- cruiting process, when he failed to give a single interview to anyone but the local television station in his hometown of Grand Rapids, Mich. Rivals.com's No. 61 rising senior nationally did talk to Michigan head coach Juwan Howard, however, and gave him his pledge July 10 over Michigan State, Ohio State and others. The family atmosphere made the difference, he told WOODTV.com. "I just [also] saw the competitive nature in the locker room," Bufkin said. "And just the conversations that me and the coaching staff had really influenced me to make my decision to go there." He also loves the thought of be- ing a playmaker in Michigan's wide- open offense. "I like to get my teammates in- volved and be able to score the bas- ketball, as well," he said. He does both at an elite level, Grand Rapids Storm AAU program director Jason Martin said. The 6-4, 175-pounder is the best in-state player in the 2021 class, and his AAU teams have played against many elite players over the years. Martin believes Bufkin has a chance to be as good as most of them, including an NBA standout that went through his program. "Kobe is just an elite scorer. We had Devin Booker [of the Phoenix Suns] … the game kind of comes to him like it did for Devin," Martin said. "He just feels very, very close to Devin for me right now — has a chance to be pretty special. "If he's able to shoot at the clip he's been shooting … he's athletic, has more effortless bounce to his game than Devin had. He's going to be good." So good that he might find himself on Booker's level one day. "He has a chance to be a pro," said Martin, who is not an embellisher. "He's got that chance. It will be inter- esting to watch him over at Michigan the next four years, but I think he'll be really, really good at Michigan right away. "Kobe does a little of everything. We have a really good point guard, so he's predominantly the one with the ball with his hands. We run Kobe with the ball in his hands, too, and we play him off the ball. "We do a lot of different things with him — run a little rub action and get him with the dribble hand off to get him into a two-man game with the high ball screen. He scores from so many different levels in so many different ways." And that's what sets him apart, Martin added. He can put it in the bucket at an elite level, plus the lefty can finish with either hand and at- tacks just as well (if not better) with his off hand. He scores at all three levels, creates for himself and others, and is clutch. Case in point — he hit a 30-footer at the buzzer to beat C2K (Ohio) AAU during the Brawl for the Ball the weekend of July 17-19 in Fort Wayne, Ind. "He's just a unique scorer," Mar- tin said. "What makes him different than everyone else is he's just a great teammate. Everyone's game on the floor is better with him around. He passes well, does all the other little things, but his scoring is a gift. "He scores in a variety of ways. He can get his own and creates for oth- ers. He's going to get separation for himself, and he does it effortlessly. He never gets rattled or out of con- trol, plays so smooth and under con- trol. I never see him get sped up, ever. I've watched guys run at him, D-I players come at him and try to trap him, but they just don't speed him up. He's always in control with what he's trying to do." He is the first to the gym and the last to leave, Martin noted, shows up to every practice and "works his ass off." His AAU dubbed him a "gym rat, for sure." "He's always working on his game," Martin added. "He's going to be a really, really good one for Juwan Howard over the next few years." Rivals.com national recruiting ana- lyst Corey Evans agreed. "I think he's awesome," Evans said. "He's probably taller than 6-4 now, maybe even 6-5. He's growing … long, really smooth. He's got to get stronger, just for the physicality of defending and scoring the bas- ketball, but he definitely is tough enough. He plays with a lot of con- fidence as a catch-and-shoot guy, a one-to-two dribble, pull-up guy. "… I just think with how his body is, his continued progression, you get that in a college weight room and with the proper coaching and being in that competitive atmosphere, a guy like that takes off." — Chris Balas Michigan Lands In-State Gem Kobe Bufkin Rivals.com rates Bufkin as a four-star talent, and the No. 17 shooting guard and No. 61 overall prospect in the country. PHOTO COURTESY RIVALS.COM Grand Rapids Storm AAU program director Jason Martin on Bufkin "What makes him different than everyone else is he's just a great teammate. Everyone's game on the floor is better with him around. He passes well, does all the other little things, but his scoring is a gift."