Michigan Wolverines news: First round projections, opening day, and more

It was a busy day on Thursday for the Michigan Wolverines and we’ve got it all covered in our news roundup including a surprising NBA draft projection. 

It’s been a rough season for Michigan basketball. Yet, one thing about the Michigan Wolverines is that despite their 14-12 record, they don’t lack talent.

Hunter Dickinson is a former All-American and one of the most productive centers in college basketball. He’s also flanked by Jett Howard and Kobe Bufkin, who according to the Athletic, could each hear their name called in the first round of the 2023 NBA draft.

Howard has been mentioned as a first-round pick before, but Michigan basketball fans might be surprised to see the name of Bufkin that early. However, they shouldn’t be.

Bufkin has become a stellar two-way player for the Wolverines. He can score, create, shoot, and defend. Bufkin is raw but he’s young enough to be a freshman and the former McDonald’s All-American has blossomed this season.

The potential is there. He’s not a deadly shooter as Jett Howard is, but both Michigan basketball players could hear their name in the 2023 NBA draft, which could make their careers with the Michigan basketball team short-lived.

Opening day for Michigan Wolverines baseball

The Michigan baseball season has arrived as the Wolverines will open their 2023 campaign with two games on Friday in the Season-Opening MLB Desert Invitational.

Michigan will open the day against Fresno State (1 PM EST) followed by a matchup with Michigan State in a non-conference game at 6 PM EST.

It will be the first game for new head coach Tracy Smith who took over for the departed Erik Bakich, who left for Clemson after leading Michigan baseball to the Big Ten tournament title.

The lineup returns former All-Big Ten performers in Ted Burton, Tito Flores, and Jimmy Obertop. But there are some other question marks, especially surrounding the pitching staff. The offense should be lights out and the first pitch goes out Friday for the Michigan Wolverines.

Michigan hockey earns a split with Ohio State

The Michigan Wolverines built a 3-1 lead in the second period against Ohio State on Thursday but surrendered a pair of third-period goals which forced the Wolverines to settle for a 3-3 tie.

The result ended Michigan’s seven-game winning streak but still gets U-M a point in the top-10 showdown.  Erik Portillo turned away 37 shots in the draw for the Wolverines.  Adam Fantilli, Luca Fantilli, and Jackson Hallum each scored in the tie for Michigan.

The two teams will meet again on Saturday at Cleveland Browns Stadium in an outdoor matchup.

Michigan women’s basketball beaten by Indiana

Finally, the Michigan Wolverines suffered a tough defeat in hoops as Indiana won going away by a score of 68-52. Indiana grabbed a 40-28 lead at the half and the Wolverines never seriously threatened in the second half in Bloomington.

Emily Kiser scored 12 points to lead the Michigan women’s basketball team but Leigha Brown was held to nine, as was Jordan Hobbs. Maddie Nolan tacked on eight in the loss.