Michigan Basketball: What’s next after Kobe Bufkin declares for NBA draft?

Michigan basketball sophomore Kobe Bufkin will forgo his remaining eligibility and enter the 2023 NBA Draft the program announced on Sunday.

The decision from Bukfin comes after Hunter Dickinson entered the transfer portal and Jett Howard also declared for the 2023 NBA Draft.

Bukfin was a star for the Wolverines this past season. He averaged 14.0 points a game, with 4.5 rebounds, and 2.9 assists. He also started in 32 games as a sophomore.

The Grand Rapids, Michigan native is no doubt ready to make the jump to the NBA. He is an unreal athlete with great skill. Of course, he is going to need to get stronger, but that is a part of the process of declaring for the draft.

Bufkin didn’t enter this season with this much hype. Headlines about the 2024 NBA Draft were on the horizon for the young player, but a high-level sophomore season put him right in the mix for the 2023 NBA Draft.

What’s next for Michigan basketball?

The Wolverines will welcome Alabama transfer Nimari Burnett and it looks like they could possibly get Joey Baker and Jaelin Llewellyn back for next season as they’re both pursuing medical redshirts with the NCAA.

The roster is razor-thin with the players currently remaining in Ann Arbor when it comes to playing experience. Head coach Juwan Howard and his staff must hit the transfer portal hard, as I am sure they are, or else next season will be a tougher road than what we all experienced which need in the second round of the NIT.

I am not going to “declare” that Juwan Howard is on the hot seat because prior to this year, Michigan had made deep runs in the NCAA Tournament, but questions are starting to loom about how good of a recruiter he is, but more important, how good of a player developer he is.

A big offseason is here for Michigan basketball in order to simply compete in the Big Ten Conference next season.