The jump from high school basketball to college typically comes with a heavy dose of growing pains, even for top-50 recruits like Kobe Bufkin. The 2021-22 Michigan Wolverines had the luxury of easing the Grand Rapids native into the rotation and not necessarily needing him to be a big contributor as a true freshman, and at just 10.6 minutes per game last season, that was pretty much the reality.
Heading into his sophomore season, the expectations are drastically different. Bufkin’s role was always going to look different after getting a year of seasoning under his belt, but the departure of DeVante’ Jones, Eli Brooks, and (surprisingly) Frankie Collins means his contributions must take a huge leap forward if Michigan is going to be successful.