There has been a trend in our men's basketball offseason interviews. I've asked several players

to identify someone who's primed for breakout, someone who has taken a big step as we approach,

in essence, the midpoint of the offseason. The one name that has come up more than any other

is Kobe Buffkin. It certainly makes sense on the surface. He came in as a younger than normal

freshman. He is still 18 years old for several months, and he was able to carve out some minutes last season as a young

true freshman. Sure, those minutes were not consistent, and there were times he did not get on the

floor for stretches, but on a talented team, a young freshman who can make an impact, that's a

great sign for the future. And let's face it,

one big play, one big moment, one big shot that can propel you into the future. We've seen it

before. And the question is, will we see it again with the blossoming of Kobe Buffkin's career

after that dagger in Columbus last March? Late in the game on the road in a

hostile environment, Buffkin fulfilled that stay ready so you don't have to get ready mantra by

delivering arguably the biggest shot of the season, a three from the left wing in the closing

moments as Michigan finished up a stunning upset of Ohio State without Hunter Dickinson.

We did not know it at the time, but that was the game and really the shot that thrust Michigan into the NCAA tournament,

thus leading to a fifth consecutive suite 16. Had that not gone in, had Michigan not pulled it off without Dickinson in Columbus,

and then they lose Indiana in the Big Ten tournament, it almost certainly would have been the dagger

on Michigan season, and they would not have danced in 2022. Instead, Michigan turned an up and

down season into another march to remember, and Buffkin turned an up and down season into an

offseason of high expectations. Who knows where that will take Buffkin in November and beyond.

But in terms of expectations, they are high for him, both outside the program and in.

So let's chat with the now second year Wolverine, the Grand Rapids native Kobe Buffkin,

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