Evaluating Jett Howard, Kobe Bufkin, and Brice Sensabaugh in the Ohio State-Michigan Game

April 26^th, 2023

Ohio State’s 6-6 freshman forward, Brice Sensabaugh has been mentioned as a likely first round draft prospect, so I decided to watch him play in a February 5^th game against Michigan, with thanks to YouTube via NCAA. TTsports. Michigan also has a pair of prospects that could go in the lottery in freshman swingman Jett Howard and sophomore guard, Kobe Bufkin, as the latter prospect had seen his draft stock risen sharply over the past couple of months. Here are my thoughts on how Jett Howard, Kobe Bufkin, and Brice Sensabaugh played in this game.

Jett Howard had a solid showing in his team’s win over their Big Ten rival, Ohio State. He shot the ball very well, and he is an agile, movement shooter that also played solid defense to help his team get the victory. Howard shot the ball very well, especially from the mid-range. He can comfortably make shots both off the catch and dribble, and he especially excelled at making long twos from just inside the arc. He also did a good job of running off ball screens to make quick outside shots, as he was able to make a long two, as well as a pair of spot-up threes off the catch. He was streaky with his three-point shot, but his ability to make outside shots and move without the ball made it so that defenders had to be on their toes and up on him at all times in this game.

He also drew free throws on a quick drive off of a screen. He also posted up once, but ended up missing on a quick, fadeaway jumper. Howard also displayed decent playmaking skills. He is an unselfish player that will make the extra pass to find the open man. On the other hand, there was one play where he dribbled off of a screen, but threw an inaccurate, hard entry pass that ended up sailing out of bounds.

Also, Howard didn’t grab many rebounds in this game. He was able to leap up to get a pair of defensive boards, and he was able to push the pace after getting a tough board in traffic once. However, there was one play where he lost out on a defensive rebounding attempt to an opponent after his teammate blocked a mid-range shot, and he didn’t come away with the ball. Howard wasn’t able to get many rebounds on the season, and he didn’t always show great instincts to be able to chase down boards when he was on the floor.

He also played solid defense in this game. Howard did a very good job of staying in front of opposing ball handlers, and he would use his length and positioning to actively contest shots both out on the perimeter and around the basket to force misses. On the downside, he had some trouble guarding screens, but it was also because his teammates tended to be in drop coverages and wouldn’t aggressively switch or rotate to the open man in time, which would help lead to his team to give up open baskets. There was another time where he rotated to a roll man, but committed a reach-in foul on that play.

In general, Jett Howard played well in his team’s win over Ohio State. He is a talented prospect that showed that he can excel as a movement shooter, secondary ball mover, and as a position defender when he is on the court. He’s already fairly polished as an offensive player, so if he can seamlessly make the transition to adjust to the NBA three-point line, he could be an immediate contributor at the next level. Defensively, he does a good job of being in the right spots and consistently makes an effort to contest shots every time. He did struggle more in screen situations, but he’ll need to play for an NBA team that will play an aggressively switching scheme rather than a drop coverage, which would enable Howard and his teammates to quickly switch rather than have him try to take the extra time to try to fight over the screen due to his team’s big man always sagging and dropping back, but by that point, his team may very well allow an open jumper by then. Howard is a solid prospect that could contribute to the NBA right away, and he would be a good pick for an NBA team in the late lottery range of the 2023 draft.

Michigan’s 6-4 sophomore guard, Kobe Bufkin played very well in his team’s win over Ohio State. Bufkin had begun his ascent up draft boards when Jett Howard was injured, and it had continued when Howard came back, as Bufkin had also played very well in the NIT this year. I wanted to watch a game of Bufkin play with Howard, and it also coincided with also being able to watch Sensabaugh play in this game. Bufkin turned in a solid showing in his team’s win over Ohio State, and he is a very athletic guard that showed off intriguing scoring, playmaking, and defensive skills when he was on the floor.

Bufkin shot the ball well, especially from the outside. He can utilize a series of ball fakes and jab steps to keep defenders at bay, and he was able to use those moves to make standstill threes. He also pulled up to take a mid-range jumper, but missed once. He also thrived at scoring on hustle plays. Bufkin showed good body control to score on a tough put back. He also managed to sneak past defenders to score after running on a back cut after his teammate set a solid off-ball screen for him.

He also showed off a satisfactory ability to score off the dribble. Bufkin is a quick, strong guard that has a good first step, and he was able to score on a strong drive in transition in traffic. He also can take on the contact to draw fouls in order to get to the free throw line. On one play though, he missed on an aggressive, left-handed drive in traffic once. He also dribbled to the post, but missed on a contested, fadeaway jumper another time.

Plus, Bufkin also displayed good playmaking skills. He is a fleet-footed guard that would throw accurate, pinpoint passes to his teammates. He was able to make an assortment of passes to find them in a variety of ways, and he especially excelled at making passes on the break. He also threw good entry passes and could find cutters on the move. He still tended to hesitate a bit before throwing passes to his teammates, but he did a good job of making plays when the ball was in his hands.

Also, Bufkin did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He showed a knack for hauling in boards as he was able to get them on both sides of the ball, and he would tend to quickly push the pace after grabbing defensive rebounds for his team.

He also played satisfactory defense in this game. When defending in the post, Bufkin was able to make an impressive block to swat a jumper from a taller opponent. He also would aggressively go under screens to quickly get back to defending opposing ball handlers, and he showed good lateral quickness to cut off penetration to either force passes or to force opponents to miss jump shots. He also would contest shots both inside and out to get stops for his team. He also drew a charge when defending in the post, and he would dive for loose balls and play passing lanes to nearly get steals.

On the downside, his lack of ideal size would make it difficult for him to contest jump shots on a consistent basis. Taller opponents could still shoot over him, and he ended up allowing opponents to score out of the post and off of a cut once. He also would sometimes reach in for steals and miss, which would lead him to wind up out of position when defending opponents off the dribble to allow scores.

In summary, Bufkin played very well in this game, and he is a fleet-footed guard that could project well into an initiator role of an NBA team’s offense. He’s improved his outside shot this past season, and his ability to score as a downhill driver, combined with his plus-level playmaking and defensive potential makes him a very intriguing prospect to NBA teams. He’ll still need to show teams that he can be a consistent outside shooter in games and he’ll still need to improve his court vision more, but Bufkin is a talented prospect that could be worth it for NBA teams to take in the late lottery range of the 2023 draft.

Ohio State’s 6-6 freshman, Brice Sensabaugh had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Michigan. He is a strong, athletic forward that shot the ball very well this past season, and he projects well into a 3 and D role at the NBA level. However, he didn’t shoot the ball well, he didn’t show much in the way of playmaking skills, and had his fair share of defensive struggles in this game.

Sensabaugh didn’t shoot the ball well in this particular game against Michigan. For the positives, he was able to get a running start to drive to the hoop, and he was able to use a hesitation move before changing directions to score on a smooth, pull-up, mid-range jumper. Sensabaugh also ran the floor to score on a spot-up three off the catch in transition. However, he tended to miss on pull-up, mid-range jumpers, and he struggled to shoot on the move, as he tended to miss threes either off the dribble or when he would move off the ball to get it.

He showed a satisfactory ability to score out of the post. He was able to score on a smooth, turnaround jumper from the baseline out of the high post. Sensabaugh also can take on the contact to get fouled in order to get to the free throw line. However, he also missed on a fadeaway jumper another time.

Plus, Sensabaugh showed a satisfactory ability to score on hustle plays. He managed to score on a back cut after getting a solid off-ball screen from a teammate to get open while diving to the rim to get the ball. Sensabaugh also drew free throws on a put back off of an offensive rebound. However, despite showing an affinity for being able to catch long passes on the break, Sensabaugh struggled to consistently score in transition, and he didn’t seem to change directions well or be able to make shots in traffic when he would look to take it hard to the rim, especially when he wouldn’t get foul calls. He also missed on a couple of aggressive, left-handed drives, and Sensabaugh had trouble finishing plays around the basket.

He also showed off fairly average playmaking skills. Sensabaugh is a willing passer that can pass out of the post and off the dribble. However, sometimes he would play too recklessly, which would get him into trouble at times on offense. When dribbling to the post once, he cleared out with his arm and committed a charging foul that led him to commit an offensive foul and a turnover. He doesn’t really do a very good job of creating separation, which can make it difficult for him to consistently create his own shots off the dribble in the half court.

Also, Sensabaugh did a great job of rebounding the basketball. He was able to haul in boards on both ends of the floor, and he would sometimes bring the ball up the floor off of defensive boards.

Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. He shows solid potential as an on-ball defender due to his ability to recover and make second and third jumps to contest shots. Despite continually biting on pump fakes on one possession, Sensabaugh was able to quickly recover and make quick second and third jumps that enabled him to actively contest a three-point shot to force a miss. He did a good job of contesting threes to get stops, and he also would deflect passes to make it difficult for his opponents to get their passes through.

On the downside, he would struggle in screen situations, and he would sometimes be late on his rotations. Sensabaugh tended to be late to defend or contest shots inside the arc, and he lost track of his man on a curl cut that led his teammate to commit a foul once. He had trouble fighting through screens, but there was another time where he didn’t effectively communicate to his teammate that a screen was coming, which would lead his team to give up open shots.

Overall, Brice Sensabaugh didn’t have a great game, but he is a strong, athletic forward that can shoot, play on-ball defense, and post up when he is on the floor. He may not be as versatile of a prospect as advertised, but he could end up being a solid role player in the NBA, especially if he can adjust to the NBA three-point line, and he could be a solid pick in the mid to late first round range of the 2023 draft.

Hunter Dickinson played very well in his team’s win over Ohio State. He consistently thrived as a low post scorer, and he would often get deep position to score on drop steps and turnaround jump hooks. He also showed a knack for scoring on tip-ins. He would sometimes miss shots around the basket though, because he wouldn’t always get lift on his shot, and he struggled to make outside shots that were further away from the paint.

He also showed off solid playmaking skills in this game. Dickinson passed the ball very well, and he would consistently throw sharp passes to find open shooters and cutters to set up scores for his teammates. He also would set solid, firm off-ball screens that would help his teammates get open looks and jump shots. However, on one play, he didn’t seal his man very well when trying to get the ball in the post, and it led his teammate to throw a haphazard entry pass that got picked off, also because the defender was able to get his hand on the ball to do so.

Dickinson also did a very good job of rebounding the basketball, and he also would get tough boards in traffic. He also played decent defense in this game. Dickinson was especially effective as an interior defender against Ohio State. He was able to rotate to block a mid-range shot after not going for the shot fake. He also would contest numerous shots in the paint to force misses, and he has good strength to hold position when defending in the post to get stops. He also would sometimes use his length and positioning to guard opponents out on the perimeter to force them to miss outside shots.

However, he tended to sag too far when defending screens, as he would either not switch and drop back to his man and leave his teammate to have to fight over a very tough pick, or he would give up too much space despite making a switch, which would lead his team to give up loads of open, mid-range baskets. He tended to be late to get out to defend shooters. He also committed a reach-in foul when defending an opposing ball handler in transition, as he didn’t move his feet well that time.

Overall, Hunter Dickinson played very well, and he thrived as an interior player in his team’s win over Ohio State. However, it may be murkier about if he can make the transition to play at the NBA level. On one hand, Dickinson has been a very productive player at the collegiate level, and he’s a good low post scorer that has been working to improve his outside shot. On the other hand, he’ll need to keep up against quicker, faster players in a faster paced league, and he’ll need to show that he can ably guard them out on the perimeter. On top of that, he’ll be going up against taller, more athletic opponents than at the collegiate level, so he may not be able to enjoy having vast size and strength advantages at that level. He’s currently a borderline second round candidate for the 2024 draft, but he will likely have a very good season next year, assuming that he plays in college basketball once again.

Justice Sueing had his ups and downs in his team’s loss to Michigan. He thrived at scoring on fast breaks, and he was able to score on a drive in transition in this game. He also showed that he can ably score out of the post as well as off the dribble. Sueing was able to score on turnaround, fadeaway jumpers, but also missed on a couple of them. He was able to draw free throws on a strong drive, but missed on a leaner another time.

He was able to make dribble jumpers from both the three-point land and mid-range, but he struggled to consistently make outside shots. Sueing also displayed adequate playmaking skills. He was able to throw an interior pass to find a teammate on a back cut to notch an assist. He generally passed the ball well, and has solid court sense.

He also did a decent job of rebounding the basketball. Sueing also defended very well. He was able to hustle back to block a shot off of a glass to prevent an opponent from scoring on the break. He also would consistently contest shots both out on the perimeter and in the paint to get plenty of stops for his team. He also fought through a screen and crowded an opponent on a mid-range shot to help force a miss on a separate possession.

Overall, Justice Sueing struggled to consistently make shots, but he generally passed and defended well when he was on the court. He’ll need to be a more consistent outside shooter in games, but he is a fairly athletic, energetic swingman that could project into a 3 and D role in the NBA.

Ohio State’s 6-2 freshman point guard, Bruce Thornton played very well in his team’s loss to Michigan. He shot the ball, especially from the mid-range, and he did a very good job of scoring the basketball in this game.

Thornton shot the ball very well and he showed a very good shooting touch, especially from the mid-range. He showed a knack for scoring on pull-up, mid-range jumpers and floaters, and he would dribble off screens to effortlessly score from that range. He also showed that he can make threes both off the catch and dribble. He also has a fairly solid first step to the hoop, and he would score on strong, aggressive drives to the rim.

He also displayed adequate playmaking skills. Thornton is a willing passer that can make passes both off the dribble and on fast breaks to set up scoring chances for his teammates. On one play though, he telegraphed a pass that got intercepted by a defender once.

Though he didn’t grab many rebounds in this game, Thornton was able to chase down a ball to get a defensive board and pushed the pace afterwards. Defensively, he looked to be fairly average. He would get his hands on passes to get steals and deflections. However, he would tend to play too aggressively, as he would over-help off his man and bite on ball fakes, and he would be out of position and allow opponents to score on three-pointers.

Overall, Bruce Thornton had a strong showing in this game, and he is a fairly athletic combo guard that thrived as a shooter and scorer when he was on the floor. He has a bright future ahead of him, and he could definitely be a prospect to watch next season.

Michigan’s freshman point guard, Dug McDaniel had his ups and downs in his team’s win over Ohio State. He shot the ball well from deep, and he showed that he can ably make threes both off the catch and dribble, and he also scored on a runner after dribbling off of a scren. He is also a solid distributor that consistently would get the ball to his teammates to set up scores for them. However, he struggled to consistently make shots off the dribble, and he would tend to rush his shots that would lead to misses in the paint.

McDaniel rebounded the ball well. He also played adequate defense. He would jump on loose balls and get his hands on passes to help his team get steals, and he would contest jump shots to help force misses. However, his lack of size would make it difficult to contest shots consistently, and he would allow opponents to score on mid-range jumpers.

Overall, Dug McDaniel had some good moments in his team’s win over Ohio State. He was able to show some shooting and playmaking skills, despite struggling to score off the dribble or make shots early on. He may not have ideal size or athleticism, but his ability to make plays on offense could enable him to be a backup point guard in the NBA someday.

Isaac Likekele did not play very well in his team’s loss to Michigan. Likekele was previously a standout guard at Oklahoma State, and had transferred to play at Ohio State this past season. Despite never really being much of a shooter or scorer, Likekele’s size, playmaking, and defensive skills made him intriguing as an NBA draft prospect in previous years. That said though, he didn’t play very well at Ohio State, and he didn’t play very well in this particular game against Michigan. His unwillingness and inability to take or make outside shots really showed, and despite having decent size, athleticism, and defensive skills, his inability to make shots or score could make it difficult for him to make it to or succeed at the NBA level.

Likekele struggled to make shots, as he missed on a mid-range jumper off the dribble, and he struggled to score in traffic. His lone made field goal came when he utilized a pump fake to score on a strong drive from the mid-post. However, he missed on a running layup another time. He wouldn’t and couldn’t make outside shots, and opponents could sag off him when he would be out on the three-point line, and they could crowd him in the paint to make it difficult for him to score on drives at the rim.

He showed satisfactory playmaking skills. Likekele is an unselfish player that can play the point or off the ball, and he can both throw accurate passes off the dribble and operate as a secondary ball mover to get his teammates open looks on offense.

He also showed a satisfactory ability to rebound the basketball. Likekele was able to get boards on both ends of the floor, and he was able to bring the ball up off of a defensive board once. Overall, Likekele didn’t have a great game, and he didn’t get much playing time. It was a mistake for him to play at Ohio State this year, especially since he didn’t get nearly as much playing time or a chance to show or expand upon his offensive skills. I think he will go undrafted this year, and he will likely have to play well in either the G-League or overseas to be able to make it to the NBA down the road.

Ohio State’s 6-6 swingman, Tanner Holden didn’t play in this game, and he basically collected a DNP-CD in his team’s loss to Michigan. The coaching decision to do this was particularly baffling, since he’s shown at Wright State that he can be a very productive player at the collegiate level, especially as a scorer and rebounder, and they could have used his help in this game.

Despite having been a standout performer at Wright State, he for whatever reason had trouble getting minutes at Ohio State, and it seemed that the coaching staff didn’t really know how to deploy him or seemed unwilling to play him. Like Likekele, it was probably a mistake for Holden to have decided to play at Ohio State, especially since he received such sparse playing time this past season. He’ll be able to showcase his talents for them or another school next season, but it’s looking more likely that he’ll have to play well in the G-League or overseas after his collegiate career ends to have a chance to make it to the NBA down the road.

All in all, those are my thoughts on how Jett Howard, Kobe Bufkin, Brice Sensabaugh, and others fared in this game. Thanks for reading.