Prospect Matchup Game Reviews: Michigan vs Ohio State
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In a Sunday Big Ten battle of teams hovering around .500 we saw the Michigan Wolverines knock off the Ohio State Buckeyes. This game showcased multiple NBA Draft prospects at varying levels and possibly even draft classes.
Jett Howard and Brice Sensabaugh were the headliners as both prospects are receiving significant 2023 lottery buzz.
The Wolverines also have 7-footer Hunter Dickinson who is at least in the conversation around the upcoming draft although he is just a junior and the same can be said for sophomore guard, Kobe Bufkin.
Joining Sensabaugh for Ohio State is top 50 recruit Roddy Gayle Jr. who is even more in line for the 2024 NBA Draft than even Dickinson or Bufkin.
Jett Howard (Wing | Michigan)
The freshman son of Head Coach Juwan Howard has been one of the biggest risers so far in the 2023 NBA Draft cycle.
Without a doubt, Howard’s tough shot making is his most NBA ready skill and this was on full display on Sunday afternoon.
The IMG Academy product made multiple tough buckets and did so running off screens and with the ball in his hands. This kid is much, much more than just a simple catch and shoot scorer.
It would be nice to see the 6-foot-7 wing impact the game in more ways than just scoring as he had just two rebounds and one assist to go with zero steals or blocks.
With that said, the defense was not near as bad in this game as some have talked about. Specifically, he had some really nice on the ball possessions against Sensabaugh.
Kobe Bufkin (Guard | Michigan)
A player who absolutely made an impact in a multitude of ways is the very intriguing 6-foot-4 guard. Bufkin immediately made his presence felt by scoring the ball, rebounding the ball, creating open shots for his teammates and on the defensive end of the court.
The Michigan native is a smooth, left-handed athlete that is oozing with potential that is sure to be on 2024 draft radars and could even make some noise this summer with a big close to the season.
Bufkin finished the game with 13 points, eight rebounds, and five assists to go along with a steal and a block. Those two defensive metrics do not even come close to representing his overall impact on the defensive end of the floor, either.
Hunter Dickinson (Center | Michigan)
While not being the best NBA prospect on the floor, Dickinson was absolutely the best and most impactful player on the court in Ann Arbor.
The 7-footer took the game over to start the second half and Ohio State was never able to recover. While his back to the basket post game will most likely not translate to the next level, it is an absolute level for the Wolverines.
What makes the DeMatha High School alum intriguing is the potential shooting touch from the perimeter and if the passing ends up translating to the next level, especially in ball screen short rolls.
Dickinson also shows some intriguing movement ability when he gets out in transition and on the defensive end of the court when he is asked to hedge ball screens. He is not a big time shot blocker by any means but it does seem that he gets a good contest on almost any shot in his area and is a very good communicator on the backend of the Michigan defense.
Brice Sensabaugh (Wing | Ohio State)
The freshman phenom in Columbus, OH did not get the start as foul trouble concerns have materialized over the past couple of weeks. That did not stop the Orlando, FL native from getting his shots up early and often, though.
It was an inefficient night from Sensabaugh as he scored just 14 points on as many field goal attempts, but the tough shot making was still on full display. There is no denying that this kid can flat out shoot it.
It would be nice to see Sensabaugh get a few more “easy” attempts and get all the way to the rim and finish at a higher rate. Much like Howard, his defense is often scrutinized but outside of the foul trouble it did not overtly show up in this particular game. He even flashed with some really nice off the ball rotations and pulled down nine total rebounds.
Roddy Gayle Jr. (Guard | Ohio State)
It's unlikely that Gayle Jr. will follow in the footsteps of Malaki Branham and be a one-and-done, but in limited minutes you did see the intrigue for Wasatch Academy alum in the 2024 draft.
He missed a couple looks in the first half but showed a few really nice possessions off the bounce in the second. Two led to him getting himself to the free throw line after getting fouled at the rim and a third should have yielded an assist had it not been for a bobbled pass from the receiving big.
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