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2019-2020 Ohio State Men's Basketball (Official Thread)

OHIO STATE BASKETBALL FACES A LOADED SCHEDULE AHEAD OF SEASON WITH CHRIS HOLTMANN'S MOST TALENTED ROSTER
Kevin Harrish on June 6, 2019 at 2:15 pm @kevinish
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The Buckeyes enter the 2019-20 season with what looks like their most talented roster since Chris Holtmann arrived in Columbus. That's a good thing, because they're also facing their most daunting schedule since his arrival.

Ohio State announced a road trip to North Carolina as part of the 2019 Big Ten/ACC Challenge on Thursday, adding another premier opponent to an already-loaded non-conference slate.

The Buckeyes add the game against North Carolina to a schedule that already features a home matchup with Villanova, a neutral-site game against Kentucky in Las Vegas, a game against West Virginia in Cleveland, and a home matchup with Cincinnati.

And then there's the Big Ten slate.

Ohio State's conference schedule is highlighted by one-off games at Michigan State and Iowa, and home-and-home games against Michigan, Maryland and Wisconsin.

All in all, of the Buckeyes' 25 known games in 2019, six of them include teams currently in ESPN's way-too-early top-10 rankings, 19 come against teams that finished in the KenPom top-50, and all 25 are against teams that finished in the KenPom top-100 last year (H/T Kyle Lamb).

It's a daunting slate, but Ohio State is getting some reinforcements and figures to have one of its most talented rosters in years.

The Buckeyes signed three top-50 commits – four-star point guard D.J. Carton and a pair of four-star forwards in E.J. Liddell and Alonzo Gaffney – as well as three-star seven-footer Ibrahima Diallo, and have Florida State transfer C.J. Walker eligible now eligible.

It's a talented Buckeye team, but they're going to have to earn every win they get.

https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...RTdZcThxB_SWp9JyQEpwRz0oyc7btPIFvs_Ezs4uR8Fm4
 
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Expectations have returned for Ohio State basketball
ByPATRICK MURPHY Jun 29, 3:18 PM

Ohio State, a No. 5 seed in the 2020 NCAA Tournament? That is what ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi projected in his summer bracket released on Thursday.

Why should you care about bracket projections in June, months before the college basketball season even starts? You really shouldn't. But the fact that the Buckeyes are picked as a No. 5 seed by Lunardi says something about the program: there are now expectations for the Scarlet and Gray.

For those who follow Ohio State men's basketball closely, this comes as no surprise. Chris Holtmanntook over the program in the summer of 2017 and quickly went to work. He took a team that played in no postseason tournament the year before and returned them to the NCAA Tournament. Last year, despite some mid-season struggles, the Buckeyes were again in the Big Dance.
Starting this season, though, expectations increase. This is not something Holtmann is shying away from.

“I didn’t get into coaching at the highest level of college basketball to be fearful of expectations,” he said earlier this offseason. “We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us. One of the things that we tried to do and wanted to do as quickly as we could when we got the job was to become relevant as a program. As quickly as we could, we wanted to get relevant as a program.”

Holtmann has made Ohio State relevant.

The head coach is entering his third year in charge, which means he's entrenched in the program. The players on the roster know what's expected of them and have proven they are capable of executing.
After testing NBA waters, center Kaleb Wesson returns as the Buckeyes' best player. He is expected to be one of the premier big men in the Big Ten in 2019-20 and will have to shoulder an even bigger load than he did last season. His older brother, Andre Wesson, blossomed last year as a versatile forward and, now a senior, will be expected to take a leap, both on the court and as a leader. Junior forward Kyle Young is now healthy and hoping to provide a bigger impact than he has and transfer point guard CJ Walker finally gets to step on the court in a game after sitting out last season due to NCAA rules.

On the recruiting front, Holtmann has been successful. Last year, in his first true recruiting cycle, the head coach nabbed the country's 27th ranked class. Freshmen Luther Muhammad and Duane Washington were important pieces of the Scarlet and Gray roster last season, averaging 26.6 and 17.2 minutes per game respectively. Though they both had their ups and downs, they demonstrated the ability that made them Ohio State targets. Classmate Justin Ahrens also showed flashes over the second half of the season and is expected to develop into a dangerous and more consistent three-point threat for the Buckeyes.

Perhaps the biggest reason for the increased expectations is the 2019 recruiting class. The Scarlet and Gray have the country's 13th best class and are tops in the Big Ten. The class consists of four-star players in point guard DJ Carton, power forward EJ Liddell and small forward Alonzo Gaffney, all players who could conceivably make an impact for Ohio State early in their careers. The class was completed by 7-foot center Ibrahima Diallo, who while a bit of a project, should develop nicely behind Wesson.

When Chris Holtmann came to Ohio State, it was to help revitalize a program that fell on hard times toward the end of the Thad Matta era. In two quick years, he has built the Buckeyes back to the national level Scarlet and Gray fans expect.

While the 2019-20 season is still a ways off and it's hard to predict how it will play out, it is once again expected that Ohio State will be in the mix in the Big Ten and for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

Enjoy these expectations Buckeye fans. This is how Ohio State basketball is supposed to be.


https://247sports.com/college/ohio-...J-Carton-EJ-Liddell-Alonzo-Gaffney-133294931/
 
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10 BIGGEST QUESTIONS FACING OHIO STATE BASKETBALL THIS OFFSEASON
Colin Hass-Hill on July 3, 2019 at 10:53 am @chasshill
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More than four months remain until Ohio State opens the 2019-20 season at home against Cincinnati.

But the freshmen have arrived on campus to begin full-team offseason workouts that have already begun.

As the Buckeyes prepare for a year in which they'll face their highest preseason expectations yet in Holtmann's tenure, they have a number of questions to answer, and we delved into 10 of them.

HOW WILL CHRIS HOLTMANN MANEUVER THE POINT GUARD SITUATION WITH DJ CARTON AND CJ WALKER?
A year ago, Ohio State relied on C.J. Jackson and Keyshawn Woods to run the offense, with Jackson spending most of the season as the primary ball-handler before Woods took over point guard duties near the end. Both, now, are gone.

Four-star DJ Carton and Florida State transfer CJ Walker will take over as the two point guards this season.

Ohio State beat Indiana and Michigan in a hard-fought battle for Carton, the No. 33 overall prospect and fourth-ranked point guard in his class. The lefty has impressive athleticism for his 6-foot-1, 190-pound frame, can finish on drives and plays with relentless force of will.

Walker chose to transfer to Ohio State after two years at Florida State. He averaged eight points and 2.4 assists as a sophomore in 2017-18. Multiple teammates have described him as a "bulldog" with natural leadership qualities.

Both Carton and Walker will undoubtedly play sizable roles for the Buckeyes, and they could even play some minutes on the court at the same time – though Holtmann has said he doesn't want Carton learning more than one position right now. But how Holtmann plans to deploy them remains uncertain.


CAN THEY FIND A WAY TO OVERCOME YOUTH?
Ohio State has just one senior – Andre Wesson – compared to seven underclassmen, including four freshmen.

To fans, that means this team has tantalizing potential. To Holtmann, that's worrisome.

"Old wins in college basketball," Holtmann said a month ago. "We know that. Look at the teams that advance and the teams that have won the Big Ten. I would challenge you to tell me how many of those teams have been really young teams in the last five or 10 years. We need to get old. That will take some time. We aren’t there yet. That’s kind of how we planned it, too. We knew there would be a process to getting old."

As Holtmann has mentioned, the trio of sophomores – Luther Muhammad, Duane Washington Jr. and Justin Ahrens – played plenty of minutes as freshmen and experienced wins in both the NCAA and Big Ten tournaments, which should aid them this season. Still, they each went through rough stretches that, though not uncommon for freshmen, can't happen this season.

Ohio State could turn to two freshmen – Carton and E.J. Liddell – as starters, too, which would make Holtmann anxious.

WHO WILL STEP UP AS THE CONSISTENT SECONDARY SCORERS THE TEAM LACKED LAST YEAR?
Two players – Kaleb Wesson and Jackson – averaged double-digit points last season, but the offense typically revolved heavily around Wesson. When Wesson exited the game or struggled to put in points, as amplified during his late-season suspension, the Buckeyes struggled to score points.

With the offseason additions of a few quality scorers, Ohio State hopes that issue won't cap the ceiling of the 2019-20 squad.

The Buckeyes will count on Carton, Liddell and Walker to provide scoring boosts. A few returners – Muhammad, Washington and Andre Wesson – will step into larger offensive roles, too. Ahrens would add shooting, but his defense needs to improve before Holtmann consistently relies on him. It's unlikely Jallow or Young become consistent scorers this season.

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WILL THE WEIGHT OF EXPECTATIONS CRUSH THE TEAM?
Nobody expected Ohio State to challenge for the Big Ten title, let alone make the NCAA tournament in 2017-18, and many people didn't pick the team to make the NCAA tournament in 2018-19. Holtmann's teams surprised their doubters both years, though.

Leading up to the 2019-20 season, Ohio State won't have as many nonbelievers.

Holtmann signed his best recruiting class of all-time, which also happened to be the top-rated 2019 class in the Big Ten, and he will combine those four freshmen with Walker, Andre Wesson, three rising sophomores, Jallow, Young and Kaleb Wesson, one of the top big men in the Big Ten. The team has depth, high-end recruits and a coach who has proved he can maximize talent.

No longer will making the NCAA tournament be a bonus. It's now a baseline expectation.

HOW DOES THE FRONTCOURT SHAPE UP WITH E.J. LIDDELL LIKELY TO PUSH FOR A STARTING SPOT?
Here's a quick reminder of Ohio State's frontcourt situation.

  • Small forward: Andre Wesson, Justin Ahrens, Musa Jallow (also a shooting guard), Alonzo Gaffney
  • Power forward: Kyle Young, E.J. Liddell
  • Center: Kaleb Wesson, Ibrahima Diallo
The Wesson brothers will start at small forward and center. Young, the other returning starting forward, doesn't have his spot locked up. Not with Liddell on the team.

Listed at 6-foot-6, 220 pounds in high school, Liddell lacks the typical height of power forwards, but he makes up for it with long arms, timing on his jumps and effort. The No. 42 overall prospectis a high-ceiling freshman who should be able to impact games on both ends of the floor from Day 1.

In order to maintain his starting spot, Young needs to add to his offensive game this offseason. He's a high-energy hustler and rebounder, but he hasn't offered much diversity as a scorer.

CAN SOMEONE BE THE VOCAL LEADER AFTER A YEAR WHERE THAT LACKED?
A year ago, Ohio State's coaches and players mentioned leadership as something they were looking for. But they arguably never found it, at least to the level the coaches hoped.

Once again, ahead of this season, the Buckeyes are looking for vocal leaders.

"Kaleb definitely is (a vocal leader)," Andre Wesson said. "CJ Walker is too. With them two and my leadership style, I think that we should definitely be OK."

Walker has often been mentioned as a someone with leadership qualities, so he's one to look out for. Beyond him, though, it's worth watching to see who emerges as the player whose teammates follow behind, because it's not yet clear who will take that role.

JUST HOW GOOD CAN KALEB WESSON BECOME AS A JUNIOR?
Kaleb Wesson returned to Ohio State, in large part, to build his draft stock and become a more enticing NBA prospect.

“People were telling me overseas that I have a buzz over there,” Wesson told Eleven Warriors. “I mean, I can go over there and make money, but there's millions of dollars on the table and I have still have time to make that money at the biggest spotlight I can, so why not do that?”

So, what's next for the big man? How can he further expand his game?

NBA teams, he said, mentioned ball-screen defense and interior finishing as areas they want to see him improve. Holtmann also said they mentioned rebounding, turnovers and fitness.

Wesson will enter the 2019-20 season as one of the top big men in the Big Ten, and he hopes to become one of the top bigs in the nation. Now that he has heard what NBA teams want from him, he'll have a chance to make those necessary improvements, which could take him to another level as a player.

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CAN LUTHER MUHAMMAD PLAY LIKE HE DID DURING THE FIRST HALF OF HIS FRESHMAN YEAR?
Muhammad started from Day 1, putting up 11 points in the opening game of his freshman season. It appeared to be a shrewd decision from Holtmann.

Muhammad responded with his ever-intense defense, which he complemented with a surprisingly proficient shooting touch. As the year wore on and he exited the non-conference portion of his season, however, his quality of play steadily dropped.

Here are his splits by month. All statistics are per game.

  • November: seven games, 27.9 minutes, 8.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 49 percent shooting, 37.5 percent 3-point shooting
  • December: five games, 29.8 minutes, 9.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 47.2 shooting, 50 percent 3-point shooting
  • January: seven games, 31.1 minutes, 10.1 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 37.9 percent shooting, 40.9 percent 3-point shooting
  • February: eight games, 26.6 minutes, 6.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 25 percent shooting, 31 percent 3-point shooting
  • March: seven games, 18.7 minutes, 3.7 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 26.1 percent shooting, 33.3 percent 3-point shooting
By the end of the season, Muhammad was an offensive sieve. He wasn't hitting as many 3-pointers as he had been earlier in the season, and his decision-making and shot selection inside the 3-point arc fell off a cliff. He often looked out of control with the ball, and his minutes steeply decreased.

He evidently hit the proverbial freshman wall.

Ohio State cannot afford to have the second-half version of Muhammad at the two-guard position in the 2019-20 season. He's a key cog, likely to start at shooting guard again. As arguably the most talented perimeter defender on the team, he needs to have better shot selection and consistent offensive production as a sophomore.

HOW MUCH OF A ROLE WILL ALONZO GAFFNEY AND IBRAHIMA DIALLO PLAY AS FRESHMEN?
Carton and Liddell might find themselves in the starting lineup on the opening day of the season. Gaffney and Diallo, though, might need more time to adjust to the college game.

Gaffney, the No. 48 overall prospect in his class, has a bundle of potential. At 6-foot-9, 190 pounds, he possesses a rare bundle of skill and length at the forward position, but he's not a finished product.

Diallo, a 7-foot center, is raw, which will hinder his ability to get on the court as a freshman. Still, the Buckeyes need minutes at backup center, so he could enter games on an inconsistent, situational basis.

CAN THE COACHING STAFF FIGURE OUT A ROTATION?
Here's the big question, and it's one that likely won't be answered until the Buckeyes start playing games.

If you analyze the roster, one thing becomes readily apparent: Ohio State has a lot of players who expect to play.

Walker and Carton will split time at point guard, and there's a chance both spend time on the court together. Washington and Muhammad will split time at shooting guard, and Jallow will take some of those minutes, too. Jallow also plays small forward, where Andre Wesson, Ahrens and Gaffney play. Gaffney and Wesson could play power forward, the position manned by Young and Liddell. Kaleb Wesson will play center, and Diallo backs him up.

Holtmann's rotation will not go 12 deep, and he'll begin to get an idea of who to rely on this offseason.

OTHER QUESTIONS
  • Can Andre Wesson become a reliable 3-point shooter?
  • Will Ohio State be able to get to the free-throw line more often than last year?
  • After sitting out last year, is CJ Walker ready to take the reins of the team?
  • Can Duane Washington turn into a more consistent offensive spark off the bench?
  • Who will back up Kaleb Wesson?
  • Will Justin Ahrens develop other aspects of his game to complement his shooting touch?
  • Can Musa Jallow expand his role beyond an athletic, defense-first wing?
  • Will Kyle Young be able to expand his offensive game?
https://www.elevenwarriors.com/ohio...28W2YhVeH2cLp3sTcfl-3i1UAfoPEo7HgoJt6gOavwdzA
 
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cal listed sueing as 6-7. liddell is listed as 6-7 per some and 6-6 per others. carton himself tweeted that he's 6-3 "on the dot." diallo is listed most places as 7-0.

say what you will about osu, but we certainly aren't one to inflate heights. if anything, we deflate them.

anyway, the so-called effective heights of the incoming freshmen are taller than their measured heights. carton will play a lot taller than jackson or woods did. liddell will play a lot taller than andre. gaffney will play taller than young. diallo will play a lot taller than kaleb.

 
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cal listed sueing as 6-7. liddell is listed as 6-7 per some and 6-6 per others. carton himself tweeted that he's 6-3 "on the dot." diallo is listed most places as 7-0.

say what you will about osu, but we certainly aren't one to inflate heights. if anything, we deflate them.

anyway, the so-called effective heights of the incoming freshmen are taller than their measured heights. carton will play a lot taller than jackson or woods did. liddell will play a lot taller than andre. gaffney will play taller than young. diallo will play a lot taller than kaleb.


236 is usually a tad on the heavy side for 6-6 frosh, but EJ looks like he is already an upperclassman physically.
 
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236 is usually a tad on the heavy side for 6-6 frosh, but EJ looks like he is already an upperclassman physically.
weight can be such a fluid thing, especially when you're young and active with a healthy appetite. while playing sports back in my high school and college days, fluctuating 5 or more pounds from day to day was nothing. also, when i look at a picture of kenny goins (about same listed height and weight), liddell doesn't look all that dissimilar.

regardless of whatever liddell's height and weight actually are, though, he'll certainly play bigger than he's listed.
 
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OHIO STATE RELEASES OFFICIAL HEIGHTS, WEIGHTS FOR BASKETBALL NEWCOMERS
Colin Hass-Hill on July 9, 2019 at 2:00 pm @chasshill
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Ohio State's newcomers have been on campus for a few weeks, and they now have official measurables.

The program updated the online official roster to reflect the current roster, which includes the additions of four freshmen – four-star guard DJ Carton, four-star forward Alonzo Gaffney, four-star forward E.J. Liddell and three-star center Ibrahima Diallo – and California transfer Justice Sueing. A couple weeks ago, the Buckeyes announced the numbers of the newcomers, and now they have released their heights and weights.

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It's unknown whether the heights are listed with or without shoes. Heights of NBA players are calculated with shoes.

Diallo was listed as a 7-footer by recruiting outlets, including 247Sports, but he measured in at 6-foot-10 by Ohio State. Still, he's the tallest player on the roster.

Liddell is the second-heaviest player on the roster, behind Kaleb Wesson. Gaffney is tied with Wesson as the second-tallest player on the team.


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All those heights looks pretty accurate to me. The only one that's hard to buy is Diallo because of how he looks in comparison to other players, you'd figure he has to be at least 6'11, but maybe it's all that extra length he has that kind of enhances the perception. And the length is ultimately what matters, anyways.
 
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OHIO STATE IS ONE OF TWO BIG TEN TEAMS TO EARN THE NABC TEAM ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE AWARD
Taylor Lehman on July 11, 2019 at 11:49 am @taylorrlehman
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Ohio State was one of two Big Ten teams to earn the NABC Team Academic Excellence Award.

The National Association of Basketball Coaches has been handing out Team Academic Excellence Awards for seven years, and Ohio State men's basketball earned its second consecutive honor.

To receive the award, a team must record a team GPA of at least 3.0.

The Buckeyes were led by guard Joey Lane, who was honored by the Big Ten as a 2018019 Distinguished Scholar. To qualify for the distinguished honor, a player must record at least a 3.7 GPA the year before.

The only other Big Ten team to earn the award in 2018-19 was Northwestern. This was Ohio State's second time making the list, which corresponds with the two seasons that Chris Holtmann has been the head coach of the Buckeyes.

Ohio State begins its 2019-20 season at home against Cincinnati in early-November.


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