You’re Nuts: How can John Mobley Jr. improve next season?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Mobley was one of two Big Ten freshmen to average 13 points per game and shoot 38% or better from three last season.
John Mobley Jr. had one of the better freshmen seasons in program history this past year. He averaged 13 points per game, knocked down 77 three-pointers in 32 games, and scored in double-digits in each of his first six college games.
When Meechie Johnson left the team in December, he blended into the starting lineup almost seamlessly, providing comparable offense to what the Buckeyes expected to get from the more experienced Johnson had he played all year.
Unfortunately for Mobley, it was a stacked year in the Big Ten for freshman. His 13 points per game was only good for the sixth-best in the B1G, and his 38.5% three-point percentage was second among Big Ten freshmen behind USC’s (now Washington’s) Wesley Yates.
In a lot of other seasons, Mobley would have been B1G Freshman of the Year. This past year, he had to beat out Dylan Harper, Ace Bailey Kasparas Jakucionis, Yates, who won the award.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated what we should reasonably expect from incoming freshman A’mare Bynum this season. It was a fairly even spread of votes, but the most readers sided with Justin, who is predicting Bynum to average six points and four rebounds per game — 44% of readers agreed with him. 27% of readers liked Connor’s prediction, which had Bynum averaging nine points and five rebounds per game. 17% of readers thought that Bynum would be worse than either of those guesses, and the remaining 12% think Bynum is going to be even better than Connor’s optimistic guess.
After 206 weeks:
Connor- 93
Justin- 87
Other- 20
(There have been six ties)
This week, we’re looking at
Ohio State’s stud freshman guard who will soon be a sophomore guard, John Mobley. What does he do for an encore after busting onto the scene and establishing himself as one of college basketball’s best deep shooters? Where will we see improvements in year two?
This week’s question: How can John Mobley Jr. improve next season?
Connor: Consistent production
6'1 G John Mobley Jr. vs. Youngstown State:
• 16 PTS
• 3 AST
• 5/9 FG (55.6% FG)
• 3/4 3PT
The Ohio State freshman is one of the most talented rookie guards in the COUNTRY! Had 14 PTS in his first game against Texas and is looking like one of the most dangerous shooters in…
pic.twitter.com/SfmANEfWBO
— Workin It Hoops (@workinithoops)
November 12, 2024
Ohio State was 4-8 last season when Mobley scored fewer than 10 points.
Ohio State was 13-7 last season when Mobley scored 10 or more points.
Ohio State was 10-15 last season when Mobley shot below 50%.
Ohio State was 7-0 last season when Mobley shot 50% or better from the floor.
Translation: The Buckeyes went as Mobley went last season. Maybe it’s because they relied on the freshman a little too much, but when he struggled, so did the team. When he was efficient and scoring often, the Buckeyes were tough to beat. He showed a ton of potential, but there were times when he was not too terrible consistent.
I believe that is the next step for Mobley — consistent production with no fall-off.
Mobley started the season scoring in double-digits in each of his first six collegiate games before scoring seven points on 2-of-7 shooting against Pitt — an Ohio State loss.
He also had a brutal stretch from late December to late January, going 15-for-53 from three-point range over an eight-game stretch from Dec. 21, 2024 to Jan. 18, 2025. The Buckeyes went 4-4 during that stretch.
Mobley also finished the season shooting 3-for-16 from beyond the arc in losses to Indiana and Iowa. A win in either of these two games may have put Ohio State in the NCAA Tournament.
In summary, Ohio State would really benefit from a more consistent John Mobley Jr. Instead of going 1-for-4 from three on Monday, 2-for-9 on Thursday, and 4-for-6 on Sunday, what if he knocked down two or three of them per game? Ohio State clearly struggled during the season when Mobley went into any type of prolonged cold period.
Instead of getting blazing hot one day and struggling the next, Mobley would benefit from more consistent shooting as a sophomore.
Justin: Two-point field goal efficiency
John Mobley Jr. was put into a really tough situation last season when the midseason departure of Meechie Johnson forced him into a starting role as a freshman guard. For the most part, he handled it phenomenally, even popping up on draft boards throughout the season as a possible second-round pick.
However, his two-point efficiency is the one thing he can improve upon to help take his game to the next level.
Mobley is a sharpshooter and one of the conference’s best three-point shooters. Even in high school, national scouts said he was one of the best shooters in the recruiting class.
Despite a couple of freshman slumps, he shot 39 percent from deep on 6.3 attempts per game. That is impressive for a freshman as the main piece on the scouting report. However, he shot just 40 percent on 4.3 attempts per game from inside the arc.
If he can get that number up to 45 or 50 percent, it will make defenses respect his dribble and drive game more, creating more outside looks for him and his guard counterpart Bruce Thornton.
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