• Follow us on Twitter @buckeyeplanet and @bp_recruiting, like us on Facebook! Enjoy a post or article, recommend it to others! BP is only as strong as its community, and we only promote by word of mouth, so share away!
  • Consider registering! Fewer and higher quality ads, no emails you don't want, access to all the forums, download game torrents, private messages, polls, Sportsbook, etc. Even if you just want to lurk, there are a lot of good reasons to register!

2020-2021 Ohio State Men's Basketball (Official Thread)

Jump to latest Follow Reply
Sort by date Sort by votes
ScriptOhio

ScriptOhio

Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
Lundardi projects Ohio State as 5 seed in 2021 NCAA Tournament

The country as a whole, and specifically the college basketball world, was robbed of the 2020 NCAA Tournament by the coronavirus pandemic that swept the nation just days before the tournament's field was to be announced. The cancelation of the NCAA Tournament was unprecedented and its effects will likely be felt beyond this year.

And while teams across the country were impacted by not taking part in the Big Dance, some were affected more than others. One of those teams that could have benefitted the most from taking part in the NCAA Tournament was Ohio State.

The Buckeyes finished the regular season winners of nine of their last 12 games, including three ranked victories -- teams that were surely going dancing -- in their last five contests. The Scarlet and Gray were also poised to get back forward Kyle Young, the all-hustle, do-everything junior, who missed the final four contests of the regular season. Had the Tournament been played, Ohio State was poised to make a run and where they ended up was anyone's guess.

Fortunately, the NCAA Tournament happens every year and we expect that at the end of next season, there will be postseason play. And while that is a year away, and there remains a full offseason and regular season to be played before we get there, it's never too early to look ahead, especially if you're ESPN's Joe Lundardi. The college basketball expert released his "Way-Too-Early March Madness bracket for 2021, Version 1" this week and you should not be surprised to find the Buckeyes back in the Big Dance.

Despite the flurry of recent turnover within the Scarlet and Gray program, Lunardi projects Ohio State to be a No. 5 seed come the 2021 NCAA Tournament, the same seeding he predicted for the 2020 Buckeyes.

There certainly is uncertainty when it comes to the 2020-21 season for the Scarlet and Gray. Junior center Kaleb Wesson, Ohio State's leading scorer and rebounder last year, declared for the 2020 NBA Draft and said he plans to hire an agent. While NCAA rules permit Wesson to return to college after working out for teams if he chooses, that does not seem like that is in the cards for the Columbus native. This means the Buckeyes must replace a 6-foot-9, 270-pound big man who could score in the paint, shoot from the outside (42.5 percent from three-point range last year) and defend.

In addition, the Scarlet and Gray's lone scholarship senior, Andre Wesson, graduated. Freshman point guard DJ Carton and sophomore guard Luther Muhammad both elected to transfer and freshman Alonzo Gaffney left the program after one year, likely to test the professional waters. In these departures, Ohio State loses a veteran leader, two very good defenders, a freshman who showed a lot of promise before missing the final 11 games of the season and another freshman who the team hoped to groom into an effective player.

But it hasn't been all losses for the Buckeyes since the season abruptly ended. The Scarlet and Gray added Harvard graduate transfer Seth Towns, who brings his size and scoring ability from the Ivy League to the Big Ten. Playing with Ohio State, Towns won't have to be the offensive force he was for two years with the Crimson, but he has the ability to put the ball in the basket when needed.

Also, the Buckeyes will add Justice Sueing to the rotation in 2020-21. The former California forward had to sit out last year but brings 14.3 points and six rebounds per game from the West Coast to the Midwest. The Scarlet and Gray will also get Young, who averaged 7.5 points and 5.8 rebounds last season, and junior guard Musa Jallow back from injuries. Both players need to continue to expand their games, but each has a role to play for Ohio State.

And it shouldn't be forgotten the players who performed well for the Buckeyes last season and will return in 2020-21. Guards CJ Walker and Duane Washington each continued to elevate their game, especially once Carton wasn't playing and roles were clearly defined. EJ Liddell emerged as a legitimate option in the paint and will continue to build on a strong end to his freshman season. If Justin Ahrens can continue to develop, the Scarlet and Gray have a ready-made catch-and-shoot player to deploy. Finally, Ohio State has four-star shooting guard Eugene Brown and three-star power forward Zed Key set to enroll this summer, two players the coaching staff is high on.

Entire article: https://247sports.com/college/ohio-...gx6C88ejHPVC2Q5IXCQy3c6lmF7oXo-jY5a9hOWPZXvtc
 
going through porter's stats against teams from torvik's 2019-20 top 50:

lsu: 33 minutes, 1 point, 3 assists, and 3 turnovers.
saint mary's: 24, 2, 7, and 1.
byu: 36, 13, 4, and 1.
florida: 33, 8, 2, and 0.
sdsu: 36, 9, 5, and 1.
sdsu: 17, 5, 2, and 2.
sdsu: 26, 0, 2, and 1.

small sample size, but he averaged 29 minutes, 5.4 points, 3.6 assists, and 1.3 turnovers. pretty close to his overall season averages. in those games listed above, he averaged 39% overall and 43% behind the arc. compared to his season averages, he shot the same overall but much better behind the arc. again... small sample size.
 
Upvote 0


Incredibly, Porter was a walk-on at Utah State until Jan. 24, 2019, when he and a teammate, Justin Bean, were awarded scholarships.



ON THE COURT
Nothing Porter does will blow anybody away. He's not a flashy player or a high-powered scorer.

But as a veteran who averaged 25.6 minutes per game as the starting point guard on a Utah State team that went 26-8 and finished last season by upsetting San Diego State to win the Mountain West tournament championship, he'll provide the Buckeyes with a steady, if unspectacular, pass-first option in its backcourt. He'll serve as a backup to CJ Walker and Duane Washington Jr., both of whom will start at guard next season.

Porter played sparingly in his first two years at Utah State before becoming a full-time starting guard midway through his redshirt sophomore season. Here's a look at the stats across his final two years as an Aggie:
  • In 2018-19: 21.6 minutes, 5.5 points, 2.8 assists, 2.3 rebounds, 1.4 turnovers, 42 percent shooting, 40.5 percent from 3-point range, 71.2 percent from the free-throw line
  • In 2019-20: 25.6 minutes, 5.6 points, 3.2 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.6 turnovers, 38.2 percent shooting, 29.7 percent from 3-point range, 76.1 percent from the free-throw line
Not once at Utah State did Porter ever lead his team in points in a single game, though he scored in double figures nine times last season. As a Buckeye, Porter will again serve as a complementary offensive piece who facilitates more than anything else. Each of the past two seasons, he had a two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio, ranking fifth in the Mountain West in that category last year.

Porter won't impress with his athleticism or scoring acumen. But as an older-than-average fifth-year senior guard, he will give Chris Holtmann and his staff a veteran facilitator who'll be fine coming off the bench as the Buckeyes chase their ultimate goals as a team.
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0
Upvote 0
bukIpower said:
Not a winning recipe in basketball I'd think with so much in and out of players due to transfering.

It feels like the players leaving are more significant.
Click to expand...

Carton was but if he ends up two and done, maybe not really. Chemistry was better in the backcourt when he went on leave. Sounds like Porter is not just a depth add, but a chemistry, experience, leadership add. But more importantly, a Sotos that is our lead guard for 2021-2022 is a lot more valuable to OSU than a Carton who might be in the NBA by then.

Muhammad is just a laugher. A two year starter who is limited and erratic on offense decides to transfer somewhere where the offense can supposedly flow through him more. Wish him well and be glad the staff's not trying to give him that role here. His scholarship spot might not be going to better players, per se, but they very well could be better fits for need, especially Sotos.

As for Gaffney, uh, yeah... I feel fairly confident saying Sueing and Towns are gonna be giving us a lot more value than Gaffney is gonna be giving any team any time soon. And sounds like the first chance he has to show anything, he is going pro.
 
Upvote 0
Ohio State Men’s Basketball Roster Overhaul Is Now Complete (Probably)

Buckeyes-Basketball.jpg


The addition of Utah State grad transfer point guard Abel Porter on Saturday brings the OSU men’s basketball roster back to the NCAA-mandated scholarship limit of 13.

That means that a crazy month of roster turnover could finally be complete.

Exactly one month ago today, on March 12, Chris Holtmann’s team was set to tip off its second-round matchup against Purdue in the 2020 Big Ten Men’s Basketball Tournament.

Kaleb and Andre Wesson, Luther Muhammad, and Alonzo Gaffney were all expected to be in uniform. DJ Carton was also on the roster.

One month later, that team is now a thing of the past, without ever having stepped on the court again. Those five players are now gone, with only Andre Wesson having exhausted his eligibility.

Here’s a look at everything else that has happened since then.

March 19: DJ Carton enters the NCAA Transfer Portal

March 21: Harvard grad transfer Seth Towns commits to OSU

March 22: Alonzo Gaffney announces he is leaving Ohio State

April 1: Kaleb Wesson announces he will enter NBA Draft

April 5: Luther Muhammad enters the NCAA Transfer Portal

April 6: Bucknell transfer Jimmy Sotos commits to OSU

April 11: Utah State grad transfer Abel Porter commits to OSU

It’s theoretically possible that Kaleb Wesson could return, but with the Buckeyes now at 13 scholarship players someone would have to leave in order to make room for Wesson.

The 2020-2021 Buckeyes will add a pair of freshmen, SG Eugene Brown and PF Zed Key, in addition to Towns, Porter, and SF Justice Sueing, who sat out last season after transferring from Cal.

The overhauled roster is listed below by position and class. Sotos will have to sit out the 2020-2021 season due to NCAA transfer rules, and will then have one season of eligibility remaining.

If this is the final roster, Holtmann’s fourth Ohio State team will enter the season with a number of big questions.

How will the team replace Kaleb Wesson, who led the squad in scoring and rebounding last year?

Who will step up since the team lost three of its four top per-game scorers?

A healthy Kyle Young and developing EJ Liddell could provide some of the answers in the front-court. If Duane Washington continues to develop, he could be one of the scoring solutions. If Ibrahima Diallo can provide at least a handful of decent minutes a game, that could make a big difference in the paint.

But the success of next year’s Buckeye team could come down to how quickly the new guys, including Towns, Porter, and Sueing can step up into a bigger role.

Entire article: https://theozone.net/2020/04/ohio-state-basketballs-roster-overhaul-is-now-complete-probably/
 
Upvote 0
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top