Connor Lemons
Guest
Brice Sensabaugh drafted by the Utah Jazz with the 28th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The All-Big Ten honoree rose up from an under-recruited four-star recruit to a one-and-done prospect in less than one calendar year.
With the 28th pick, the Utah Jazz select Brice Sensabaugh, a freshman forward from The ™ Ohio State University, in the 2023 NBA Draft.
And with that, Ohio State’s leading scorer from a year ago is off to the NBA, joining the Utah Jazz in what is sure to be in intriguing journey from this point on for the broad shouldered forward from Orlando, Florida.
Sensabaugh arrived at Ohio State one year ago with plenty of hype, although said hype came more from the mouth of head coach Chris Holtmann than anyone else. Sensabaugh was under-recruited out of high school, reaching No. 86 in the 2022 class by the time he arrived on campus. Agility and defense were always going to be a point of concern for the 6-foot-6, 235-pound forward, but Holtmann repeatedly praised his offensive moxie and wide skillset.
Sensabaugh backed up his coach’s talk, averaging 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, both of which were team highs. He also shot 40.5 % from three-point land and 80.3% from the free throw line during his freshman season, appearing in 33 of Ohio State’s 35 games.
Sensabaugh was named to the All-Big Ten third team at the season’s conclusion. He becomes the second one-and-done player in two years for Ohio State, joining Malaki Branham (Spurs) — the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
One of the few bright spots during an otherwise dismal season in Columbus, Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes in scoring for 13 consecutive games from December 17 until Feb 2, a freshman record at Ohio State. He missed the final two games of the season — both in the Big Ten Tournament — due to a knee injury.
Sensabaugh’s best tool is clear — his ability to score the ball. Whether it be off the pass or dribble, he has shown the ability to score in bunches and at a highly efficient level. He shot 40% from three-point range last season, but his best shot actually comes in the mid-range area. Sensabaugh got to the elbow or just a bit in from the elbow time and time again last season, creating space for himself before knocking down a one-legged jumper from 12-15 feet out. He’s also an above average finisher below the basket, a great cutter, and a highlight reel dunker. There’s not much missing in the offensive toolbox.
His shortcomings lie on the defensive end, and in a major way. As the season progressed, Sensabaugh proved to be — at best — a vulnerable defender and at times a glaring liability. Teams would isolate Sensabaugh and find ways to attack him specifically, hoping to get an easy basket, draw a foul on the freshman, or perhaps both. During a brutal stretch where Ohio State lost 14 of 15 games, there were times Holtmann had to keep Sensabaugh on the bench for extended stretches due to poor defense.
It’s obvious that if Sensabaugh struggled on the defensive end in college, he will in the NBA as well. But the ability to create your own shot is as valuable now as it has ever been in the league, so the Jazz are willing to live with the defense for now. It’s also possible that Sensabaugh’s knee injury from March caused him to slip a few spots.
Congrats to Brice on being drafted to the Jazz. We’ll always be pulling for you here at LGHL!
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
The All-Big Ten honoree rose up from an under-recruited four-star recruit to a one-and-done prospect in less than one calendar year.
With the 28th pick, the Utah Jazz select Brice Sensabaugh, a freshman forward from The ™ Ohio State University, in the 2023 NBA Draft.
And with that, Ohio State’s leading scorer from a year ago is off to the NBA, joining the Utah Jazz in what is sure to be in intriguing journey from this point on for the broad shouldered forward from Orlando, Florida.
Sensabaugh arrived at Ohio State one year ago with plenty of hype, although said hype came more from the mouth of head coach Chris Holtmann than anyone else. Sensabaugh was under-recruited out of high school, reaching No. 86 in the 2022 class by the time he arrived on campus. Agility and defense were always going to be a point of concern for the 6-foot-6, 235-pound forward, but Holtmann repeatedly praised his offensive moxie and wide skillset.
Sensabaugh backed up his coach’s talk, averaging 16.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game, both of which were team highs. He also shot 40.5 % from three-point land and 80.3% from the free throw line during his freshman season, appearing in 33 of Ohio State’s 35 games.
Sensabaugh was named to the All-Big Ten third team at the season’s conclusion. He becomes the second one-and-done player in two years for Ohio State, joining Malaki Branham (Spurs) — the 20th overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft.
One of the few bright spots during an otherwise dismal season in Columbus, Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes in scoring for 13 consecutive games from December 17 until Feb 2, a freshman record at Ohio State. He missed the final two games of the season — both in the Big Ten Tournament — due to a knee injury.
Sensabaugh’s best tool is clear — his ability to score the ball. Whether it be off the pass or dribble, he has shown the ability to score in bunches and at a highly efficient level. He shot 40% from three-point range last season, but his best shot actually comes in the mid-range area. Sensabaugh got to the elbow or just a bit in from the elbow time and time again last season, creating space for himself before knocking down a one-legged jumper from 12-15 feet out. He’s also an above average finisher below the basket, a great cutter, and a highlight reel dunker. There’s not much missing in the offensive toolbox.
His shortcomings lie on the defensive end, and in a major way. As the season progressed, Sensabaugh proved to be — at best — a vulnerable defender and at times a glaring liability. Teams would isolate Sensabaugh and find ways to attack him specifically, hoping to get an easy basket, draw a foul on the freshman, or perhaps both. During a brutal stretch where Ohio State lost 14 of 15 games, there were times Holtmann had to keep Sensabaugh on the bench for extended stretches due to poor defense.
It’s obvious that if Sensabaugh struggled on the defensive end in college, he will in the NBA as well. But the ability to create your own shot is as valuable now as it has ever been in the league, so the Jazz are willing to live with the defense for now. It’s also possible that Sensabaugh’s knee injury from March caused him to slip a few spots.
Congrats to Brice on being drafted to the Jazz. We’ll always be pulling for you here at LGHL!
Continue reading...