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PG Aaron Craft (B1G 6th MOY '11, Def POY '12, Acad AA, Dolomiti En. TR - Italy)

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Freshman point guard Aaron Craft has to earn his stripes
By Chris Biderman
[email protected]
Published: Wednesday, February 2, 2011

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Cody Cousino / Asst. multimedia editor

Freshman point guard Aaron Craft makes a pass during Ohio State?s 70-48 victory against iowa on Jan. 19.

Coach Thad Matta's starting five, laden with incumbent veterans and arguably the best freshman in the nation, doesn't have room for Aaron Craft ? a point guard who arguably could start for any other team in the country.

That doesn't mean the smallest player in the seven-man rotation doesn't get his playtime. Averaging 28 minutes per game, Craft is fifth on the team, ahead of starting forward Dallas Lauderdale.

Only the other four usual starters, junior guard William Buford, freshman forward Jared Sullinger, senior forward David Lighty and senior guard Jon Diebler play more than the freshman.

He is the rotation's only true point guard ? so, what's keeping him from starting?

Barring injury, it doesn't look like he will be slotted into the starting lineup anytime soon. Combined, the team's four veteran starters have played 485 games, starting in 390 of them. It's that experience which contributes largely to Matta's thinking when deciding whom to start each game.

"With who we're starting, I love the experience that we have," Matta said. "You've got four guys out there that have started a lot of games in the scarlet and gray. You've got a pretty good freshman in Jared, and I've been pretty pleased with how we've started a majority of our games this season."

Though he averages a pedestrian 6.8 points per game, Craft leads the team in assists, averaging 4.8, and is the team's second most efficient offensive perimeter player. Only Diebler's 49.5 percent from the field is better than Craft's 49 percent.

Craft also leads the team in turnovers. His 50 on the season are 10 more than Buford's 40 while averaging 2.3 per game. Despite those giveaways, the team's veterans consider Craft an asset.

"He's a perfect fit for us," Lighty said. "He comes in and runs the offense and runs the team, and plays defense at the highest level I've seen for a freshman in college basketball."

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http://www.thelantern.com/sports/freshman-point-guard-aaron-craft-has-to-earn-his-stripes-1.1958991
 
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