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Player to Watch: Micah Parrish could be the player to help the Buckeyes take the next step
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Parrish brings much needed experience, versatility and reliability to this retooled Ohio State roster
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the Buckeyes we expect to excel this season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Players to Watch” articles here.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team brought in four transfers this season, one of whom was an All-SEC guard from Ohio, and the other two were former McDonalds All-Americans and five-star recruits. It’s the fourth transfer that could have the largest impact.
Micah Parrish of San Diego State and Oakland is joining the Buckeyes for his fifth and final collegiate season, and will likely start for Jake Diebler and company. Parrish immediately becomes the most experienced player on the team, along with Meechie Johnson and Bruce Thornton.
But Parrish has one thing on his resume that no one on the Buckeyes roster has even come close to: Parrish has played in a National Championship game.
And to be fair, it wasn’t the best game of his career. He played 16 minutes and went 0-for-5 from the field and did not score. He did record three rebounds. But the experience is the key and Parrish has learned from that opportunity.
Now, he comes to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility and is ready to help retool this team after they have missed the tournament two years in a row, something Parrish has been a part of the past two years.
Through his four years at Oakland and San Diego State, Parrish has been a solid contributor, averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Last season, he averaged 9.3 and 4.1, respectively.
In his career, he has also been a solid shooter, shooting 33.2 percent from three-point range and 42.8 percent from the field. Last season, however, he struggled with an injury that affected his shooting splits, and he only shot 29 percent from three and 39 percent from the field.
In his best season in 2021-22 with Oakland, he averaged over 12 points per game and shot 35 percent from three, showing the level of shooter he can be. He also has played 135 games and started in 94 of them, so he has been durable and reliable throughout his collegiate career.
The main thing that he will bring along with his experience and reliability is his defense. Parrish is an athletic wing that can guard multiple positions and play both the perimeter and interior on defense. This is something the Buckeyes have lacked in recent years, and a versatile defender can help everyone on that side of the ball for Ohio State — something they have struggled with for several years now.
A big conversation around this Ohio State team as it is constructed is the perimeter shooting. They are losing Jamison Battle, Bowen Hardman, and Scotty Middleton — all of which were the three best three-point shooters based on percentage on the team. Parrish can help mitigate these concerns if he can get his percentage back to the 33 to 36 percent range, and help take some of the load off of Bruce Thornton and Meechie Johnson to be the shooters on the team.
If the Buckeyes have success next season and make it back to the NCAA Tournament (or even contend in bigger ways) there is no doubt in my mind that Micah Parrish will have a large part to do with it.
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
Parrish brings much needed experience, versatility and reliability to this retooled Ohio State roster
From now until preseason camp starts in August, Land-Grant Holy Land will be writing articles around a different theme every week. This week is all about the Buckeyes we expect to excel this season. You can catch up on all of the Theme Week content here and all our “Players to Watch” articles here.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team brought in four transfers this season, one of whom was an All-SEC guard from Ohio, and the other two were former McDonalds All-Americans and five-star recruits. It’s the fourth transfer that could have the largest impact.
Micah Parrish of San Diego State and Oakland is joining the Buckeyes for his fifth and final collegiate season, and will likely start for Jake Diebler and company. Parrish immediately becomes the most experienced player on the team, along with Meechie Johnson and Bruce Thornton.
But Parrish has one thing on his resume that no one on the Buckeyes roster has even come close to: Parrish has played in a National Championship game.
And to be fair, it wasn’t the best game of his career. He played 16 minutes and went 0-for-5 from the field and did not score. He did record three rebounds. But the experience is the key and Parrish has learned from that opportunity.
Now, he comes to Ohio State for his final year of eligibility and is ready to help retool this team after they have missed the tournament two years in a row, something Parrish has been a part of the past two years.
Through his four years at Oakland and San Diego State, Parrish has been a solid contributor, averaging 9.3 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. Last season, he averaged 9.3 and 4.1, respectively.
In his career, he has also been a solid shooter, shooting 33.2 percent from three-point range and 42.8 percent from the field. Last season, however, he struggled with an injury that affected his shooting splits, and he only shot 29 percent from three and 39 percent from the field.
In his best season in 2021-22 with Oakland, he averaged over 12 points per game and shot 35 percent from three, showing the level of shooter he can be. He also has played 135 games and started in 94 of them, so he has been durable and reliable throughout his collegiate career.
The main thing that he will bring along with his experience and reliability is his defense. Parrish is an athletic wing that can guard multiple positions and play both the perimeter and interior on defense. This is something the Buckeyes have lacked in recent years, and a versatile defender can help everyone on that side of the ball for Ohio State — something they have struggled with for several years now.
A big conversation around this Ohio State team as it is constructed is the perimeter shooting. They are losing Jamison Battle, Bowen Hardman, and Scotty Middleton — all of which were the three best three-point shooters based on percentage on the team. Parrish can help mitigate these concerns if he can get his percentage back to the 33 to 36 percent range, and help take some of the load off of Bruce Thornton and Meechie Johnson to be the shooters on the team.
If the Buckeyes have success next season and make it back to the NCAA Tournament (or even contend in bigger ways) there is no doubt in my mind that Micah Parrish will have a large part to do with it.
Continue reading...