Connor Lemons
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You’re Nuts: What should be the transfer portal priority for Ohio State men’s basketball?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
What’s the most dire need for Ohio State as they look to improve the roster?
Welcome to the madness, friends. March Madness, transfer portal madness, the madness of wearing a jacket to work in the morning because it’s chilly, but not needing it by the afternoon because the temperature jumped 20 degrees by the time you head home — welcome all of it.
As we sink deeper into our couches this weekend and watch basketball until our eyeballs sink into our skulls, we’re also looking at Ohio State and its needs as the offseason develops. So far Austin Parks has entered the portal, opening up one roster spot for next season, but odds are that won’t be the only spot that opens up.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated if this year’s failures change the expectations for next season at all. Both writers said no, the expectations won’t change at all, but that’s because Connor and Justin have different expectations. Justin said Jake Diebler’s second team needs to make the NCAA Tournament still. Connor said Ohio State needs to take a step forward as if they had made the NCAA Tournament this year, which means actually winning a game or two in the Big Dance.
Fifty-five percent of the readers sided with Connor last week, saying that the program’s failure to meet expectations this year does not mean the bar will remain at just making the NCAA Tournament next year.
Connor- 87
Without knowing how many spots Ohio State will have, we have to assume that the roster won’t be too flexible and the Buckeyes may not be adding a ton. If that’s the case, Diebler and his staff will need to be very deliberate in which players they add to the program between now and say, May.
In Ohio State’s loss to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament, Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw combined to score two points on 1-of-6 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. On the season, they combined to average 11.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Austin Parks and Ivan Njegovan provided basically nothing behind the two of them.
Ohio State’s biggest weakness this past season was the lack of a strong foundation at the center position, both offensively and defensively. Bradshaw was not sturdy enough to guard the paint, so Stewart had to slide over to center. However, Stewart is only 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, so he was constantly playing out of position. That led to him fouling a ton, averaging one foul every 5.4 minutes of gameplay this past season.
Diebler and his staff really have no choice this off-season but to add a starting-caliber center. Ohio State’s offense was far too reliant on its guards to go out and create offense on their own with terrible spacing because teams did not have to respect the painted area.
Former Iowa center Owen Freeman is the best center available right now in the transfer portal, but I’m skeptical Ohio State will land any of the elite transfer players this spring and I also don’t think the Buckeyes need an elite center to turn this team into an NCAA Tournament roster. Even someone similar to the Ohio State version of Zed Key — 10 points and six rebounds per game — would have been really helpful this past season to create some spacing for Ohio State’s guards.
I’m not sure who it will be, but the coaching staff has to go add a post player that they can insert into the starting lineup in November who will help space the offense and create a little more open space for guys like Bruce Thornton and John Mobley.
Over the last two years, the Buckeyes have brought in Micah Parrish and Jamison Battle as proven and experienced wings who can shoot the ball and play high minutes as starters.
They will have to do that again with the loss of Parrish to graduation.
In my ideal world, the Buckeyes bring in a starting wing and center and start those two transfers, with Devin Royal at the four and Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw as backups in the front court. The backcourt remains the same.
Finding a wing in the portal is the priority because no one can step into that role right now. Royal is not a consistent enough shooter to play the three, and his main impact is in the paint.
As for a center, Stewart and Bradshaw are still young and can improve, so even though I do think you have to bring in someone else to start, they are at least there if they swing and miss.
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Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
What’s the most dire need for Ohio State as they look to improve the roster?
Welcome to the madness, friends. March Madness, transfer portal madness, the madness of wearing a jacket to work in the morning because it’s chilly, but not needing it by the afternoon because the temperature jumped 20 degrees by the time you head home — welcome all of it.
As we sink deeper into our couches this weekend and watch basketball until our eyeballs sink into our skulls, we’re also looking at Ohio State and its needs as the offseason develops. So far Austin Parks has entered the portal, opening up one roster spot for next season, but odds are that won’t be the only spot that opens up.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated if this year’s failures change the expectations for next season at all. Both writers said no, the expectations won’t change at all, but that’s because Connor and Justin have different expectations. Justin said Jake Diebler’s second team needs to make the NCAA Tournament still. Connor said Ohio State needs to take a step forward as if they had made the NCAA Tournament this year, which means actually winning a game or two in the Big Dance.
Fifty-five percent of the readers sided with Connor last week, saying that the program’s failure to meet expectations this year does not mean the bar will remain at just making the NCAA Tournament next year.
After 196 weeks:
Connor- 87
Justin- 84
Other- 19
(There have been six ties)
Without knowing how many spots Ohio State will have, we have to assume that the roster won’t be too flexible and the Buckeyes may not be adding a ton. If that’s the case, Diebler and his staff will need to be very deliberate in which players they add to the program between now and say, May.
This week’s question: What should the transfer portal priority be for Ohio State men’s basketball?
Connor: Starting center
In Ohio State’s loss to Iowa in the Big Ten Tournament, Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw combined to score two points on 1-of-6 shooting and grabbed 10 rebounds in 31 minutes. On the season, they combined to average 11.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Austin Parks and Ivan Njegovan provided basically nothing behind the two of them.
Ohio State’s biggest weakness this past season was the lack of a strong foundation at the center position, both offensively and defensively. Bradshaw was not sturdy enough to guard the paint, so Stewart had to slide over to center. However, Stewart is only 6-foot-9 and 220 pounds, so he was constantly playing out of position. That led to him fouling a ton, averaging one foul every 5.4 minutes of gameplay this past season.
Diebler and his staff really have no choice this off-season but to add a starting-caliber center. Ohio State’s offense was far too reliant on its guards to go out and create offense on their own with terrible spacing because teams did not have to respect the painted area.
Former Iowa center Owen Freeman is the best center available right now in the transfer portal, but I’m skeptical Ohio State will land any of the elite transfer players this spring and I also don’t think the Buckeyes need an elite center to turn this team into an NCAA Tournament roster. Even someone similar to the Ohio State version of Zed Key — 10 points and six rebounds per game — would have been really helpful this past season to create some spacing for Ohio State’s guards.
I’m not sure who it will be, but the coaching staff has to go add a post player that they can insert into the starting lineup in November who will help space the offense and create a little more open space for guys like Bruce Thornton and John Mobley.
Justin: Sharp shooting wing
Over the last two years, the Buckeyes have brought in Micah Parrish and Jamison Battle as proven and experienced wings who can shoot the ball and play high minutes as starters.
They will have to do that again with the loss of Parrish to graduation.
In my ideal world, the Buckeyes bring in a starting wing and center and start those two transfers, with Devin Royal at the four and Sean Stewart and Aaron Bradshaw as backups in the front court. The backcourt remains the same.
Finding a wing in the portal is the priority because no one can step into that role right now. Royal is not a consistent enough shooter to play the three, and his main impact is in the paint.
As for a center, Stewart and Bradshaw are still young and can improve, so even though I do think you have to bring in someone else to start, they are at least there if they swing and miss.
Continue reading...