What’s up y’all? We are back once again with another Big Ten basketball preview, and today we’re gonna be focusing on the Ohio State Buckeyes. Ohio State finished with a 21-13 record last season, going 12-8 in conference, which was good for an 8th place finish in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes will be going into next season missing three of their top four scorers in Bruce Thornton (19.9 ppg), Devin Royal (13.7 ppg) and Cristoph Tilly (11 ppg). They will, however, be bringing back their 2nd leading scorer in John Mobley Jr., who averaged just under 16 points a game last year, so they will have a decent foundation to build upon.
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One new name to keep an eye on for OSU this year is Jimmie Williams, a 6’5” transfer from Duquesne who averaged 15.1 points and 4.5 rebounds a game last season. Williams is a solid 3-point shooter, shooting 34% from deep this past season, while also possessing the ability to drive past a hard closeout to get to the rim.
Another incoming transfer is Justin Pippen, son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen, who’s coming in from Cal. Pippen averaged 14.2 points, 4.6 assists and 3.9 rebounds in ~31 minutes a game for the Golden Bears last season. He’s not the most efficient scorer, shooting a less than ideal 37% from the floor, and a downright abysmal 32.7% from three last year. If he can improve his efficiency, he has the tools to be a legitimate weapon for Ohio State this season.
One last name to watch is incoming freshman forward, and #7 recruit, Anthony Thompson. Thompson is an athletic 6’9” forward with an absurd 7’4” wingspan, giving him the versatility to be played at either the 3 or 4. He’s not the most athletic prospect in the world, but he’s got more than enough length to make up for any athletic shortcomings, on top of him being a legitimate scoring threat. He’s currently protected as a late lottery pick in the next NBA draft, but don’t be surprised if he rises on draft boards and ends up in the top 5.
The Ducks will be traveling to Columbus this season, but at time of writing no date has been confirmed yet.
As always, ‘Sco Ducks.
