The Ohio State basketball season came to an abrupt end because of the coronavirus measures put in place, so that leaves us no choice but to look ahead to next year. This season feels a lot like an unfinished story with some ups and downs, a little drama, and a cliff-hanger, but that’s what we’re left with.
Part of the drama came after the season with the departures of freshmen D.J. Carton and Alonzo Gaffney. That was offset a bit with the addition of graduate transfer Seth Towns, and that leaves the Buckeyes with thirteen scholarships — right where it needs to be for the 2020-2021 season.
What better time to look at what the projected lineup could be this winter when it appears everything is much more solidified. There’s still word on what Kaleb Wesson will do as far as the NBA draft, but we’ll make a guess on that too.
So here we go. Here’s the projected lineup for Ohio State basketball for the 2020-2021 season, way ahead of time.
Next … Ohio State likely starting five
The projected starters
Point Guard
C.J. Walker — Senior, 6-1, 195 lbs.
Walker added a steadying presence at the point guard spot, and he came into his own once the spotlight was all his. He adds experience and leadership, and he showed he’s also willing to take a scoring role as well. He finished with just 8.7 points per game on average, but he was in double figures his last six games, going for 11, 12, 15, 15, 15, and 14 to end the year.
Shooting Guard
Luther Muhammad — Junior, 6-3, 185 lbs.
Muhammad isn’t going to be a consistent scorer, but he’s the best on-ball defender the Buckeyes have. He’s shown flashes of scoring ability, but you need a guy like him locking things down on the ball. The call here is for him to be a starter like he was at the end of this year.
Small Forward/Guard
Seth Towns — Junior, 6-7, 215 lbs.
The addition of Towns is a big one because it allows Ohio State to be a team with more length from the two or three spot. He’s got great shooting ability and is has sneaky and slithery moves in the lane and around the rim. And at 6-7, he can get his shot off against smaller guys on the perimeter. He’s an instant scoring option that the coaching staff can probably plug right into the lineup.
Power Forward
Kyle Young — Senior, 6-6, 220 lbs.
Young’s career has been a bit snakebitten with injury. He dealt with a stress fracture last year, then bounced back to be a glue guy that does all the little things at the beginning of the year. Then he had to deal with appendicitis and a high ankle sprain that took him away from the court for much of the last part of the year. He should be back healthy in 2019-2020 though, and he’ll be a guy that does it all for Chris Holtmann’s team.
Power Forward
E.J. Liddell — Sophomore, 6-9, 270 lbs.
We’re making the call for Kaleb Wesson to dive headfirst into the NBA waters this time around after just dipping his toe in last offseason. That means Ohio State will probably have to go a little smaller on the front line because there’s a lack of experienced height. Look for Liddell to continue to blossom and be a smaller big that can make things happen around the rim and get into space.
Next … Key bench players for the Buckeyes
Deep and talented reserves for Ohio State
Duane Washington — Junior, 6-3, 190 lbs.
There’s no denying the shooting ability Washington possesses. As good as he is scoring at times, he can equally frustrating with his shot selection and defense. But he’ll develop. And if he can figure it all out, he’s got a chance to be a guy teams have to gameplan for. He might even crack the starting five at times.
Justice Sueing — Junior, 6-6, 210 lbs.
Don’t forget about Sueing who had was a part of the team this past season but had to sit out because of transfer rules. He was the best scoring option at Cal before he decided to transfer to Ohio State. Depending on how the competition goes, he might even vye for a starting spot, but at the least, he adds depth and significant minutes coming off the bench.
Musa Jallow — Junior, 6-5, 200 lbs.
Many folks have forgotten about Jallow. He’s an athletic kid that can make plays in the open court, but it remains to be seen how well he comes back from injury. He’ll factor in, but it could be as the sixth man, or a little further down depending on how he bounces back.
Justin Ahrens — Junior, 6-5, 180 lbs.
Ahrens can nail bombs stepping off the bus, but he’s yet to really find his way into the starting lineup. He’s a bit of a wild card and could get significant minutes off the bench if he can continue to round out his game.
There’s also freshman Eugene Brown III and Zed Key that’ll factor in some way, but with the experience and maturity this team will have next season, their roles could be limited.
The more you start putting this roster under the microscope, you begin to feel pretty good about the depth and interchangeable parts Holtmann will have to work with. The lack of a true, experienced big on the front line might be a spot to watch, but there’s a lot to like about the pieces coming together.
