From Justice Sueing to Brice Sensabaugh, here are Ohio State's keys to the season
It has been 231 days since the Ohio State men’s basketball team has played a game of consequence.
Today, that streak comes to an end as the Buckeyes open the 2022-23 season with a game against Robert Morris at Value City Arena. It’s the first game since Ohio State lost to Villanova in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in a game played inside PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh, but it’s been anything but uneventful for the program in the interim.
Since that loss, Ohio State has undergone turnover unprecedented in recent history. Malaki Branham and E.J. Liddell declared for the NBA and were taken in the first and second rounds, respectively, while a veteran-laden roster lost Kyle Young, Jimmy Sotos, Joey Brunk, Jamari Wheeler, Cedric Russell as they exhausted their eligibility, Seth Towns to retirement and Justin Ahrens and Meechie Johnson to the transfer portal. In their places, coach Chris Holtmann added a five-man freshman class and three transfer players while also signing a three-year extension that has him under contract through the 2027-28 season.
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Assistant coaches Ryan Pedon and Tony Skinn left for a head coaching job at Illinois State and an assistant job at Maryland and were replaced by Jack Owens and Mike Netti, further adding to the turnover.
On the court, the Buckeyes took a foreign exhibition trip to the Bahamas, where they defeated Egypt and Puerto Rico’s national teams. During the preseason, they faced Wake Forest in a late-October “secret” scrimmage and lost, then blasted Division II foe Chaminade in an exhibition game last Tuesday.
What will the 2022-23 season look like? Who will take center stage for the Buckeyes, and how far will they go? Here are the keys to the season.
Key offensive players
This is a conversation that starts with Justice Sueing, the versatile wing who missed all but two games last season with a groin injury. He’s been slowed in the preseason after spraining the same ankle twice, but he figures to be the team’s primary offensive weapon. Third-year center Zed Key is expected to take the next step and become a consistent, double-digit scorer and featured part of the offense while maybe knocking down a 3-pointer a night, while freshman Brice Sensabaugh, West Virginia transfer Sean McNeil and Wright State transfer Tanner Holden all figure to factor heavily into the offensive mix.
Key defensive players
After the Buckeyes posted their worst-rated defensive performance of the Holtmann era, it’s hard to find a player who won’t be asked to become a key defensive presence. The tone figures to be set by Oklahoma State graduate transfer Isaac “Ice” Likekele, a physical, versatile guard who could conceivably play – and guard – every position on the court. Freshman center Felix Okpara will be a menace off the bench as an explosive shot-blocker, while third-year wing Gene Brown III will be counted on to guard multiple positions as he tries to shake off a concussion suffered during the preseason.
With Owens overseeing the defense, the hope is that Ohio State can show off a more versatile defense with multiple players capable of switching onto defenders.
Secret weapon
Sensabaugh led the team in scoring while in the Bahamas and put up a 50-point performance during the Kingdom Summer League. Sueing has scored 1,231 points in 96 career games for a 12.8 points-per-game average. McNeil averaged 12.2 points in each of the last two seasons with the Mountaineers. So while it’s hard to describe a four-star, top-50 recruit as a secret, Roddy Gayle seems to fit nicely into this category. A three-level scorer, Gayle has as much offensive upside as anyone on the roster and also has acquitted himself well defensively in the preseason. That could lead to more playing time and, in turn, a bigger role than his classmate.
Biggest offseason move
With five freshmen signed, the Buckeyes added Holden and then McNeil via the transfer portal and found themselves with a decision to make for the final spot. Should they add another guard to help provide some security for freshman Bruce Thornton, or should they find someone to add further depth in the post? They believe they addressed both needs by signing Likekele, the first player in Cowboys history to eclipse 1,000 points, 600 rebounds and 400 assists for his career.
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He might not lead the team in any particular category, but Likekele’s addition provides the Buckeyes some much-needed experience, versatility and grit. He was voted a team captain.
Pressure’s on
During his first two seasons, Brown has shown flashes of being an impactful player without putting up gaudy numbers. In 55 games including 10 starts, Brown has averaged 2.3 points and 1.8 rebounds but played his way into the starting lineup as a sophomore by pulling down eight rebounds in only 11 minutes of a loss at Xavier and again grabbing eight – all on the defensive end – in a win at Michigan. Injuries have been an issue, however, and Brown missed much of the summer with one and then much of the preseason while in concussion protocol. In year three, Ohio State still hasn’t gotten to fully see what he could provide.
Key, too, will be required to take a significant step forward. He increased his production to 7.8 points and 5.6 rebounds per game last season, but the Buckeyes need him to consistently be a double-digit scorer who can affect the game defensively and help control the glass.
Key stretches
The Buckeyes will get a pretty good feel for what they have when they participate in the Maui Invitational for the first time since 2003, face three high-major teams and then return to the mainland to play at Duke on Nov. 30. That four-game stretch in the span of nine days has the potential to be eye-opening.
After hosting Minnesota on Jan. 12, Ohio State will then play four of its next five games on the road. Trips to Rutgers and Nebraska will be broken up by a home date with Iowa, then games at Illinois and Indiana to close the month.
Stats that must change
Pick a defensive number from last season. Ohio State finished 10th in the Big Ten in adjusted defensive efficiency according to KenPom.com, allowing 105.8 points per 100 possessions, and ninth in defensive offensive rebounding, allowing teams to collect 28.0% of their misses.
That feeds into another primary concern for Holtmann during the preseason: Ohio State’s ability to rebound. The two go hand-in-hand.
Bottom line
This is an Ohio State team that is going to take some lumps early. Four of the freshmen and all three transfers will be expected to play significant roles while meshing with Sueing, who essentially missed all of last season. Add redshirt freshman Kalen Etzler, and there’s so many new faces that it makes sense why Holtmann used the phrase “normalize struggle” during the preseason when asked how he will try to guide such a young group forward.
With that said, there is a realistic scenario where the Buckeyes enter the postseason playing their most complete basketball of the season. The trick will be to not let early-season struggles submarine the potential for growth.
Buckeyes go dancing if …
Bruce Thornton proves to be a reliable freshman point guard, Ohio State’s players with high-major Division I experience are able to provide steady production and the defense improves to at least middle-of-the-pack Big Ten caliber.
Buckeyes suffer if …
A porous defense returns and the offense proves to lack enough true playmakers to compensate. This could be an Ohio State team that struggles in the halfcourt, which figures to put a premium on holding teams to one shot and trying to run as much as possible. If they can’t get enough stops, or find a few playmakers, there’s a recipe for this season to turn into a slog in a hurry.
Where do they end up?
20-11 overall, 12-8 and fifth in the Big Ten.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Defense and Justice Sueing: Ohio State basketball's keys to the season
