Ohio State Basketball: The dangers of counting out the Buckeyes

Thad Matta and Ohio State basketball should not be counted out in the Big Ten in 2016-17.

Heading into the new college basketball season, the Big Ten has a clear cut top four teams. Wisconsin brings back virtually everyone from last year’s Sweet 16 team, Purdue returns both Caleb Swanigan and Isaac Haas, Indiana has a formidable ‘Big Three’ and Michigan State adds a vaunted recruiting class.

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Michigan and Maryland also should have solid seasons, but if there’s one team that can break the ‘tier one’ in the Big Ten, it’s the Ohio State Buckeyes.

Yes, the same Buckeyes who lost 4/5th’s of their 2015 recruiting class this off-season (Austin Grandstaff, Daniel Giddens, A.J. Harris and Mickey Mitchell transferred) and didn’t qualify for the NCAA Tournament in 2015-16.

So why are the underestimated Buckeyes a team to watch out for in the Big Ten? Because Ohio State, who had no regular rotation seniors last season, somehow won 21 games, beat Kentucky and won five of their final seven games despite losing Jae’Sean Tate to a season ending injury in late February.

On top of the potential the team showed, the Buckeyes return their top six leading scorers and add two freshman who can make a difference immediately.

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Marc Loving, who averaged 14.0 points last season, is the team’s top scorer and lone senior. He can shoot the lights out from the perimeter and will bring valuable leadership skills to what is still a young locker room.

Loving is the go-to offensive player, but Keita Bates-Diop might be the lone future pro on this roster. Bates-Diop averaged nearly 12 points and seven rebounds per game last season, and should increase both totals in 2016-17.

Then there’s Tate, who stands at 6’4″ but plays like he’s 6’9″. The junior forward was cleared for both non-contact and contact drills back in early June, so he’s on track to be 100 percent when the season rolls around in mid-November.

Those three talents will be flanked by point guard JaQuan Lyle, Trevor Thompson and Kam Williams.

After going through the gauntlet of the Big Ten, Lyle should be much improved as the leader of the offense this season. Thompson nearly dashed for the NBA, but returned to Ohio State after receiving feedback from scouts and executives.

Williams was only the team’s 5th leading scorer in 2015-16, however, he should easily be one of the team’s best players. In fact, Matta told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein that since the end of last season, Williams has been the team’s top player. Williams can score from all over the court and possesses competitiveness and instincts to breakout this upcoming year.

And that’s just the returnees.

Four-star center Micah Potter will have a monster role as a versatile, powerful player who can post up on the block and make a 19-footer from mid-range. The Montverde Academy product will provide the Buckeyes will extra punch up front, alongside four-star ESPN top 100 forward Derek Funderburk.

Funderburk, a power forward from Lakewood, Ohio, is ranked 66th in ESPN’s top 100 because of his fantastic footwork in the post, his athleticism and his strength.

The Buckeyes have tremendous continuity and have cleared out the players who weren’t all-in in Columbus. They are still relatively young, but the good news is that everyone (besides the freshman) have played in Big Ten games together.

While it’s highly unlikely for them to finish first or second in the conference, it’s possible that Ohio State breaks up the top four. If anyone can do it, it’s Matta’s club.

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So watch out for the Buckeyes. They will be awfully dangerous in 2016-17.

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