Ohio State Basketball: What does the addition of Keyshawn Woods mean?

Chris Holtmann and Ohio State basketball recently received a commitment from graduate transfer Keyshawn Woods. How big of an impact will he have?

Head coach Chris Holtmann has done a tremendous job since taking over at (the) Ohio State basketball program. Despite low expectations, he led the Buckeyes to a great 2017-18 season that culminated in an NCAA Tournament appearance. In addition, the rising star of the coaching ranks secured a top-25 2018 recruiting class. On April 24, he was also able to land coveted graduate transfer Keyshawn Woods.

Woods, a 6’3″ guard, was one of the best players on the transfer market. After beginning his career at Charlotte, Woods spent the last two seasons playing with the Wake Forest. Unlike other top transfers, Woods has extensive experience playing in a high-major conference. This made him even more attractive as a transfer candidate.

Woods was extremely consistent in his two seasons with the Demon Deacons. He posted back-to-back double-digit per game scoring seasons while playing more than 25 minutes per game. In total, he averaged 12.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game in his career at Wake Forest. In addition, he shot 40.8% from 3-point range in those 61 games played. While these numbers may not jump off of the page, adding a player of his caliber for one season is definitely important.

Considering the impending graduations of Andrew Dakich and Kam Williams, there will be limited experience on the roster next season. Incoming recruits Luther Muhammad and Duane Washington are bound to help replace the backcourt talents leaving but they do not have the college basketball experience that Woods has. With Woods joining the roster, Ohio State now has a potential all-senior starting backcourt of Woods and C.J. Jackson.

Woods visited both Virginia and Louisville prior to committing to Ohio State. With how prestigious the other two programs are, the addition of Woods should definitely go down as a recruiting victory for the Buckeyes. Coach Holtmann was able to beat out two of the top programs in the ACC in order to secure more depth for his backcourt. This should not be taken lightly.

Next: 2018 Big Ten recruiting classes

With a talented senior class graduating along with Keita Bates-Diop likely staying in the NBA Draft, Coach Holtmann desperately needed to add experience to his roster. With the commitment of Keyshawn Woods, he was able to do just that. Ohio State is hoping to stay near the top of the Big Ten rankings next season and this addition could go a long way in doing so.