Ohio State Basketball: 5 keys for a successful 2018-19 campaign

COLUMBUS, OH - FEBRUARY 10: Members of the Ohio State Buckeyes huddle prior to the start of the second half of the game against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Value City Arena on February 10, 2018 in Columbus, Ohio. Ohio State defeated Iowa 82-64. (Photo by Kirk Irwin/Getty Images) /

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PORTLAND, OR – MARCH 19: The Ohio State Buckeyes mascot performs. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

Freshmen add to depth and talent level

While it may be difficult to place high expectations on freshmen, Ohio State does have a great group of recruits coming in this year. As mentioned previously, Coach Holtmann is an excellent recruiter in addition to his in-game coaching. With the No. 27 overall recruiting class coming in featuring four players, the Buckeyes have plenty of new talent. Additionally, in my opinion, each of these players brings something different to the table that could warrant minutes in their first seasons with the program.

Leading the way for this group will be shooting guard Luther Muhammad. A top-100 recruit out of Jersey City, Muhammad is an elite defensive guard who can just about do it all offensively. Even though I think that Woods and Jackson will likely hold down the starting spots in the backcourt this year, Muhammad would be the first player off the bench in this situation while playing starter-like minutes.

Next, power forward prospect Jaedon LeDee (No. 103) is a superb rebounder who should see plenty of minutes up front. Even though Kaleb Wesson is strong on the glass, LeDee could be a darkhorse to lead the team in boards if he beats out Micah Potter for the most frontcourt minutes off the bench. At 6-foot-9 with long arms, he brings excellent size and can defend multiple positions.

Lastly, Duane Washington (No. 168) and Justin Ahrens (No. 249) could struggle to find consistent minutes this season. If they do, though, it will be because of their abilities to space the floor from beyond the arc.

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