Ohio State Basketball: Impact of grad transfer Seth Towns picking Buckeyes

1) Fills positional need and adds lineup versatility

Kaleb Wesson has the center position locked down and the guard positions are pretty set between Duane Washington Jr., CJ Walker, and Luther Muhammad, but the two forward spots are still very much up in the air.

Last year, Andre Wesson spent time starting at both spots, and he is no longer on the roster after graduating. Washington also spent time at the three in smaller lineups, but he’s much better in the two-guard spot. Kyle Young spent most of the year starting in the frontcourt next to Kaleb Wesson, yet he’s much more of a role player and doesn’t have the same kind of ability and potential as Towns.

This is where Towns’ ability to play either forward position can be huge for the Buckeyes.

If head coach Chris Holtmann wants to utilize a smaller lineup, he can slide Towns to the four and have it work seamlessly. If he wants to play big – which is often necessary in the Big Ten – Towns can play the three alongside Young and Wesson.

Towns is the rare player who is athletic enough to stay with players on the perimeter, strong enough to handle players in the post and is reliable from three-point range. He shot 44.1 percent from deep during the 2017-18 season win the Crimson making 2.1 threes per game, showing how efficient and productive he can be out on the perimeter.

Assuming he’s healthy, Towns is the kind of versatile piece that can really unlock this roster’s full potential.