Busting Brackets
Fansided

Big Ten Basketball: Analyzing each team’s overall offense for 2020-21 season

By Trevor Sinodhinos

ANN ARBOR, MI - FEBRUARY 08: Isaiah Livers #2 of the Michigan Wolverines in action in the first half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Crisler Arena on February 8, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images)
ANN ARBOR, MI - FEBRUARY 08: Isaiah Livers #2 of the Michigan Wolverines in action in the first half of the game against the Michigan State Spartans at Crisler Arena on February 8, 2020 in Ann Arbor, Michigan. (Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images) /
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COLUMBUS, OHIO – MARCH 05: CJ Walker #13 of the Ohio State Buckeyes (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO – MARCH 05: CJ Walker #13 of the Ohio State Buckeyes (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

Ohio State Buckeyes

2019-20: 70.1 ppg in Big Ten play

The loss of DJ Carton (10.4 ppg) to Marquette, Luther Muhammad (7.0 ppg) to Arizona State and brothers Andre ( 9.2 ppg) and Kaleb Wesson (14 ppg) to the pros should not result in Ohio State Basketball improving from last year into fourth in Big Ten scoring. While it may not seem like this is consistent with the rest of the article the reasoning is two-fold.

On one hand, Penn State was ahead of Ohio State last season plus Minnesota, Maryland and Nebraska were the three teams behind the Buckeyes, so there really was nowhere but up to go. Secondly, CJ Walker (8.7 ppg) returns to start at point guard, Duane Washington (11.5 ppg) started 15 games last season and will replace Carton at shooting guard, grad transfer from Harvard Seth Towns (16 ppg) will replace Andre Wesson at small forward, EJ Liddell (6.7 ppg) will become a starter at power forward and log more than 16 minutes. In turn, Kyle Young (7.5 ppg) will move to the center position.

With Walker running the offense and being backed up by Utah State transfer Justice Sueing (14.3 ppg) it will allow Washington to start low on the offense in order to come off a screen to get high. Having made 39 percent from beyond the arc, Washington will provide the spacing that Walker will need to take his defender off the dribble.

As well, when Washington is hitting from deep, the defense will have to switch when Young down screens and then seals the smaller man in the paint. Young benefitted greatly from playing alongside Wesson, this season he will combine to create an undersized frontcourt with Liddell, thus making 6’10 freshman and prolific Prep graduate Ibrahima Diallo that much more important after averaging five minutes in just eight games last season.

Seth Towns will be the final component of the frontcourt who has the ability to take Young’s man off the dribble if the defense switches on the screen’n’roll, yet he shoots 44 percent from beyond the arc. The open perimeter shots will be a result of the defense helping to prevent penetration as opposed to doubling down on Wesson on the block.

With freshman Zed Key backing up at power forward and Eugene Brown III at small forward, the bench will contribute in the Buckeyes staying above 70 points per game this season.

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