Ohio State Basketball: Breakdown of Buckeyes depth chart for 2020-21
By Erik Mauro
Ohio State Basketball has won 21 games last season and were well on their way to another NCAA Tournament berth before COVID-19 put the kibosh on everything. How do the Buckeyes set up in 2020-21?
Andre Wesson and Kaleb Wesson are gone, Luther Muhammed and DJ Carton transferred, but some new faces and returning production should still put Ohio State Basketball in good shape.
To replace Muhammed and Carton, the Buckeyes brought in Abel Porter from Utah State who is immediately eligible to play, and Jimmy Sotos from Bucknell, who has to sit a year before he can play. These two additions will add some nice depth to a backcourt that desperately needs it.
Musa Jallow returns after red-shirting with an ankle injury last season. Freshmen recruits Zed Key and Eugene Brown will also add some nice pieces to the roster but it’s always hard to tell how much freshmen will contribute, if at all. Ohio State adds a third transfer, in Justice Sueing from California. Sueing sat out last season due to NCAA transfer rules, and also had foot surgery. He should be ready to go for this season.
The Buckeyes have three players returning with starting experience, and two more players returning who contributed off the bench. But, perhaps the most notable name joining the Buckeyes this season is Seth Towns, a graduate transfer from Harvard. Towns was also wanted by Duke, Kansas, Virginia, Syracuse, and Maryland. He is immediately eligible and will have two seasons to play. Towns is from Columbus so he may potentially be able to unlock another gear playing for his hometown team.
The roster is likely set, but how will Coach Chris Holtmann distribute the minutes and playing time among all these players? Playing the right players in the best match-ups is how the best coaches make their earnings, and he has a real challenge on his hands this season.