Ohio State Basketball: Breakdown of Buckeyes depth chart for 2020-21

Forwards

EJ Liddell comes back after playing in all 31 games last season, as well as Kyle Young, who started 25 games. These two are also Ohio State’s returning leading rebounders. Liddell should slide into a starting role and take a major step forward this season. Liddell is also the returning leading blocker for the Buckeyes.

These two should get the bulk of the playing time, around 25 minutes or so, with Towns, Justin Ahrens, and Sueing rotating in and out of the two forward positions. Ahrens brings a sharpshooting ability, averaging 40 percent from 3-point range. In the last season he played, Towns shot 45 percent from downtown and averaged 16 PPG, while grabbing nearly six rebounds a game. Towns can do a little bit of everything, and he will help supplant the loss of the Wesson brothers and Muhammed.

Zed Key, like Brown, may not see a whole lot of playing time as a freshman due to the depth of this team, but rest assured Holtmann will try his best to get his young guys in there if given the opportunity.

Ahrens won’t be asked to do a whole lot more than he has done in the past, he is a fantastic role player. Young scored 7.5 PPG last year, and he may need to add some more scoring to his arsenal this season. The loss of the Wesson’s cannot be understated, and one person cannot replace them. It’s on everybody to step up and help overcome the loss of those two, especially Kaleb, who led the Buckeyes in points, blocks, rebounds, free throws, and three-point percentage.

Harrison Hookfin is another forward who played eight games for the Buckeyes last year, and he could have an increased role based on experience more than anything, as it’s his third year in the program now. Alonzo Gaffney, a once highly touted recruit, transferred out of the program and is now at a Junior College in Florida, which clears the way for Hookfin to get more playing time.