Ohio State Basketball: Projecting 2021-22 starting lineup for Buckeyes

PISCATAWAY, NJ - JANUARY 09: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes talks to his team during a college basketball game against the Rutgers Scarlet Knights at Rutgers Athletic Center on January 9, 2021 in Piscataway, New Jersey. Ohio State defeated Rutgers 79-68. (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

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Ohio State Basketball (Photo by Matthew Holst/Getty Images) /

Some might call the Ohio State Basketball’s 2021-22 season a failure after being upset by 15 seed Oral Roberts, but head coach Chris Holtmann has turned this program back into one of the best in the country. Yes, being the butt of the joke is never an easy pill to swallow. However, the future looks bright in Columbus with some added talent coming in and possibly every key piece coming back into the fold.

As I will be talking about later on, Ohio State is still waiting on decisions from Duane Washington Jr. and EJ Liddell as they have entered their names into the NBA Draft but have not hired an agent. Obviously, if they decide to forgo the rest of their eligibility a lot is going to change. Not only the starting lineup, as well as their success this upcoming season.

Coach Holtmann does have some talent coming into the program once again. Jamari Wheeler from Penn State, Joey Brunk from Indiana, along with recruits Malaki Branham and Kalen Etzler. Adding more talent to a team that already is poised for a top 10 season. You will see one of these guys on the list (spoiler) but wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone if another makes his way into the lineup later on in the season.

The defense was the big issue last season for the Buckeyes. According to KenPom, they ranked 82nd last season in defensive efficiency. With Wheeler coming in and returning some guys who a certainly capable of holding their own defensively, this shouldn’t be as big of an issue. As Michael Joran would say, the roof is the ceiling for the Buckeyes next season.

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