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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Kyle Young Ohio State Basketball (Photo by Jamie Sabau/Getty Images) /

Center: Kyle Young

The Canton, OH native is the heart and soul that is the Ohio State Buckeyes. Originally a Butler commit, Young followed coach Holtmann to Ohio State when he left Butler back in 2017. After missing the NCAA Tournament due to a head injury he suffered against Purdue, Young decided to use his extra year of eligibility and return for his second senior season.

Young saw his minutes increase in 2020-21 along with his stats. His points jumped from 7.5 points per game to 8.6 points per game as well with his assists jumping from 0.9 to 1.3. He also developed a three-point shot. After never shooting higher than 17% from deep, he shot 43.3% hitting 13 of his 30 attempts. Limited sample size but helped control the spacing for the Buckeyes offense.

Returning to Columbus is going to drive the rest of the Big Ten crazy. Young at only 6’8 is a little undersized to play center but he makes up for it with his aggressiveness. He bangs around down low and makes it so tough to score on him down in the post. Shades of Wisconsin’s Brad Davidson, Young is known for his “acting” and draws a plethora of charges.

Next. WTE Big Ten power rankings for 2021-22. dark

The biggest wonder of this was who was going to play center for the scarlet and gray in 2021. After striking out on some big-name transfers and no big recruits coming into the fold, Young’s return to Columbus is the exclamation point they needed to cap off the offseason.

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