Ohio State Basketball: 2023-24 season preview for the Buckeyes
By Joey Loose
Projected Starters
Guard – Bruce Thornton (Sophomore)
One of the nation’s Top 50 recruits last offseason, Thornton was fantastic as a freshman running the point for the Buckeyes, putting up 10.6 points and 2.6 assists per game while making 37% of his 3-pointers. There’s obviously room for improvement and Ohio State expects another giant step forward as a sophomore, but expect Thornton to continue to grow as a scorer, ball handler, and leader for this squad.
Guard – Roddy Gayle Jr. (Sophomore)
Another highly regarded freshman last year, Gayle emerged late in the season for the Buckeyes. The sharpshooter joined the starting lineup in mid-February and had his two best performances in the Big Ten Tournament, culminating a season where he averaged just 4.6 points per game, with 43% of his 3-pointers made. Expect those numbers to skyrocket as a sophomore as he becomes a critical part of Ohio State’s offense.
Forward – Jamison Battle (Senior)
The most important new face for the Buckeyes, Battle isn’t new to the Big Ten, spending the last two seasons at Minnesota after a pair of years at George Washington. Now in his fifth and final collegiate campaign, he’s coming off a slightly disappointing season, averaging just 12.4 points after putting up more than 17 a game in his previous two seasons, but he could become a major contributor finally for a good team.
Forward – Zed Key (Senior)
It’s year four for Key at Ohio State and each year has been better than the last for him. After serving a bench role as a freshman, he really developed into a force last season, averaging 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds. Look for him to continue to be a menace on the boards with even better numbers and higher production this season, playing in quite the tough frontcourt for the Buckeyes.
Center – Felix Okpara (Sophomore)
Another stellar recruit from last season, Okpara grabbed a spot in the Buckeyes’ starting lineup in February and didn’t let go, putting up his best numbers late in the year. He averaged just 4.0 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, but was markedly better in the final month and should see those numbers increase significantly. He has the potential to become a menace in the paint, especially as a shot blocker.