Ohio State’s men’s basketball season opens tonight in Salt Lake City, and the early read on this group is pretty clear: this team is built to fire from the outside.
After an offseason that brought back key pieces and added plenty of new faces, expectations around the Buckeyes have climbed. And according to a source familiar with the program, the identity is going to look a lot different than it did a year ago.
"We are going to be a perimeter-driven team," the source said. "It will be different from last season with no Bruce (Thornton), but we're going to shoot a lot of threes and attack outside in."
That shift matters because Thornton leaves a huge hole. He’s the program’s all-time leading scorer and has been the emotional center of the team for the last four years. So who steps into that space now?
"It will certainly be different," the source said. "It's been clear that Juni (Mobley) is still adjusting to being an alpha and not playing second fiddle to Bruce.
He will need to embrace that role quickly. Amare (Bynum) also has to stay aggressive, as he has throughout the preseason, to help make up for what we lost."
The frontcourt, meanwhile, doesn’t sound like the area where Ohio State is about to overwhelm people. The Buckeyes do have multiple big men, but the source wasn’t exactly painting a picture of an interior juggernaut.
"The centers are what they are. I wouldn't get too excited that we'll be dominant on the interior," the source said. "Each guy has strengths and Jake can mix and match based on the opponent, but none of these are game-changing centers, at least not right now."
There is, however, intrigue with the freshmen, especially the shooting touch both Anthony Thompson and LJ Smith bring to the table.
"Anthony Thompson isn't as far along as some other five-star freshmen," the source said. "He's a great shooter.
Dangerous from outside. The rest of his game is still coming along.
He may be a guy that takes a little bit to fully blossom, but when he does, watch out.
"LJ (Smith) has also shot the ball really well. He's coming along, but I'm not sure how quickly he will be an impact guy. Certainly can come off the bench and give us something."
As for the injury situation heading into the opener, the message was that Ohio State should be in decent shape when it faces BYU.
"I don't know why Jake made such a big deal of injuries last week," the source said. "Juni has dealt with an ankle, I think, but I expect him to play.
Anthony landed on his wrist last week, but he should still be able to go. As far as I know, they'll be pretty healthy against BYU."
Tipoff is set for 9 tonight, and that first look should tell a lot about what this version of the Buckeyes really is.
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