Ohio State’s basketball offseason has gone quiet in a hurry, so “You’re Nuts” turned to a simple question with some real juice behind it: how many Buckeyes will hit 30 points in a game this season?
The backdrop is as sleepy as it gets. The Buckeyes have already finished their trip to Puerto Rico, the final roster spot still hasn’t been filled, and the NCAA recruiting dead period runs until August 19, which means no visits or evaluations. Ohio State players don’t even need to be back on campus for another nine days.
So the focus shifts to projection. Last season, Bruce Thornton was the only Buckeye to reach 30, and he did it three times. Brandon Noel got to 29, while John Mobley finished just short at 28 twice.
Connor sees four players breaking through this year.
He starts with Mobley, calling it a near certainty that the junior guard tops his career high and gets to 30. Mobley’s two 28-point games last season are the obvious signpost, and Connor expects another year of growth to push him over the line.
Amare Bynum is next on Connor’s list. He acknowledges that the scoring will likely be spread around, but he still thinks Bynum has the kind of upward leap that can lead to a 30-point night.
He draws a comparison to E.J. Liddell’s sophomore jump, pointing out that Liddell had eight 20-point games that season and a high of 26.
Anthony Thompson is Connor’s third pick, and he thinks the freshman’s big game would most likely come in the non-conference slate. Thompson’s shooting makes him the kind of player who can get hot in a hurry, and Connor can picture a night where he buries five or six threes and piles up points against an opponent like Mississippi Valley State.
The fourth name is Justin Pippen. Connor doesn’t expect him to live anywhere near 30 on a nightly basis, but he believes Pippen’s style gives him a path to one big scoring game. He likes to attack the basket, draw fouls and take shots, and with the ball in his hands late, the opportunities should be there.
Justin keeps it simpler: two players.
For him, Thompson is the obvious one. He calls the five-star freshman too gifted as a scorer and shooter not to have at least one game where everything clicks. Justin does think Thompson could have some uneven nights early, but when he gets rolling, the ceiling is clear.
The other pick is Mobley. Justin points to Mobley’s pair of 28-point games last season, along with two more games of 26 and one at 25, and says flatly that he will get to 30.
As for Bynum, Jimmie Williams and Justin Pippen, Justin sees scoring nights in the 20s - maybe even 25 - but not quite the full 30.
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