Projecting Who's Staying, Who's Leaving from Ohio State After Missing NCAA Tournament

Ohio State entered the 2022-23 campaign with the goal of earning yet another trip to March Madness, but the Buckeyes' focus has already shifted to next season.

Because of a 5-15 record in Big Ten action, Ohio State mustered the 13th seed in the Big Ten tournament and headed to Chicago with a win-or-go-home reality. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, they didn't have a miracle in store and bowed out with an 80-66 loss to Purdue.

Even as sixth-year senior Justice Sueing departs and star freshman Brice Sensabaugh presumably enters the NBA draft, there is reason for optimism in Columbus.

Ohio State boasts a top-10 recruiting class that includes three 4-star talents and two of the best in-state prospects.

As a disappointing season ends, it's understandable if Buckeyes fans aren't interested in thinking about a bright side today.

Still, a talented group of freshmen all held significant roles this year. Bruce Thornton tallied 10.6 points and 2.6 assists per game, while Roddy Gayle and Felix Okpara each averaged about 15 minutes. They'll return as experienced members of the rotation in 2023-24.

Zed Key will be another core player after notching 10.8 points and 7.5 rebounds per game in his third college season.

Ohio State should also bring back Tanner Holden. Although he played in a reserve spot, Holden averaged 20.1 points at Wright State before transferring to OSU. Holden has another year of eligibility left.

Ohio State will say goodbye to Justice Sueing, who finished second in scoring and third in rebounding this season. Sueing has exhausted his eligibility, along with guards Sean McNeil and Isaac Likekele.

And then, there's Brice Sensabaugh.

Bleacher Report analyst Jonathan Wasserman recently pegged the freshman as the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NBA draft. The expectation is Sensabaugh will declare for the draft, likely leaving the option open to return but seriously considering a jump to the pros.

Sure, he could bet on himself and try to raise his perception with another year in college. Given the potentially short climb to being a lottery pick, though, Sensabaugh seems unlikely to return.

After signing the nation's No. 8 class last season, Ohio State has another well-respected group on the way.

The haul includes 4-star guard Taison Chatman, 4-star wing Scotty Middleton and 4-star forward Devin Royal. All three players are considered top-50 talents, led by Chatman at 36th overall, per 247Sports' composite rankings.

Three-star center Austin Parks, the fifth-ranked prospect from Ohio, completes the list of the Buckeyes' newcomers.

As of now, OSU has reached its maximum of 13 scholarships. But if Sensabaugh heads to the NBA draft or someone hits the portal, OSU could add a transfer to offset each departure.