Projecting Who's Staying and Who's Leaving from Ohio State After NCAA Tournament
Ohio State might look a lot different when the 2022-23 season tips off compared to how the 2021-22 campaign ended.
The Buckeyes saw their 2022 NCAA tournament run end on Sunday with a 71-61 defeat to Villanova in the second round.
E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham accounted for 40 points in what could be their last appearances in an Ohio State uniform. It was a sloppy performance from the Buckeyes, who went 7-of-22 on three-pointers and committed 12 turnovers.
This was the fourth time in head coach Chris Holtmann's five seasons that OSU reached the Big Dance. It would be 5-of-5 had the 2020 tournament not been canceled amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Making it five trips in six years could be a difficult task for Holtmann and his staff after looking at how much turnover the Buckeyes could have in the offseason.
Who's Leaving?
Buckeyes fans have almost certainly seen the last of Liddell given where he sits in the 2022 NBA draft class.
Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman ranked the Ohio State star 24th in his most recent big board:
"Aside from torching defenders with his back to the basket by creating separation and converting tough fallaways, Liddell also grades in the 95th percentile as a spot-up player. His new catch-and-shoot game (42.5 percent) is key for his NBA fit and value, as is his improved passing (2.9 assists per game) and defense (2.5 blocks per game)."
The 6'7" forward was also projected to go 21st to the Dallas Mavericks in Wasserman's last mock draft.
With another year in Columbus, Liddell might climb into a top-14 lottery position once the 2023 draft rolls around. He has steadily improved over each of his three seasons with Ohio State.
But if he's a potential first-round pick now, then that might be enough to tempt him to make the leap to the NBA.
The same could be said of Branham, who was the No. 28 pick in Wasserman's mock draft: "Though not an explosive athlete, Branham passes the eye test with 6'5" size and three-level scoring skills, most notably a strong mid-range pull-up game and accurate three-point shooting (44.1 percent)."
With senior Kyle Young moving on, Holtmann might lose his top three scorers from this season. The trio of Liddell, Branham and Young combined to score 41.2 points per game entering Sunday. Their 16.6 rebounds amounted to nearly half (48.0 percent) of the team's overall rebounding average as well.
Jamari Wheeler, the team's assist leader (2.9 per game), is a graduate transfer, too. Wheeler helped orchestrate the offense and provided some floor-spacing by hitting 38.9 percent of his three-pointers.
Justin Ahrens, a fourth-year senior, and Cedric Russell, a graduate transfer, were steady role players and will need to be replaced.
Having Branham stay would be a nice boost for Holtmann. If he and Liddell are both gone, then Holtmann may have little choice but to dip into the transfer portal.
Who's Staying?
Zed Key headlines the list of likely returnees.
The 6'8" forward will likely see his role grow significantly if Liddell moves on to the NBA. Key averaged 7.9 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 19.5 minutes per game. He also shot 57.3 percent from the floor.
Key aside, the cupboard might be pretty bare for Holtmann. That's one downside when you have a roster that's made up of three freshmen, two sophomores, one junior and nine players who are seniors of one form or another.
The additional year of eligibility granted to athletes because of the COVID-19 pandemic could come in handy for the Buckeyes.
Neither Justice Sueing nor Seth Towns wanted to be recognized during Ohio State's senior night festivities, and Holtmann said on March 5 both players are "seriously considering" staying at OSU.
Sueing was limited to two games before suffering an abdominal injury that kept him out for the remainder of the season. Towns missed the entire year after undergoing back surgery last September.
In 2020-21, Sueing averaged 10.7 points and 5.5 rebounds, while Towns came off the bench to average 3.8 points. Their experience with the program would be invaluable if they remain in the fold for 2022-23.
Who's Coming?
Holtmann has been hard at work on the recruiting trail during this cycle. Ohio State is fifth in 247Sports' composite team rankings for 2022.
Roddy Gayle Jr., the No. 59 overall player in 247Sports' composite rankings. Jerry Meyer of 247Sports wrote in February the 6'4" shooting guard "shoots the ball well off the catch with an efficient and smooth low release" and "has potential to be a formidable and versatile defender."
The Buckeyes also have commitments from point guard Bruce Thornton, center Felix Okpara, small forward Brice Sensabaugh and shooting guard Bowen Hardman.
Thornton, the No. 42 overall player and No. 8 point guard, is the top recruit from the group. 247Sports' Brandon Jenkins compared the Georgia native to former Syracuse star Scoop Jardine and said he "brings a gridiron mentality to the hardwood as he is tough, agile, and heady."