Ohio State Basketball: Complete Roster, Season Preview for 2014-15 Buckeyes

Losing in the round of 64 of the NCAA tournament is difficult to accept for almost any power conference team, but it was particularly hard for Ohio State to watch in-state Dayton celebrating after a one-point win in the final seconds.

The Buckeyes are supposed to be the bullies when it comes to college sports in general in Ohio, but that wasn’t the case on that fateful March day.

The 2014-15 Ohio State basketball team has prepared all summer with the lingering feelings from that loss and a rather disappointing season in general. Thad Matta is not accustomed to getting No. 6 seeds on Selection Sunday, and the Buckeyes are not used to ducking out so early in postseason play.

Things should return back to normal this season with a talented and motivated squad. Read on for the entire season preview for the 2014-15 Ohio State basketball team.

D’Angelo Russell

D’Angelo Russell is the great freshman hope for the offensively starved Buckeyes.

The versatile playmaker can handle point guard or shooting guard duties, is a lights-out perimeter shooter and brings a solid passing game to the table. He will also slide right in next to Shannon Scott as part of Ohio State’s ball-pressure defense on the perimeter. 

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports noted that scouts are already gushing about Russell before he even plays a game.

Keita Bates-Diop

Keita Bates-Diop may be something of a less polished Sam Thompson this season, but the freshman will develop into a star at some point in his college career. 

Bates-Diop is a 6’7” stretch forward who can beat defenders with a smooth outside shot, but it is his length and athleticism that truly stand out. He will make plays in transition and finish above the rim as a slasher when the opportunities present themselves.

Jae’Sean Tate

Jae’Sean Tate may only be 6’4”, but Buckeyes fans are going to be thrilled with his rebounding, strength and willingness to mix it up on the blocks.

Tate may slide in best as a small forward with a solid mid-range shot, but he will be a critical piece of the defense from his first action. His possesses many of the same attributes that David Lighty did during his time at Ohio State.

Anthony Lee

While the others on this list are freshmen, Anthony Lee is a transfer from Temple who gives the Buckeyes another option down low alongside Amir Williams.

Lee is a walking double-double when he is at his best, which will be critical for a Buckeyes team that struggled in the rebounding department a season ago. He is also athletic enough to get out in transition with the guards and could even spearhead a few fast breaks of his own with outlet passes.

Shannon Scott

There will be no more Aaron Craft for the Buckeyes this year, which means Scott finally gets his opportunity to show what he can do as the point guard in charge.

Craft’s defense will be missed, but Scott is the same type of perimeter defender who makes life incredibly difficult on opposing ball-handlers with constant pressure. If he can improve his jumper this season, Scott should make the leap fans have been waiting for since he arrived.

Sam Thompson

Thompson will likely forever be known as the best dunker on the team (and arguably in America), but he will take on a larger role as a senior this season. 

He was Ohio State’s best perimeter option by the end of last season and should be even more consistent from beyond the three-point line this year. He is still an excellent defender from the wing as well and will make plenty of plays slashing to the basket.

Amir Williams

Williams is everyone’s favorite target when criticizing the team, but he has improved every season since he arrived in Columbus. There is no reason to expect anything else but more improvement in his senior campaign. 

As long as Williams protects the rim with his shot-blocking and contributes in the rebounding department alongside Lee, the Buckeyes will be pleased with his production.

Marc Loving

Marc Loving arrived on campus with high expectations last year, but he was inconsistent at best as a freshman.

Ideally, those flashes we saw at times in 2013-14 will be here to stay with a year of experience under his belt. He can stroke it from beyond the arc and is a solid rebounder, so Matta will find opportunities to play the youngster this season.

The entire Ohio State roster can be found here, courtesy of the athletic department’s official website. Here is a look at my projected rotation.

Starting Lineup

PG: Shannon Scott

SG: D’Angelo Russell

SF: Sam Thompson

PF: Anthony Lee 

C: Amir Williams

Key Bench Players

Jae’Sean Tate (forward), Marc Loving (forward), Kam Williams (guard), Keita Bates-Diop (forward)

Matta can legitimately go nine-deep this season, and he really should find a way to utilize that excellent depth, especially in the grueling Big Ten.

There are a number of combinations thanks to the plethora of athletic forwards. The Buckeyes can go big with Lee and Williams or go small with Lee manning the center position and players like Bates-Diop, Loving and Tate working their way onto the court.

The lack of proven big guys behind Williams may be an issue if he doesn’t improve this season, but Lee’s presence gives some peace of mind there.

How Many Players Will See Consistent Playing Time?

As mentioned, Ohio State has the talent to go nine-deep this year, but Matta has a tendency to shrink his rotations in Big Ten play and in the postseason. 

The strength of this year’s team may be its ability to get out in transition and force turnovers with so many athletic guards and forwards, so fresh legs are a must. It will be interesting to see how the depth unfolds.

How Will Anthony Lee and Amir Williams Coexist?

Fans may want Lee to take over the center role permanently, but the Buckeyes will be impressive on the boards when the two big men play together. 

Matta should still utilize a small-ball lineup for stretches at a time, though, especially because Lee can also get out in transition. The Buckeyes could put the pressure on plenty of opponents with a lineup of four guards and small forwards surrounding Lee.

Will D’Angelo Russell Shoulder the Scoring Pressure?

In terms of pure talent, Russell is the best player on this Ohio State roster and the one most likely to lace it up in the NBA sooner rather than later, but he is still only a freshman.

The Buckeyes were excellent defensively a year ago but struggled to score in half-court sets. They are going to need Russell to remedy that this season, especially since LaQuinton Ross left early. Whether Russell can live up to the expectations will go a long way toward determining how far the Buckeyes go in 2014-15.

Best-Case Scenario

The Buckeyes are ranked No. 20 in the initial polls, but that feels a bit low. There is enough talent on this team to challenge Wisconsin for a Big Ten crown, and in a best-case scenario, the Buckeyes will win the conference.

Their reward would be a favorable seed in the NCAA tournament considering how difficult the Big Ten is on a yearly basis. Russell will lead the way in the scoring department, Scott and Thompson will become even better defenders and Williams and Lee will handle the middle. 

All the pieces come together here, and the Buckeyes reach the Final Four for the third time in Matta’s tenure.

Worst-Case Scenario

Unfortunately for the Buckeyes, much of their hope for the 2014-15 season is based off potential and possibilities.

If Russell is the dominant scorer that he is billed as, the offense will be fine. If Williams improves as a senior and Lee is as good of a rebounder in the Big Ten as he was at Temple, cleaning up the glass won’t be an issue.

Still, there is a possibility that these things don’t happen and the offense is a work in progress yet again. In this worst-case scenario, watching the Buckeyes try to score will once again be the equivalent of a root canal, and they will duck out in the round of 64 for the second consecutive season.

And just because we are being masochists here, let’s give the national championship to the Michigan Wolverines.

Ohio State may be underrated entering the season (largely because it lost in the round of 64 last year), but it still isn’t going to reach the Final Four. There are too many loaded teams across the college basketball landscape to envision that deep of a run.

Still, the Buckeyes will be much bigger factors this season in the Big Ten and national picture.

Russell is an elite playmaker, Scott will anchor the pressure defense that has defined the Matta era at Ohio State and Lee was a critical addition because the team will not be nearly as reliant on the inconsistent Williams. Throw in a deeper bench than we have seen in Columbus for a couple years, and the pieces are there for a run at the Big Ten title.

Wisconsin will ultimately take the Big Ten crown, but the Buckeyes will get the No. 2 seed and win the conference tournament. Matta’s teams always play their best basketball in those conference tournaments, and this season will be no different.

The Buckeyes will then parlay a solid NCAA tournament seed into a Sweet 16 appearance, where one of the best teams in the country will end the run. Still, considering the struggles of a season ago, a Big Ten tournament crown and Sweet 16 appearance would be a welcome transition year into what could be a special 2015-16 campaign.