It was painfully obvious to anyone who followed the Ohio State basketball team in the 2013-14 season the days of Greg Oden, Jared Sullinger and even Kosta Koufos down low were in the rearview mirror.
The Buckeyes finished 216th in the country in total rebounds per game and struggled to defend or score against opponents with strong and physical frontcourts. Ultimately, the scarlet and gray went home after one game in the NCAA tournament.
If Thad Matta has plans on making it further into the postseason this year, he is going to need more production from his big men. Ohio State lost a ton of talent in the backcourt but returns the majority of its centers and power forwards. Whether that is necessarily a good thing or not remains to be seen.
Amir Williams has been the mainstay for years down low and averaged 7.8 points and 5.8 rebounds per game last season. However, those numbers are inflated because of his performances during the soft nonconference portion of the schedule. Williams only scored in double figures four times in the entire Big Ten season and failed to score a single point in the tournament loss to Dayton.
Williams was a bit better as a junior than a sophomore, so there is some reason for optimism heading into his last year.
He blocked nearly two shots per game in 2013-14 and is a solid defender. Williams is never going to be an offensive force, but if he can continue to improve on the defensive side and at least finish with consistency around the basket,…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Basketball: Breaking Down Buckeyes’ Options in Frontcourt
