Ohio State Basketball: What to Expect from Transfer Anthony Lee

The Ohio State basketball program may actually have some interior depth during the 2014-15 season, thanks largely to the addition of Anthony Lee.

The 6’9″ Lee decided to transfer to the Buckeyes from Temple after considering the likes of Indiana, Louisville and Notre Dame along the way. This was one of the most important developments for Thad Matta and his coaching staff in what can only be described as an offseason of transition.

Aaron Craft, Lenzelle Smith Jr. and LaQuinton Ross all left the program via graduation or early declaration for the NBA draft, which puts plenty of pressure on the Buckeyes’ loaded 2014 recruiting class. Adding a tested veteran like Lee to the mix provides stability and a critical piece in an area of need.

Lee scored 13.6 points and grabbed 8.6 rebounds a game last season for the Owls, which are numbers that would have made him the leading rebounder and second-highest scorer for the 2013-14 Buckeyes. He also tallied 11 double-doubles and had three more games where he was just a single point or rebound away from adding to that total.

Considering the departed Ross was the leading rebounder on a team that finished a lowly 216th in the country in total rebounds a game, Lee’s presence on the boards is probably the best part of this addition for Matta and company.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports certainly suggested as much:

How Lee will fit in alongside the rest of the Buckeyes is ultimately more important going forward than the numbers he…

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