With just four returnees and no scholarship seniors, Ohio State’s basketball team will be young in 2015-16. Ohio State forward Jae’Sean Tate (1) slam dunks the ball during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game last season in Bloomington, Ind. Tate is one of four returnees to the roster this year for the Buckeyes.(Photo: Doug McSchooler, AP) Story Highlights Marc Loving is the oldest scholarship player on the roster as a junior Jae’Sean Tate, Kam Williams and Keita Bates-Diop are sophomores. Only 35 percent of the team’s scoring returns from a year ago. The season starts Sunday at noon at home against Mount St. Mary’s COLUMBUS – A year ago Jae’Sean Tate was a know-nothing freshman waiting to play in his first collegiate basketball game. Today, the Ohio State sophomore forward is one the graybeards on the team. Marc Loving is just a junior, but he is the elder statesman on the Ohio State men’s basketball team as the oldest scholarship player on the roster. “It definitely makes you realize that time flies,” Loving said, a 6-7 forward from Toledo. “I didn’t see this coming. It’s nothing you can imagine, being a leader of a Division I team in high school, so it’s something I want to work on to be the best leader I can possibly be. I know there is a lot of areas to improve.” This year’s OSU squad is a team constructed unlike any of coach Thad Matta’s other 11 squads. They most definitely will be the Baby Buckeyes in 2015-16 with just 35 percent of the scoring, 32 percent of the rebounding and 13 percent of the assists from a year ago returning. “With having such a young team, this summer we’ve really been putting an emphasis on creating leadership and being leaders to the younger guys and bringing them along because they are going to be vital this season,” Tate said. …
Continue Reading: Baby Buckeyes open men’s basketbal season Sunday
