[embedded content] The play above happened early in the first half of last week’s game between Ohio State and Iowa. That’s Buckeyes freshman guard D’Angelo Russell throwing a near-incomprehensible bounce pass, a corkscrew of a ball that was thrown not only from a crazy angle, but with a wild amount of foresight. Look at where Russell’s target is when he decides to make the pass; he’s seeing into the future there. Last night against Northwestern, Russell made basically the exact same pass: These two highlights are a pretty fair representation of what kind of season Russell has been having. The 6-foot-5 freshman has been dazzling, averaging 19 points, five rebounds, and nearly five assists per game while shooting 47 percent from the field. In his first season, he’s already become Ohio State’s alpha dog. Ken Pomeroy’s numbers have him soaking up a team-high 29 percent of offensive possessions and accounting for more shots (29.5 percent) than any other player on the team. Putting the ball in Russell’s hands is a good idea, simply because there are so many ways he can break down a defense. His court vision and size allow him to key the offense as a point guard whenever he feels like it, his length makes it easy for him to finish in the lane, and he’s an absolute killer from beyond the arc. He’s firing up 6.4 threes per game, and connecting on 45 percent of them. He’s a great spot-up shooter from deep, but he can also knock down pull-up, quick-trigger threes with an ease that evokes visions of Steph Curry. …
Continue Reading: D’Angelo Russell Is College Basketball’s Smoothest Assassin
