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Ohio State Basketball: Newcomers look good in debut

By Shayne Nissen

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 18: Heah coach Chris Holtmann of the Butler Bulldogs reacts in the first half against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 18, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 18: Heah coach Chris Holtmann of the Butler Bulldogs reacts in the first half against the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders during the second round of the 2017 NCAA Tournament at BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 18, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /
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The Ohio State basketball team was back in action last night and it was a beautiful sight to see as the Buckeyes opened up with a win.

Under the pressure of opening night in Cincinnati when the Bearcats were opening their new arena, the new look Ohio State basketball team was able to come away with an impressive win to start off the season. The win came against a Cincinnati team that was a two seed in last years NCAA Tournament.

While the Bearcats did lose key players from last season’s team it was still a great win for the Buckeyes to begin the season. Key performers from last year’s team Kaleb Wesson and CJ Jackson led the Buckeyes.

Wesson led the team in points with 15 and brought down 7 rebounds. Jackson had 13 points and was the court general on the night putting the game away with a clutch lay up in the closing minutes of the game.

We know all about what Jackson and Wesson can do and they will be important factors this season for the Buckeyes. But I was struck with a great sense of optimism for the Buckeye’s future when I saw the play of the three newcomers on the floor.

Luther Mohammed, Duane Washington Jr. and Keshawn Woods all played fantastic for the Buckeyes throughout the game, giving Buckeye fans encouragement for the future. Here were some of my more in-depth thoughts about the newcomers.

Duane Washington Jr. 

The one thing that stood out to me about the three newcomers was the energy that was coming from each of them, especially on defense. Duane Washington came off the bench and was able to give the Buckeyes great energy on both sides of the court.

He shot the ball very well and his form was particularly smooth. I expect him to be a guy who can come off the bench this season and give the Buckeyes valuable minutes.

Keshawn Woods

The transfer from Wake Forest definitely provided the Buckeyes with some life. You can tell Woods has played college basketball for a while as he had good court vision when playing point guard.

He had five assists on the day, and though he could sometimes get out of sync and make a few boneheaded decisions, I generally liked his decision making.

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Woods looked like a senior leader similar to that of Andrew Dakich last year who was also a transfer, something the Buckeyes will need with CJ Jackson being the only other senior on the team.

Luther Muhammad

Luther Muhammad was far and away the best and most exciting newcomer for the Buckeyes on Wednesday. He was able to drop 11 points on 4 of 10 shooting and was 2 of 3 from behind the arc.

I loved the energy Muhammad was able to give the Buckeyes and he was one of the best players on defense for the Buckeyes as well. His shot form could be a little weird but I have definitely seen worse. It seemed to work for the most part, and if it does like it did last night I will grow to like it.

Next. What an Alabama loss means for OSU and Michigan. dark

The Buckeyes have a bright future ahead of them as this recruiting class looks to be solid and coach Holtnann has one of the best classes in the country coming in next year. It is only going to get better from here on in Buckeye fans.

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