Ohio State basketball interested in Big Ten foe in transfer portal

The Ohio State basketball team is looking to rebuild its roster after this past season ended in another disappointing first-weekend exit in the NCAA Tournament. Ohio State does have a top-5 recruiting class coming in, but they will also use the transfer portal.

The Buckeyes have been interested in a lot of players in the portal so far this offseason, but one name has caught my eye more than most. That name is Rob Phinisee. Does it sound familiar? It should, because he has hurt the Buckeyes multiple times in the last couple of years.

Phinisee is transferring from Indiana. According to Jon Rothstein, he has received some interest from Chris Holtmann about joining the Buckeyes next season. Ohio State isn’t the only Big Ten team that has reached out to him though. Purdue has as well.

Phinisee’s numbers aren’t that great, and I know I just wrote that Holtmann needs better transfers. Phinisee only averages 6.5 points per game in his four-year career and only shoots 29% from behind the arc. But Phinisee is someone with experience that could help off the bench.

I’m not saying that Phinisee can play 30 minutes a game next year for the Buckeyes. But if they need a guard who can handle the ball and isn’t afraid to shoot off the bench, they could do worse. He’s about the worst type of player I would expect to get from the transfer portal.

If a guy that has played four years of Big Ten ball and has played 24 minutes per game for his team is the worst player you hope to grab from the portal, I’d say that’s not bad at all.