Ohio State basketball: How Buckeyes did in the NBA this season

With the NBA season in its final week, it’s time to take a look at how Ohio State basketball players did in the Association this season. There was only one new Buckeye basketball player to enter the league this season and that was Duane Washington. He started out as a two-way contract and was just rewarded with a multi-year NBA deal today.

The reason why he was rewarded with that deal is because of his shooting ability. He wasn’t afraid to take shots on a bad Pacers team this season. With two games left, Washington is averaging 9.6 points per game on 39.4% shooting from the field but 36.6% from three. If he can get that 3-point shooting number to over 40%, he’s going to be a real guy in the NBA.

Washington’s former teammate Jae’Sean Tate is just finishing his second year in the league. He’s also on a bad team in Houston, but he starts for the Rockets. He’s averaging 12 points per game on 50% shooting. Tate also adds 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists.

Keita Bates-Diop got more minutes this year for a Spurs team that will now have a play-in game to make the playoffs. While he only is averaging 5.4 points per game, he’s doing so on 51.7% shooting and 32.7% from beyond the arc.

Mike Conley is once again the former Ohio State basketball player on the best team. With the Jazz, he has a chance to make noise in the playoffs. This season, he’s averaging 13.7 points per game, 5.3 assists, and is shooting 41% from three. He continues to be really good.

D’Angelo Russell had the best statistical season of any former Buckeye this season. He is averaging 18.1 points per game, 7.1 assists, and 3.3 rebounds. He has his good and bad moments, but he will be in the playoffs as well with the Timberwolves.

There will be two new Buckeyes in the NBA next season when E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham join the fray. Both will be first-round picks. Branham has a higher NBA ceiling than Liddell does, but both can be solid players at the next level.