Ohio State basketball: Freshmen stepping up for Buckeyes
By Jacob Rhymer
The Ohio State basketball team came into this season with a roster that had a lot of question marks around it. We are now near the end of the non-conference portion of the basketball schedule and this team still remains somewhat of a mystery.
However, their identity is slowly coming to form. They have had the occasional bright spots from a handful of guys, but the two that have remained consistent are the freshmen duo of Brice Sensabaugh and Bruce Thornton.
Before the season began, everyone knew that at least one of these freshmen would have to step up in a major role in order for this Ohio State basketball team to potentially break the curse and get to the Sweet 16. Well here we are, about to start Big Ten play again at the start of the New Year and there are two freshmen that are thriving in large roles for this Buckeye basketball team.
When the lights of Madison Square Garden were at their brightest, Sensabaugh and Thornton didn’t shy away from the spotlight against North Carolina. Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes, going for a career-high 22 points in the overtime loss last Saturday. Thornton followed alongside his freshman teammate with an excellent all-around performance of 17 points, five rebounds, and five assists.
Sensabaugh made very clutch buckets in this game, including the shot that put the Buckeyes up 79-77 with two seconds left in regulation over one of the best defenders in college basketball. Sensabaugh has proved he is a very gifted scorer many times this season. He loves dribbling to his left and stopping around the eight to ten-foot range for a jump shot, and it’s nearly automatic.
Thornton has been the most consistent out of anyone on the Ohio State basketball team. The freshman point guard has been a great floor general for the Buckeyes through the first ten games of the season. In the loss to North Carolina, Thornton battled with Caleb Love and R.J. Davis who are two very experienced point guards. He made a plethora of difficult shots, including a clutch and-one in overtime.
The two freshmen continued their stellar play last night for the Buckeyes in the win over Maine. Sensabaugh led Ohio State with 19 points, seven rebounds, and seven assists. Thornton had another complete. game with 11 points, six rebounds, and five assists.
Holtmann is putting a lot of trust into these two freshmen to help lead the Buckeyes and they continue to produce each game. If Sensabaugh and Thornton can keep playing at this level in Big Ten play they could be a true threat in the conference. With the help of these freshmen, this could be the year the Buckeyes get to the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament.
dark. Next. Ohio State basketball: Buckeyes dominate Maine
The Ohio State basketball team has a break for Christmas and then they’re back in action on December 29th when they host Alabama A&M for their last non-conference game before Big Ten play is full-go.