Ohio State basketball: Brice Sensabaugh declares for NBA Draft

The Ohio State basketball season did not go as planned. They missed the NCAA Tournament and have been sitting at home for the last couple of weeks. One good thing that did come out of it was the play of freshman Brice Sensabaugh, who was a welcome surprise.

For the second straight season, the Buckeyes got a freshman who played a lot better than expected. Last year, it was Malaki Branham. He wasn’t expected to be a one-and-done but played so well that he was able to head to the NBA after just one college season.

Sensabaugh has followed in Branham’s footsteps. He announced today on Twitter that he is declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft with an option to return to the Ohio State basketball program. You can see his full post below.

It’s not surprising that Sensabaugh made this decision. He finished the season missing the last two games of the season because of a knee injury. You knew he sat those games out to protect himself for the NBA. He’d already made that decision by that point.

Sensabaugh finished the season with 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, and shot 48% from the field. He showed an ability to get shots off from tough spots on the court, including with defenders draped all over him. He’s a walking bucket and that skill translates to the next level.

Sensabaugh is retaining his option to return to Ohio State. That’s very important. NBA teams are going to be turned off by his defense and his lack of playmaking, so he may not get the draft info back that he would like. If he’s projected to be a lottery pick though, he’ll stay.

It’s no surprise to see him leave. We wish him nothing but the best and we’ll certainly be following his career at the next level.