Ohio State basketball: Biggest thing missing in the program

The Ohio State basketball team didn’t get to partake in March Madness this season. They had to sit at home and watch other teams play for a chance to get a national championship. While the Final Four is happening this weekend, the Buckeyes haven’t made one since 2012.

So what is it going to take for them to get back there? well, it’s not going to happen overnight. The Buckeyes do turn over most of the leadership on the roster and they have four new guys coming in, but they still don’t have the biggest thing that can help them be a contender again.

The biggest thing that the Ohio State basketball program needs is a versatile wing defender, They need someone who can switch on to bigger players in the pick-and-roll and then be quick enough to guard point guards. They haven’t had that kind of player in a long time.

Andre Wesson was the closest the Buckeyes have had in the Chris Holtmann era. I still remember how he was able to guard Issac Haas at Purdue to help them win that game. Even with how well Holtmann has recruited, he hasn’t been able to get someone who is switchable in recent classes.

Not only that, but they need that wing player to be able to score with the ball in his hands too. Brice Sensabaugh certainly fit that bill this past season, but he couldn’t defend even a little bit. Ohio State needs someone who can do both, with an emphasis on the defense.

Devin Royal is a talented wing coming in this season, but he’s more of a scorer. He isn’t bad on defense, but he isn’t elite. I’ll be interested to see how well he is able to improve on that side of the ball and if that’s enough for the Bucks to get into the Big Dance next season.