Ohio State basketball: Three players that need to make a jump next season

The Ohio State basketball team will have a lot of new faces on the roster again this season. However, there are still a few familiar faces in the Buckeye basketball program. Some of them will need to make improvements in their game for the upcoming season

In prior seasons, we’ve seen a guy like E.J. Liddell and others improve on their games each year they were at Ohio State. It’s expected for some returning underclassmen to take that next step and improve on their games heading into the next season.

Here is who should make the biggest leaps this off-season in preparation for next season for the Ohio State basketball team.

1. Bruce Thornton

The starting point guard for Ohio State finished off his freshman season on a high note. He helped carry the load for the Buckeyes on a run to the semifinals in the Big Ten Tournament. When things got tough for the Ohio State basketball team, Bruce Thornton didn’t give in.

During the four games of the Big Ten Tournament Thornton was averaging 15.5 points per game, 4.3 assists per game while shooting at a split of 46% from the field. He also had just four turnovers during that stretch of games.

Entering his sophomore season Thornton will see a much-increased role of being the leader of the Ohio State basketball team. He was named a captain midway through the season last year, and he did an excellent job leading the Buckeyes in the closing stages of the season.

Thornton needs to bring the leadership he had at the end of last season into this season with Ohio State’s revamped roster. With a lot of new faces on the team, it’s vital for someone to take on the leadership role in the locker room.

The second player is another guard that also played well down the stretch of the season.