The NCAA has lost again in court (shocking, I know), and now players from the 2022 class in all sports will have a fifth year of eligibility. That means that a lot of seniors who tried to be drafted in their respective sports could flood back to the NCAA to try to find a spot.
One of those players could be former Buckeye center Christoph Tilly. Tilly was the starting center for the Ohio State basketball program last season, averaging 11 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists. While he wasn't the best center they've ever had, the Buckeyes need to see if they can bring him back.
Why the Ohio State basketball program should bring Christoph Tilly back
The Buckeyes simply don't have a good player to replace Tilly on the roster. As it stands now, Ivan Njegovan is slated to be the starting center. While he has shown some promise as an offensive rebounder, his offensive skill set leaves a lot to be desired. He's at least a decent shot-blocker, though.
Still, the Buckeyes would benefit from having Tilly back as the starter. At seven feet tall, he can still deter players at the rim. He shot abysmally from outside the 3-point arc a year ago, but at least he can make those shots occasionally. Spacing the floor will be key with the roster next year.
The core of the team will be John Mobley Jr. and two five-star freshmen. Maximizing the offense is clearly going to be the way that this team has to play in order to win games. They are going to be small in the backcourt, so why not try to have the best offense they can possibly put on the court?
Tilly went undrafted in late June, so he would be available to come back. It would certainly boost up a roster that actually has expectations after Jake Diebler took the Buckeyes to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in four years. Adding a center who can shoot would help.
Ohio State can't bring their best player from a year ago back
Unfortunately for them, Ohio State cannot bring the best player on the team back. Bruce Thornton was surprisingly the first pick of the second round by the Houston Rockets. He played well in Summer League, all but assuring his chance at a roster spot with the Rockets.
Had they been able to bring back Thornton, this would have been a team that could win the Big Ten. As it stands now, they should still shoot for the top six. If they bring back Tilly, the top four could be in play. Deibler needs to do as much research as he can to see if bringing Tilly back would be feasible.
I'm sure Tilly will explore a return to college basketball. It would help if he could come back to Columbus and play for a familiar face and in a familiar environment. That would be the best-case scenario for everyone involved in his possible return.
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