Outlook: Chris Holtmann burst out of the gates in his first year in Columbus, shocking the world by leading the Buckeyes to a gaudy 25-9 (15-3) mark and finishing 2nd in the Big Ten. Last season, OSU took an expected step back with the graduation of Keita Bates-Diop, but Holtmann still managed to bring his squad to a second straight NCAA Tournament. With the loss of only two key pieces, a natural replacement for CJ Jackson coming in through the transfer wire, and the 12th best recruiting class in the country, Ohio State looks to be a legitimate Big Ten title contender in 2019-20.

OSU struggled on the offensive side of the ball, ranking 13th in the Big Ten in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency metrics. Without KBD, the Buckeyes lacked a go-to wing / backcourt scorer and instead had to rely on Kaleb Wesson for offense. Wesson played his part admirably, putting up 1.005 PPP in post-up situations (87th percentile nationally), but it’s hard to be an elite offensive team when playing through a center. Jackson did what he could, but the departed Keyshawn Woods and freshman Duane Washington were inefficient at best and fellow guards Musa Jallow and Luther Muhammad were much more defensive-minded players. This season, the offense should still largely go through Wesson, but the big man will have help in Florida State transfer CJ Walker and a trio of talented freshmen.

Wesson expanded his game last season, evolving into a versatile weapon on offense instead of a strict low-block presence. Here’s his shot chart from the past two seasons (2018 on left; 2019 on right):