Ohio State basketball: 3 starting lineup options for 2020-2021 season

Chris Holtmann has three starting lineup options to consider for Ohio State basketball next season, including an option that sees Kaleb Wesson return.

Ohio State basketball entered the 2019-20 season with the potential to finish in the middle of the pack. Schools like Michigan State and Maryland were expected for bigger things and Illinois and Iowa were lingering. Wisconsin even had some credibility.

The result was a fine year for the Buckeyes. They finished 11-9 in the Big Ten and in sixth place, which was unremarkable but not disastrous compared to other conference teams. A final record of 21-10 was definitely enough to land an NCAA Tournament berth, too, potentially landing between seeds 6-to-9 for the opening round.

OSU won its first nine games of the season, gaining momentum into the earliest matchups of the Big Ten. A big victory over Penn State highlighted this and defeating a down North Carolina squad was an early positive.

A bad loss to Minnesota, however, swung the Buckeyes in the other direction. With that game, they proceeded to finish just north of a .500 record and while it included an AP Poll ranking, Michigan State, Maryland, Illinois and Wisconsin ended up lapping them in the conference standings.

Nonetheless, Ohio State received quality play from most of its starting lineup, which led the way through the 2019-20 campaign. While just one starter averaged double-digit points per game, the unit was potent from the outside, with five of the six players who had at least 15 starts attempt over two 3-pointers per game; four of them made at least 34.7 percent of them.

Now the focus shifts to what the 2020-21 starting lineup will look like for Ohio State. There are not only outgoing players, but fresh recruits on their way to Columbus. Couple them with returning players who are waiting for an opportunity, and there is something to anticipate for next season.