Fansided

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

By Rob Wolkenbrod

COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 01: CJ Walker #13 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to the crowd in the game against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Value City Arena on March 01, 2020 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OHIO - MARCH 01: CJ Walker #13 of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks to the crowd in the game against the Michigan Wolverines during the second half at Value City Arena on March 01, 2020 in Columbus, Ohio. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Ohio State basketball
(Photo by Corey Perrine/Getty Images) /

Ohio State basketball starting lineup: Best-case scenario

  • Guard: Duane Washington, Jr.
  • Guard: Kerwin Walton
  • Guard: CJ Walker
  • Forward: Seth Towns
  • Forward: Kaleb Wesson

Factoring players graduating or transferring, the best-case scenario for Ohio State features a potent lineup, returning three players and adding a top recruit and transfer, giving them enough firepower to compete in the Big Ten.

Kaleb Wesson already declared for the 2020 NBA Draft, and he could become a second-round pick in June. However, without having signed an agent, he can opt to return to school before June 3. That unlikely hypothetical bolsters the team’s frontcourt, rather than relying on Kyle Young for extra minutes.

Beyond Duane Washington, Jr. and CJ Walker returning, Ohio State gets Seth Towns, a transfer from Harvard where he averaged 14.2 points per game on 41.9 percent 3-point shooting in two seasons. In any scenario, he becomes a go-to scorer in the starting lineup, offering good size as well (6-foot-7).

The real wild card, though, is four-star recruit Kerwin Walton, who 247Sports ranked as the No. 97 overall recruit. A potential option for the suddenly depleted backcourt, Walton would have the chance to step in immediately as a true freshman, pending Eugene Brown III or another transfer doesn’t take precedence.

So Ohio State brings four solid scorers to the equation and inserts a young guard to work into the future. It’s an ideal scenario for 2020-21, but hardly a guaranteed one.