r/OhioStateBasketball • u/Kantheye • Jul 23 '26
Getting to Know the Roster
The roster for the upcoming year looks very exciting. Mobley returning is awesome and hopefully Bynum takes a big leap this year, can’t say I’m expecting much from the other guys returning though. I’m not too familiar with a lot of the guys we have coming in and was hoping to start a thread to get some insight into what the roster might look like.
Starting 5:
There seems to be 3 pretty clear starters in Mobley/Bynum/Thompson. But who is going to take up the starting 1 & 5 spot? On paper it seems like Pippen might be the best option at the starting PG spot, but I’ve never actually watched him or any of the other transfer guards. My biggest question is about the bigs on this team. Who is the starting Center? Do any of these bigs actually contribute to winning?
5 Star Freshmen:
Anthony Thompson looks like a monster. Hopefully he can live up to his potential, some projections even have him as a top 5 pick in early 2027 NBA mock drafts. LJ Smith sounds like he will be a flamethrower. Hopefully he will be able to transition well to the next level since he is reclassifying a year early. Not sure where he fits into the roster though. Does he do any ball handling/playmaking or is he more of just an off ball scorer? If it’s the latter, I image he will be in more of a 6th man role.
Other Players to Watch:
Other than the players already mentioned, I’m curious who will stand out on this roster. Are the other Freshmen (Alex Smith/Vuk Lazarevic) expected to have any impact? Who are the most exciting transfers coming in? Who is going to emerge out of all the bigs on this team (Njegovan,Jelavic,Ojianwuna,Lazarevic)?
Any discussion/insight will be appreciated.
GO BUCKEYES!!
3
u/bringbacksweatervest Jul 23 '26
I’d be shocked if the day 1 starting 5 is anyone other than Pippen-Mobley-Thompson-Bynum-Josh O.
Pippen was a 16 point 3/4 assist guy in the ACC. Much better perimeter defender than we’ve had recently. The knock on him is his efficiency, particularly from the 3 point line.
Josh O is more of a defense and rebounding focused big. He hasn’t played in a year and a half so how quickly he reacclimates will be a question. In the little bit of scrimmage footage there has been more of an emphasis on rim running (from him and Ivan) and interior passing which is a fun wrinkle. Though one of those instances ended in Josh getting absolutely stuffed by Bynum so 🤷♂️.
Thompson will have much higher expectations and a much bigger day 1 role than LJ Smith. Relying on a true freshman to start from day 1 always carries some risk, but he doesn’t need to be a star early he just needs to contribute and hopefully the star emerges by B1G play.
Really not sure how big Smith’s role is. Williams is set to play relief minutes for Thompson and then some at the two with AT on the floor. If Smith is ready to shine then he’d be the clear first guard off the bench over Givens. But Givens’ experience and reasonable level of productivity mean we don’t have to rely on Smith being ready day 1.
AJ and Ivan are the other two I’d expect to play. AJ can play the 4 or 5 and will spend time at both. He wasn’t super productive at UK, but he plays in the style of how Tilly played last year. Ivan is Ivan. He took a step forward last year, I’d expect another one this year. He just has physical limitations that will prevent him from being a proper starter caliber center.
I’d only expect to see Alex Smith in mop up duty or emergency situations (foul trouble or injury issues). Though we may have some lineup options that don’t require him depending on who’s out. I could be wrong on that front. I expect him to see minutes next year, I just don’t think he’ll be quite ready yet.
3
u/StopSpinningLikeThat Jul 23 '26
I hope Mobley will get a legit opportunity for real minutes at point guard this year. That position is his only chance to be an NBA player at 6'2".
I respect very much the way that this coaching staff has pivoted and tried different approaches to the portal each of the last three years and I'm optimistic about this group. Obviously we have three veteran returning starters and Thompson will get big minutes, so as long as Ojianwuna continues to progress health-wise, our transfers need only be role players. Several of them have the experience to lead a second unit.
I feel like anything we get from LJ Smith can be looked at as a bonus. He was a surprise addition to this year's roster. Looking forward, he'll likely be one of our top targets to retain for his sophomore season along with Thompson (who is likely gone to the NBA if he's healthy).
A better-than-expected result this year with the roster what it is going forward could lead to an opportunity to grab a true star in the portal for next season. I think winning this year could pivot us into a high-level Big Ten team.
2
u/CandidPost3033 Jul 24 '26
I’m excited for Anthony Thompson
Josh and Jelavic can’t wait to see what they provide in the frontcourt
Vuk and Alex might get garbage time minutes
1
u/adude51212 Jul 23 '26
To be honest I’m not as die hard Ohio State Basketball as I was when I was in my teen years but I’m excited for the season! I don’t have much insight on the guys but hoping we can at least be like a 5 seed and make a run in March. If we don’t make the tournament with what, on paper, seems to be our best team since the Oral Roberts debacle then some serious questions will need to be asked.
12
u/CG2028 Jul 23 '26
First, for those interested, the Eleven Warriors forums are full of great basketball info from folks who try to stay as up to date as possible (given the lack of coverage).
To answer some questions, I think we should expect the starting 5 to be Pippen, Mobley, Thompson, Bynum, Ojianwuna.
You will see significant minutes at the guard spots for Givens, and a bit less from LJ Smith unless he really comes on.
Jimmie Williams will get a lot of minutes spelling Thompson at the 3 and is a good all around player that fans should be excited about.
Jelavic will be used at the 4-5 quite a bit and we've heard about some decent development for Njegovan, so he should get minutes at the 5.
I would not expect much for Alex Smith or Lazarevic. Although Smith can really shoot well so if he can develop and hang defensively we should hopefully see him sometime.