Anthony Lee needed only one trip to Columbus to know it was the right place for him to continue his basketball career. Just one visit to Ohio State's campus last March was all the 6-foot-9 forward had to see.
"When I did come here — I only took one visit — I fell in love with the place even though I wasn’t here for the spring game, and I didn’t get to see any of the excitement until this fall, as far as the football games and stuff like that," Lee said last week at Ohio State's Media Day. "But when I saw it, I really knew the type of person (Coach Thad Matta) was and the other coaches, I just knew this was the place to be.”
After graduating from Temple in May, Lee still has one year of playing eligibility remaining. Because of the NCAA's graduate transfer rule, he's able to play this season.
The Buckeyes competed for his services against the likes of Indiana, Louisville, Iowa State and Notre Dame, but ultimately, Lee chose Ohio State.
"I just wanted to know how much they really needed me and them telling me how much they needed me," Lee said of his decision. "Just seeing what they were kind of lacking a little bit and just letting me know that this is one of the places that was a place that could really capture my heart."
It's not like Ohio State's frontcourt couldn't use the the help, either. The Buckeyes' only returning big men are seniors Amir Williams and Trey McDonald — neither of whom scored a point in Ohio State's 60-59 loss to Dayton in the NCAA tournament.
A versatile big guy, Lee brings an inside-out game to the Buckeyes and will add some much-needed help on the glass. Last year at Temple, he averaged 13.6 points and 8.6 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 50 percent from the field.
"He’s a big that’s very active, very athletic, strong and can finish around the rim," senior forward Sam Thompson said of Lee. "He does a lot on the basketball court and anytime you can get a guy like that it’s gonna be huge for a basketball team.”
Matta believes this year's team can be one of the most versatile he's had in his stint as the Buckeyes head coach. Lee brings that versatility with his skillset, but he also brings a level of quickness for a frontcourt player. It could be a huge advantage for Ohio State in the always-physical Big Ten.
"I can use some of strengths to my advantage," Lee said. "Me being quick, trying to get around in the post if they try and post me up, I can use my hands to get deflections and doing things like that is really gonna help me along the way. A lot of these guys are bigger, so because of that they might not be as fast. They might be big but I think I can use my quickness up and down the floor and get some extra rebounds.”
It will be difficult enough playing in a new league, but knowing he'll only be playing for one season presents Lee with a unique challenge, too. He said the excitement of being around a new program makes him feel a little like a freshman, but his comfort level with his teammates doesn't necessarily reflect that.
"The bonding that I’ve felt on this time was like no other and I think we’re gonna have so much fun," Lee said. "The chemistry that we have, I think we’ll do a real good job in getting back to where they’re used to instead of getting knocked out in the first round.
Added Matta: "For him, this is a golden opportunity to come in. Obviously, he has to fit into what we have and the good thing there is he’s a great kid, he’s a very caring individual in terms of knowing, ‘Hey, Ohio State’s done really well without me, how do I put my mark on the program, but do it in a way that helps everybody else?’”
But while Lee feels like he's right at home now with his new set of teammates, part of him still misses certain things about playing at Temple.
“I miss the cheesesteaks, man," he joked. "Philadelphia in itself is very cultured, really historic. With that you get to see a lot of places and just around good people and all that. But I feel like Ohio State has a mix of both. It has the downtown city stuff and it has the college campus experience so I think I’ve got two good things in one.”
