Ohio State's Three New Big Guys Could Change the Way the Buckeyes Play

By Tim Shoemaker on July 26, 2015 at 7:45 am
Trevor Thompson
49 Comments

Ohio State’s best option in the low post last season stood exactly 6 foot, 4 inches. In a conference which featured several elite big guys — including the National Player of the Year — it’s no surprise the Buckeyes struggled all season to consistently inside.

But Ohio State fans are hopeful that won’t be the case anymore heading into the 2015-16 season. Amir Williams and Trey McDonald, who produced minimally inside during their four years in Columbus, have moved on and the Buckeyes will have a trio of fresh faces patrolling the paint this upcoming season and in the future.

Dave Bell and Trevor Thompson sat on the bench last season and watched as Ohio State got pounded inside on a number of occasions. Bell was sitting out as he redshirted as a true freshman and Thompson was forced to sit out for the season per transfer rules from the NCAA. Both of them will be available this upcoming season and both could have an impact.

Bell is a 6-foot-10, 214-pounder from Garfield Heights, Ohio. He’s dropped 11 pounds since last year (he was listed at 225). Coming out of high school, Bell was a three-star prospect and viewed as more of a project-type big guy. Right now, it appears he’ll be the Buckeyes’ third big guy off the bench this season.

Thompson is a 6-foot-11, 250-pound transfer from Virginia Tech. He was listed last year at 210 pounds, so he’s apparently put on 40 pounds. Thompson only played one season at Virginia Tech, so he still has three years of eligibility remaining. During that one year for the Hokies, he appeared in 30 games (including 10 starts) and averaged 5.0 points and 4.7 rebounds per game.

But in addition to Bell and Thompson, the Buckeyes will also have Daniel Giddens on the floor this season. Giddens, a four-star big man out of Marietta, Ga., played at the famed Oak Hill Academy in high school. He’s 6-foot-10 and 228 pounds, and while he may be a bit raw offensively, he’s a high-level athlete and should be able to immediately make an impact on the defensive end of the floor.

What all this means is that Jae’Sean Tate, the 6-foot-4 power forward who plays harder than just about anyone on the floor, should no longer be fighting down low without much help. Bell, Thompson and Giddens should give the Buckeyes some depth in the front court and, although most of it is unproven at this point, there is hope that the depth is quality.

Ohio State head coach Thad Matta have made it clear in their recent recruiting efforts that solidifying the frontcourt is the No. 1 priority. The Buckeyes already have the quartet of Tate, Bell, Giddens and Thompson for three more seasons (Giddens and Bell have four years of eligibility) and have commitments from two big guys in the 2016 class — Micah Potter and Derek Funderburk — as well as a 2017 big man commit in Kaleb Wesson.

The future of the Ohio State frontcourt looks bright. That’s not something that has been said in Columbus recently and it’s given Buckeye fans reason to be excited.

49 Comments
View 49 Comments