D'Angelo Russell, Compared to Other Freshman Guards, Is On Top

By Nicholas Jervey on February 12, 2015 at 10:10 am
D'Angelo Russell during warmups
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D'Angelo Russell had a quiet night against Penn State: 17 points, seven assists, six rebounds. He might win Big Ten player of the week again. Ho hum.

At this point, it's beginning to get a little old with Russell. Where are the skip passes across the lane, where are the pull-up threes? Merely excelling against an overmatched team is boring: when are we getting to the fireworks factory?

Now that fans are accustomed to Russell's game, the above is an easy attitude to fall into. I advise against it for two reasons: Ohio State fans will only see him in scarlet and gray for one season, as he is an obvious lottery pick. What's more, he is having a spectacular season for an Ohio State freshman guard.

Since the beginning of the Jim O'Brien era in 1997, Ohio State has signed 25 freshman guards. Some made no impact, like Samuel Payne, Brandon Fuss-Cheatham or Anthony Crater; a few were only contributors, like Boban Savovic and Matt Sylvester; others, like like Brent Darby and Shannon Scott, didn't blossom until later in their careers. Only a few excelled as freshmen.

From 1997 to the present, only five players challenge Russell for the title of best freshman guard. Each falls short.

6. Aaron Craft

Aaron Craft was a lightning rod for attention from the start, as his recruitment led to Bruce Pearl's firing at Tennessee. Craft was joined by two other guards in the class, Lenzelle Smith Jr. and Jordan Sibert. Neither Smith nor Sibert did much as a freshman, and Sibert eventually transferred to Dayton.

Craft lived up to the hype, though, averaging 6.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals per game as a freshman. The only thing lacking was a consistent outside jump shot, which would have forced defenses to play him tighter.

Sadly, that jump shot never came, and his prodigious defensive skills were hindered by an average offensive player. Craft was on the cusp of All-American teams, a persistent 1st-team All-Big Ten defender, and he is well-remembered in Columbus.

5. William Buford

In contrast to Craft, William Buford sometimes gets a bad rap. A streaky shooter for his whole career, Buford's 2008-2009 averages (11.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.1 assists) made him the second-leading scorer on a team that struggled to find a rhythm. He, not B.J. Mullens, was the unexpected star of the 2008 recruiting class.

Buford would eventually find a role as a second banana, clinching a share of a Big Ten championship with an icy game-winner against Michigan State in his senior year. That 2012 team would go to the Final Four, and it would not have gotten there without Buford's leadership. With 1,990 career points, Buford is tied for third on Ohio State's all-time leading scorer list.

4. Evan Turner

Turner was part of a 2007 recruiting class that had big shoes to fill. Three members of the previous class (Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daequan Cook) were one-and-dones, leading the Buckeyes to the national championship game and leaving for the NBA. Ohio State could not recover from such a loss of talent, and missed the NCAA Tournament.

One of the bright spots in that class, though, was Turner. A do-it-all shooting guard when he came to Columbus, Turner had 8.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists per game in 2007-2008. As the season went on, Turner clicked with senior point guard Jamar Butler and fellow freshmen Jon Diebler and Kosta Koufos, and the Buckeyes went from the outside of the NCAA bubble to a strong NIT Championship run. Oh yeah, and he'd go on to be the national player of the year in 2010.

3. Michael Redd

The first player under consideration, Michael Redd was one of the best scorers Columbus has ever seen. In 1997-1998, Ohio State was lousy, compiling an 8-22 record. Redd was the only bright spot, going for 21.9 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game.

Redd was better the next year, leading the Buckeyes to the Final Four in 1999. He declared for the NBA Draft after his junior season, leaving Ohio State with 1,879 career points. Had he stayed for his senior season, he would doubtless have been OSU's all-time leading scorer.

2. Mike Conley

As the second-most heralded member of the 'Thad Five' 2007 recruiting class, Conley was in some ways seen as a throw-in to accompany Greg Oden.

Conley was a good regular season player (as evinced by his game-winning shot to allow No. 2 Ohio State to beat No. 1 Wisconsin), but the postseason is where he shone. Conley had 11.3 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.3 assists per game in his freshman year, which rose during Ohio State's NCAA Tournament run to the championship game.

With an impeccable control of the ball, a quick first step and active hands, Conley was an all-around star.

1. D'Angelo Russell

For all the previous players' accomplishments, no freshman Ohio State guard has had a season quite like Russell's. His averages of 19.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game are tops on the team, and they have risen during Big Ten play.

Michael Redd was a better scorer and Mike Conley was a better defender, but D'Angelo Russell's creativity and offensive skill put him over the top. If the big men start contributing like they should, Russell (and by extension the Buckeyes) will be dangerous in March.

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