Ohio State is exploring the possibility of adding another guard to its 2021-22 roster after Duane Washington Jr. chose to stay in the NBA draft.
At least two transfer possibilities have emerged as potential options to replace Washington on the Buckeyes' roster.
Louisiana's Cedric Russell told 247Sports’ Dushawn London on Thursday afternoon that Ohio State is one of five schools he is still considering, along with Marquette, Oklahoma, St. John's and Texas Tech (and later told CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein on Friday that he was down to Ohio State and Oklahoma). Alabama's Jaden Shackelford told Stadium’s Jeff Goodman on Thursday evening that Ohio State is one of three schools he is still considering, along with Oklahoma and Texas Tech.
Chris Holtmann confirmed Thursday during an appearance on 97.1 The Fan's The Buckeye Show that Ohio State has been weighing its options about whether to replace Washington through the transfer portal since learning last week that Washington would not return for his senior season. He also said that the Buckeyes will only add another transfer if it's a player who they believe is “the right fit for our roster.”
“People have asked, are you gonna add another player in Duane’s absence? And I still think we’re working through that,” Holtmann said. “If we add another player, it’s really gonna have to be the right fit.
“We’re not gonna go out and find a guy exactly like Duane. I just don’t think that is available right now, and I’m not even sure that’s exactly – we love Duane, and obviously would have loved to have him as a senior, but I’m really excited for him. But I think for us it has to be the right fit, the right fit for our roster, if we’re gonna add another perimeter player.”
Following Washington's departure, Ohio State has only four scholarship guards on its roster for the 2021-22 season: Jamari Wheeler, Jimmy Sotos, Meechie Johnson, Malaki Branham and Eugene Brown. Specifically, Washington's exit leaves questions about Ohio State's ability to score from the backcourt, as Washington led the team with 16.4 points per game last season while Wheeler averaged just 6.8 points per game in his final season at Penn State and Sotos, Johnson and Brown all averaged fewer than two points per game last season.
Holtmann acknowledged Thursday that Wheeler, who is best known for his prowess on the defensive side of the ball, is “not a guy who’s going to score at a prolific level” and that Ohio State brought him in with the expectation that he and Washington would complement each other if Washington returned for the 2021-22 season.
Russell and Shackelford could both help the Buckeyes fill that void, as Russell averaged 17.2 points per game at Louisiana last season while Shackelford averaged 14 points per game at Alabama last season.
“If we add another player, it’s really gonna have to be the right fit.”– Chris Holtmann on potentially adding a transfer guard
While Ohio State already has 13 scholarship players on its 2021-22 roster even with Washington's departure, it's still able to add another player because Sotos and Kyle Young are “super seniors” who do not count against this year's scholarship limit after the NCAA gave all athletes an additional year of eligibility.
The Buckeyes have already added two transfers this offseason, Wheeler and former Indiana/Butler center Joey Brunk, but the loss of Washington gives them reason to at least consider adding one more.
