For the first time since 2008, the Ohio State basketball team has named preseason captains.
Four of them, to be exact, as Justin Ahrens, E.J. Liddell, Justice Sueing and Kyle Young were all given the honor for the 2021-22 season, per a program release on Tuesday.
Weve officially named our team captains for the 2021/22 season
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) October 12, 2021
Kyle Young
Justin Ahrens
Justice Sueing
E.J. Liddell
Read more: https://t.co/XogdNC2CDB pic.twitter.com/FadEHfFIVk
Ahrens, a senior wing native to Versailles, Ohio, started 18 games as a junior, and averaged a career-high 5.7 points per game. Ahrens' 42.5 percent three-point shooting accuracy last season led all Buckeyes that attempted more than 30 on the year.
Liddell, a first-team All-Big Ten honoree as a sophomore, returns to the Buckeye roster after testing the NBA Draft process over the summer. Liddell is Ohio State's returning leader in points and rebounds, having averaged 16.2 and 6.7 in 2020-21.
Sueing enters his third season in the Buckeye program this year after transferring from California ahead of the 2019-20 campaign. After sitting out that season, Sueing was one of just two Buckeyes to start all 31 games in 2020-21, and was the team's third-leading scorer at 10.7 points per game.
Young returns for his fifth season with the Buckeyes, and the Canton, Ohio, native averaged a career-high 8.6 points per game in 2020-21. Young's .433 three-point shooting average was also the highest of his collegiate tenure.
The Buckeyes open the season with an exhibition against Indianapolis at home on Nov. 1, before playing their first official game against Akron on Nov. 9.
| DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION |
|---|---|---|
| NOV. 1 | INDIANAPOLIS (EXHIBITION) | COLUMBUS, OH |
| NOV. 9 | AKRON | COLUMBUS, OH |
| NOV. 12 | NIAGARA | COLUMBUS, OH |
| NOV. 15 | BOWLING GREEN | COLUMBUS, OH |
| NOV. 18 | XAVIER | CINCINNATI, OH |
| NOV. 22 | SETON HALL | FORT MYERS, FLA. |
| NOV. 24 | CAL/FLORIDA | FORT MYERS, FLA. |
| NOV. 30 | DUKE | COLUMBUS, OH |
| DEC. 5 | PENN STATE | STATE COLLEGE, PA. |
| DEC. 8 | TOWSON | COLUMBUS, OH |
| DEC. 11 | WISCONSIN | COLUMBUS, OH |
| DEC. 18 | KENTUCKY | LAS VEGAS, NEV. |
| DEC. 21 | TENNESSEE MARTIN | COLUMBUS, OH |
| DEC. 28 | NEW ORLEANS | COLUMBUS, OH |
| JAN. 2 | NEBRASKA | LINCOLN, NEB. |
| JAN. 6 | INDIANA | BLOOMINGTON, IND. |
| JAN. 9 | NORTHWESTERN | COLUMBUS, OH |
| JAN. 13 | WISCONSIN | MADISON, WISC. |
| JAN. 16 | PENN STATE | COLUMBUS, OH |
| JAN. 22 | NEBRASKA | COLUMBUS, OH |
| JAN. 27 | MINNESOTA | MINNEAPOLIS, MINN. |
| JAN. 30 | PURDUE | WEST LAFAYETTE, IND. |
| FEB. 3 | IOWA | COLUMBUS, OH |
| FEB. 6 | MARYLAND | COLUMBUS, OH |
| FEB. 9 | RUTGERS | PISCATAWAY, N.J. |
| FEB. 12 | MICHIGAN | ANN ARBOR, MICH. |
| FEB. 15 | MINNESOTA | COLUMBUS, OH |
| FEB. 19 | INDIANA | COLUMBUS, OH |
| FEB. 24 | ILLINOIS | CHAMPAIGN, ILL. |
| FEB. 27 | MARYLAND | COLLEGE PARK, MD. |
| MARCH 3 | MICHIGAN STATE | COLUMBUS, OH |
| MARCH 6 | MICHIGAN | COLUMBUS, OH |
| MARCH 9-13 | BIG TEN TOURNAMENT | INDIANAPOLIS, IND. |
