CBB Rank 2021 goes through the projected top 100 teams in college basketball. Ohio basketball continues us at 97.
After an incredible season last year that saw them make the Round of 32, Ohio basketball will look to repeat that run and solidify themselves as a top mid-major team. They will have to do so without their star Jason Preston but bring back four starters from last year.
The big addition was the return of Jason Carter, who played his first two seasons at Ohio, transferred to Xavier, and is now transferring back to Ohio to finish off his college career. He was an All-MAC selection twice and will be a key piece for them.
Projected Rotation
PG: Mark Sears: (6’1, 185, Soph.)
2021 Stats: 8.5 points, 2.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1 steal
Projected Stats: 11 points, 3.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1 steal
SG: Lunden McDay: (6’3, 185, Jr.)
2021 Stats: 10.2 points, 2.3 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals
Projected Stats: 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.9 steals
SF: Jason Carter (6’8, 227, Gr-Sr.)
2021 Stats: 5.5 points, 6 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals
Projected Stats: 13.4 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.7 steals
PF: Ben Vander Plas (6’8, 232, Sr.)
2021 Stats: 12.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.4 steals
Projected Stats: 14.1 points, 7 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 1.5 steals
C: Dwight Wilson III (6’8, 250, Gr-Sr.)
2021 Stats: 14.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.4 blocks
Projected Stats: 16.7 points, 8.4 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.5 blocks
6: Ben Roderick (6’5, 205, Jr.)
2021 Stats: 12.4 points, 3 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.6 steals
Projected Stats: 9.7 points, 3 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.8 steals
7: Miles Brown (6’1, 180, Jr.)
2021 Stats: 4.6 points, 1.5 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.8 steals
Projected Stats: 6 points, 1.2 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.8 steals
8: Collin Granger (6’9, 230, So.)
2021 Stats: 1.3 points, 1.2 rebounds, 0.1 assists
Projected Stats: 6 points, 2.1 rebounds, 0.2 assists
Team MVP: Dwight Wilson III
Wilson’s excellence was really underappreciated last year. He finished 5th in the Mid-American Conference in rebounds and was the leader in field goal percentage. Add 14.5 points on top of that and you’ve got a potential first-team conference player now that he’s the first option on offense. If he can improve his defense, then he could really make a name for himself in the college basketball world and lead his team to a conference championship.
Make-or-Break Player: Jason Carter
In Carter’s first stint with Ohio, he averaged 16.5 points and 6.7 rebounds per game the season before going to Xavier. His numbers were much lower at Xavier, so the main question is which Carter we’re going to see. If he can get back to that high-level scorer that we saw a few years back, then this team has an incredibly high ceiling and could be a top mid-major team. Even if he doesn’t perform to that level, they will still be good but his success determines just how good.
Bench Rating: 4/10
Having Ben Roderick off the bench is a terrific 6th man, considering he would be a starter on most mid-major teams and was a starter on last year’s team that made it to the Round of 32. After that, it goes way downhill, with their other two guys only averaging a combined 6 points per game. The starters will have to play heavy minutes, and unless those bench guys develop this team might be burned out by the end of the season which is obviously an issue.
Team Outlook
Ohio finished 5th in the conference last season, but bringing back seven of the team’s rotation guys and a solid transfer in Carter can see Ohio basketball competing for regular season and conference tournament championships this upcoming season. Obviously losing Jason Preston is going to hurt, but the experience and a great coach in Jeff Boals can boost them up.
They will need the guards to take a step up, especially since they don’t have a single player on the team who averaged 4 assists or more last season. Road games will also have to be the main focus for this team, as they finished 4-4 in conference games, and having that positive record is the difference-maker in a conference expected to be tight. Honestly, this Ohio team can walk into the tournament if their guys develop and continue to play as a team. Keep an eye out for Ohio basketball throughout the season.
Projected finish: 2nd in the MAC
Projected Postseason Finish: NIT or Round of 64
Ceiling: Round of 32 exit
[…] CBB Rank 2021 goes through the projected top 100 teams in college basketball. Detroit Mercy basketball comes in next at 96. […]