Incoming freshman get their numbers
It’s always a little exciting to see all of the new numbers for incoming Buckeyes each summer. It means that football season is close, and it tells us which kids are built for speed because they’re brave enough to pick a cool number (this theory has never once been wrong). Today, we got a look at the future of Buckeye football, and folks, I’ve gotta say, it’s a bit of mixed bag.
Via OhioStateBuckeyes dot com, Jameson Williams will be wearing No. 66, Cade Stover is taking No. 16, Steele Chambers gets No. 22, Craig Young and Bryson Shaw grabbed No. 37 and No. 38, respectively, Tommy Eichenberg took No. 41, Enokk Vimahi gets No. 66, Harry Miller gets No. 77, Cormonate Hamilton is No. 83 and Jaden McKenzie will wear No. 90.
The good? Jameson Williams is fast as hell, and his selection of a single digit as a wide receiver just sells me more on his chances of terrorizing Big Ten defenses for the next three years. Cade Stover’s choice is also good, especially if he moves up to edge rusher, but 17 is good on a linebacker as well. 22 is a good running backs number for Chambers, 77 is good for a center like Miller, and I like 41 on a thumper linebacker like Eichenberg.
The bad? Folks, friends don’t let friends wear numbers in the high 30s, especially if those friends are safeties. High 30 numbers are built to be punishment numbers, and willingly wearing them is, frankly, a red flag. Here’s hoping that Bryson Shaw and Craig Young can atone for their number sins.
On top of the freshman, transfers Gunnar Hoak and Jonah Jackson will be wearing 12 and 73, respectively. These are perfectly fine numbers.
“I see myself playing the 3, 4 or 5 when they really need me to because I will guard anybody on the court,” he said. “I could guard a point guard if you put me on him; just let me know when and where I’ve got to guard him. That’s just me. I will do anything it takes to win. If they throw me out there and tell me I need to score, I will do that. If they tell me I need to go out and facilitate, I will do that. Coach (Chris) Holtmann is saying he’s looking at me a lot of different ways.”
- EJ Liddell, via Adam Jardy, Columbus Dispatch
There may not be an incoming freshman that I’m more excited about on the Buckeye basketball team than EJ Liddell. I think he’s pretty easily the most college ready, and his ability to rebound and get to the hoop were both missing from last year’s roster. I think he could slide into a sixth man role by the end of the season, and it seems as though Ohio State agrees, per this excellent piece via the Columbus Dispatch.
I really like the idea of Liddell serving as a bit of a do it all player, kind of how Jae’sean Tate was a few years ago. Liddell is slightly bigger and I think a bit more developed coming in than Tate was, and we know what Tate eventually became. If Liddell can be that guy earlier, or perhaps, develop into Tate with a more consistent jumper, he could be an All-American caliber player.
“The Buckeyes’ two marquee matchups at home in the early portion of the season will be against perennial power UConn on Nov. 24 and ACC champion Louisville on Dec. 5. The Huskies advanced to last year’s Final Four and finished third in last year’s rankings while Louisville lost to UConn in the regional final and finished seventh. The matchup with Louisville will be part of the Big Ten/ACC Challenge.”
- Ohio State Buckeyes dot com
It’s going to be another tough start to the season for the Ohio State women’s basketball team, which has become a bit of a tradition under head coach Kevin McGuff. The Buckeyes really want to challenge themselves against the best, and while sometimes that works out great (like when you have Kelsey Mitchell), other times it has hurt the Buckeyes, like last season.
This year is going to be, I would imagine, a bit of a mixed bag. UConn and Louisville are both still set to be awesome, like always, and Ohio State is going to need a bounce back season after last year’s rough showing. Can they steal one of those games? Maybe, but even that feels a bit unrealistic.