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As the Ohio State basketball team prepares to embark on the oddest of seasons, so does the staff of your favorite Ohio State SB Nation blog. No, not that one... not that one either... the other one. No, I’m talking about Land-Grant Holy Land. To get ready for the season, our panel of experts refuses to be silenced by the inevitable shaming at the hands of Freezing Cold Takes, and is putting their collective knowledge where their typing fingers are.
Eight LGHL writers and editors have made predictions about the Ohio State Buckeyes, the Big Ten Conference, and college basketball as a whole. Let us know who you are — and aren’t — agreeing with in the comments below. And don’t worry, we will be revisiting these come season’s end.
Who will lead Ohio State in points per game this season?
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That’s Duane Washington Jr. with 62.5%, Seth Towns with 25%, and Kyle Young with 12.5%.
Who will lead Ohio State in rebounds per game this season?
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Kyle Young leads here with 62.5% and E.J. Liddell has 37.5.
Who will lead Ohio State in assists per game this season?
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CJ Walker with 3⁄4 of the votes in this category with Seth Towns getting the other 25%.
Who will lead Ohio State in steals per game this season?
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CJ Walker again with 87.5% of the vote and Musa Jallow getting the remaining 12.5%.
Who will lead Ohio State in three-point shooting percentage and what will the percentage be?
Four different Buckeyes got votes in this one. Washington got three with an average percentage of 40%, Towns had two votes with a 42.6% average, Justin Ahrens got two votes with an average of 41.44%, and Jimmy Sotos had one vote at 41%.
What will Kyle Young’s shooting percentage be this season?
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How many blocks per game will E.J. Liddell end the season with?
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Who will be the biggest surprise for Ohio State this season and why?
Who will be the biggest surprise for Ohio State this season and why?
| Contributor | Prediction |
|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Ibrahima Diallo - While he be Kaleb Wesson down low, Diallo will give the Buckeyes a presence sooner in the paint than they were thinking after Wesson declared for the NBA Draft |
| Connor Lemons | CJ Walker will win All-Big Ten honors of some sort |
| Dan Hessler | Musa Jallow because a lot of people have forgotten the potential he has after sitting out due to injuries. |
| Gene Ross | Justice Sueing. A lot of people probably forgot about him after he had to sit out last season per NCAA transfer rules, but he averaged 14 ppg in two seasons at Cal. |
| Matt Tamanini | E.J. Liddell. He came on a bit towards the end of last season, but with some openings in the front-court, he has an opportunity to establish himself as an important big for Chris Holtmann. |
| Meredith Hein | Justice Sueing - after sitting out last season, the transfer forward can provide some much needed scoring and veteran leadership for the Buckeyes. |
Who will be the most valuable player who did not play for Ohio State last year and why?
Who will be the most valuable player who did not play for Ohio State last year and why?
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Justice Sueing - He already has experience playing power conference basketball after starting his career at Cal, and will be able to step in and contribute immediately | Yes |
| Connor Lemons | Justice Sueing. | Yes, but only partial credit because theire's no explanation |
| Dan Hessler | Seth Towns because he could come in and instantly become a leader of this team. | No |
| Gene Ross | Jimmy Sotos. Ohio State was lacking in guard depth heading into the offseason, and the immediate eligibility of the veteran Bucknell transfer is huge for this team. | No |
| Matt Tamanini | Justice Sueing will give the Buckeyes a reliable scorer who can create his own shot, while not needing to have the ball in his hands all the time, or put up a ton of shots. | Yes |
| Meredith Hein | Seth Towns - replacing the Wessons will be a tall order, but Towns brings the mix of scoring ability and aggression to keep the Buckeyes on the right trajectory. | No |
Who will be Ohio State’s MVP this season and why?
Who will be Ohio State’s MVP this season and why?
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Seth Towns - He has shown he can be a game-changer and will be the glue that holds this young Ohio State team together | No |
| Connor Lemons | CJ Walker - Ohio State is thin on guards and he's going to play basically 40 minutes per night | No |
| Dan Hessler | Kyle Young as he is the backbone of this team. | No |
| Gene Ross | Kyle Young. As he was for most of last season, Young is the glue that keeps this team together. He brings a spark of energy with him that doesn't show up on the stat sheet, but is also a great scorer around the rim. | No |
| Matt Tamanini | CJ Walker. On a team with a very thin back-court, as the most veteran and experienced guard on the team, he will be asked to provide some continuity for a team with a lot of new pieces. | No |
| Meredith Hein | Kyle Young - he's entering his fourth season with the Buckeyes, and his veteran leadership will be invaluable in what will surely be a wacky season. | No |
What is your boldest, most out-of-left-field prediction for Ohio State this season?
What is your boldest, most out-of-left-field prediction for Ohio State this season?
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Ohio State not only makes the NCAA Tournament, they make it to the Sweet 16 | No |
| Connor Lemons | The Buckeyes start 10-0 before losing to Minnesota on Jan. 3. | No |
| Dan Hessler | Chris Holtmann and Ohio State win the Big Ten Championship and make a run to the Elite 8. | No |
| Gene Ross | The team actually looks better without Kaleb Wesson. The three-point shooting big man was a great player for Ohio State, but the team relied on him to be their entire source of offense all too often. Spreading the ball around will lead to a more efficient scoring. | Kind of |
| Matt Tamanini | Ohio State will have five players make the All-Big Ten team. | No |
| Meredith Hein | Maybe they'll just win it all because we need something to look forward to in 2021 after the bullsh*t that was this year. | No |
What place will Ohio State finish in the Big Ten?
What place will Ohio State finish in the Big Ten?
| Place | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Place | Percentage |
| 1 | 0% |
| 2 | 0% |
| 3 | 50% |
| 4 | 12.50% |
| 5 | 25% |
| 6 | 12.50% |
| 7 | 0% |
| 8 | 0% |
| 9 | 0% |
| 10 | 0% |
| 11 | 0% |
| 12 | 0% |
| 13 | 0% |
| 14 | 0% |
Who will win the Big Ten regular season?
Who will win the Big Ten regular season?
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Illinois | No, but probably would have if TTUN didn't cheat |
| Connor Lemons | Illinois | No, but see above |
| Dan Hessler | Michigan State | No |
| Gene Ross | Iowa | No |
| Matt Tamanini | Illinois | No, refer to first line |
| Meredith Hein | Iowa | No |
| Tia Johnston | Michigan State | No |
Who will be the Big Ten Player of the Year?
Who will be the Big Ten Player of the Year?
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
| Connor Lemons | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
| Dan Hessler | Trayce Jackson-Davis, Indiana | Come on, Dan |
| Gene Ross | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
| Matt Tamanini | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
| Meredith Hein | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
| Tia Johnston | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
Who will be the Big Ten Coach of the Year?
Who will be the Big Ten Coach of the Year?
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Brad Underwood, Illinois | No |
| Connor Lemons | Steve Pikiellm Rutgers | No |
| Dan Hessler | Fran McCaffery, Iowa | No |
| Gene Ross | Fran McCaffery, Iowa | No |
| Matt Tamanini | Brad Underwood, Illinois | No |
| Meredith Hein | Fran McCaffery, Iowa | No |
| Tia Johnston | Chris Holtmann, Ohio State | No |
Who will be the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament?
Who will be the four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA Tournament?
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Gonzaga, Villanova, Kansas, Illinois | 2 out of 4 |
| Connor Lemons | Gonzaga, Baylor, Illinois, UCLA | 3 out of 4 |
| Dan Hessler | Gonzaga, Nova, Virginia, MSU | 1 out of 4 |
| Gene Ross | Gonzaga, Villanova, Virginia, Kansas | 1 out of 4 |
| Matt Tamanini | Gonzaga, Illinois, Baylor, Houston | 3 out of 4 |
| Meredith Hein | Gonzaga, Virginia, Iowa, Villanova | 1 out of 4 |
Will Ohio State make the NCAA Tournament?
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How will Ohio State’s season end?
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That’s 57.1% predicting a loss in the Sweet 16, and then an Elite 8 loss, Round of 32 loss, and the season ending abruptly all getting 14.3% of the vote.
Who will be the Naismith College Player of the Year?
Who will be the Naismith College Player of the Year?
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
|---|---|---|
| Contributor | Prediction | Correct |
| Brett Ludwiczak | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
| Connor Lemons | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
| Dan Hessler | Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State | No |
| Gene Ross | Joel Ayayi, Gonzaga | No |
| Matt Tamanini | Remy Martin, Arizona State | No |
| Meredith Hein | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
| Tia Johnston | Luka Garza, Iowa | Yes |
After some unexpected start and stops, I am back to posting a column every single day from preseason camp until whenever Ohio State’s football season ends. Some days they will be longer and in depth, some days they will be short and sweet. Let me know what you think of this one, and what you’d like to see me discuss in the comments or on Twitter. Go Bucks!