Ohio State was a really good squad last season with the services of Evan Turner.
Once he broke his back, the
Buckeyes' dropped out of the spotlight and looked for answers.
When really it
was very simple; The Buckeyes' needed Turner's guidance in hopes to make a run
in the NCAA tournament.
Once he returned,
they got just that. Turner led the Buckeyes' to a NCAA tournament berth and a Big Ten
Championship. Not to mention, he hit a great three-point shot against Michigan to win the game.
Everything was
achieved by Turner to keep the Buckeyes’ competitive.
However, next
season the Buckeyes' aren't suppose to have problems with their roster; but really, can Ohio State replace Turner?
Turner was the
National Player of the Year in college basketball, not to mention the second
selection in the 2010 NBA draft. When the team needed a bucket they didn't go to
Jon Diebler, David Lighty or any other Buckeye but Turner.
So can they
really replace him? To Ohio State's credit, they did bring in a monstrous
recruiting class to go along with their returning players from last year's
squad.
Heading into next
season, they seem to have enough talent so they wouldn't need a player to
do-it-all like Turner did. But the leadership role is a question.
Lighty the
6-foot-5 wingman is going to be looked on to take the leadership role in the
offense. However, I don't think he has the ability to do what Turner did for
the Buckeyes' last season. Diebler doesn't have the handle or intensity.
So
Turner's predecessor is unclear.
However, DeShaun
Thomas, Lighty and Diebler can collectively work as Turner's replacements.
Last season,
Turner did it all. He shared the ball, rebounded and scored.
Thomas is the
most similar thing to Turner, although, he isn't equipped with elite
ball-handling skills to play the point. He is a slashing forward that has soft
hands around the rim and knows how to finish strong.
The McDonald's All-American
will likely start on the wing for the Buckeyes'. He is going to bring you
intensity on both ends of the floor.
Lighty and
Diebler will have to be the leaders. While playing beside Turner, it's not
crazy to think his mentality rubbed off on these two a bit.
If anyone needs
to step up and be the leader of this team, it’s Lighty. He is the 6-foot-5
wingman that made Turner's assist skyrocket.
He runs well
in transition and a pretty good set shooter. With the ability to
become an instant scoring threat on the wing, Lighty should look to take
control on offense for the Buckeyes' to be successful.
Filling The
Player of the Year, and No. 2 overall draft pick Turner's shoes will be a tough
job to do. But putting three players in the rotation that share similar
qualities to Turner should will be enough to fulfill the void.
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