With Ohio State football just around the corner, we don’t want to forget about the Buckeye Ballers. The Buckeyes once again will have an intriguing team on the hardwood. Whether that team can be just intriguing or a true title contender will depend on the play of junior forward LaQuinton Ross. After a strong tournament showing, it is now time for him to take on a leadership role.
When Deshaun Thomas decided to skip his senior season, to go to the NBA, many of us rightfully felt that the team took a huge hit. Yes, any time you lose your leading scorer and All-American candidate, it stings. Ross is capable of being a great replacement for Thomas though.
In his final three tournament games of 2012, Ross averaged over 17 points per game. During that time, he morphed into a true go-to scorer when times were tough. He was mostly a perimeter-oriented playmaker last season, but this upcoming season, he could have a bit more freedom in the offense to create while attacking the rim.
Ross has all the makings of a strong defender as well, but with Aaron Craft, Shannon Scott and Sam Thompson already on the team and scheduled to get a lot of minutes, Ross will probably not draw an offense-oriented matchup. His long arms can cause havoc as a help defender though, and he can provide more value on that side of the court than Thomas ever could.
He’s come a long way since the skinny SF committed to Thad Matta. After an up and down freshman campaign in Columbus, Ross waited until the end of his sophomore season to really showcase his potential as a legitimate college and fantasy basketball star and future NBA player. It remains to be seen if he can carry that over in a starring role this season, but he has all the physical tools to do so. Ohio State might not get as much hype as they did in the preseason last year, but they could very well make a Final Four run with the talent they have.
Aaron Craft is definitely the defensive leader of this team. Can LaQuinton become the leader on offense?
I sure hope he steps up, Q has such a high ceiling and this past post season we seen he has the opportunity to be a superstar. In Q we trust.