It isn’t easy to follow in the footsteps of guys like Evan Turner and Jon Diebler. Those guys were prolific scorers and really good shooters. This years group of Shooting Guards includes a cagey Junior and a sharp shooting true Freshman. One of them brings defensive intensity and the other brings a true deep threat from behind the ARC. So lets get to know these guys a little bit better and see where we are at for the 2012/2013 OSU shooting guards.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. is a 6’4″ 210 lbs Shooting Guard from Zion, Illinois. The former 3 star recruit is entering his 3rd year with Ohio State and his 2nd year as a starter. Last year Lenzelle was at best the 4th option on offense and played more of a utility role and focused on defense. His stats weren’t exactly gaudy but they were consistent at 6.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. Where Lenzelle made a name for himself was in the NCAA tourney where he was named to the NCAA All-East Region Team after averaging 17.5 points and 4.5 rebounds through games vs. Cincinnati and Syracuse. When the other teams focused on the OSU stars he stepped up and provided a real scoring threat and gave us a glimpse into what he can be for this years team. Thad Matta will need Lenzelle to step up even more this year not only on the offensive side but with his leadership. He will need to help groom his future replacement and the next guy on our SGs list. Below you can see a highlight video of Lenzelles.

Amedeo Della Valle is a 6’5″ 185 lbs 3 star Shooting Guard from Las Vegas, Nevada via Italy. Amedeo comes to OSU from National High School powerhouse Findlay Prep where he honed his skills as a 3 point specialist. He is a work in progress but with his size and speed and ability to hit jump shots from anywhere on the floor he fills a need for OSU that they so dearly have missed since Jon Diebler left last year. A 3 point specialist and a guy who can hit it consistently on spot up shots. There wont be a lot asked of Amedeo this year as long as Lenzelle can stay healthy and out of foul trouble. Ohio State has a short bench this year though so he may play more then was expected. His ability to hit the 3 ball will be needed and he can come in to snipe some shots when needed. Below you can see some highlights of Amedeo.

We kick-off the position previews by looking at the point guards. The buckeyes return both point guards from last year’s team. Thad Matta will lean heavily on his two point guards to overcome the loss of Jared Sullinger and William Buford, two of the top three scorers from last year. Consistency at the point guard position should be a stabilizing factor as Thad Matta develops his new rotation. Without further adieu, let’s introduce you to the two stabilizing forces.

Aaron Craft is a 6’2″ Jr. from Findlay, OH. Craft is the unquestioned emotional leader of this team. He embodies what you think of a prototypical point guard. He is a vocal leader, but more impressively his effort on the court speaks for itself. The team will feed off his defensive intensity. Craft was named the Big Ten Conference defensive player of the year last year. The key will be can Craft continue to improve his offensive production and maintain his stellar defensive play. The buckeyes are losing 32 points per game. I look for Craft to fill some of that void. I was (pleasantly) surprised to see that Craft averaged 44% from beyond the arc in conference games last year, but that only translated to 35% for the season. I am looking for Craft to be more consistent shooting from outside which will help his ability to get to the basket for easy buckets or find open shooters on the wing.

Shannon Scott is a 6’1″ So. from Alpharetta, Ga. Shannon comes from NBA blood lines; his father is former North Carolina Tarheel and NBA player, Charlie Scott. Shannon is one player that should see his role significantly increase this year. Scott only averaged 10.5 min/game last season. Similar to Craft I am interested to see if Shannon has improved his outside shot. Granted the sample size is limited, but Scott shot an abysmal 28% from the field, including 6% from 3-point range, last year. If the exhibition game is any indication, Craft and Scott will be on the court simultaneously this year. Scott has to be a threat from the outside in order for that lineup to be effective. The jury is still out on Scott’s ability/potential. This year should answer some questions. He will have to play in Craft’s shadow the entire season. I will be interested to see if he can step out of that shadow and make a name for himself.

We plan to take advantage of the bye week and preview the 2012-2013 men’s basketball team. Tune in every day this week for posistion previews as we get you prepared for the season opener Friday night against Marquette.

When we discuss recruiting here at Motsag 99.9% of the time it deals with football. Let’s be honest with OSU football matters most but thats not to say Coach Matta hasn’t brought us a wonderful product on the court year after year. He has multiple B1G titles and Final 4 appearances while he has been here but most importantly he has had a bevy of NBA draft picks including several 1st rounders. All that bling brings in plenty of talent and 2013 will be a big year for OSU considering they will have a bigger class then normal. Today he added no. 2 in this class so here he is.

(Photo courtesy of The Baltimore Sun and (Brian Krista, Patuxent Publishing))

Kameron Williams is a 6’3″ 170 lbs 4 star Shooting Guard from Baltimore, Maryland. kameron was long said to be a U of Miami lean but after a recruiting trip this past weekend in which OSU put out the red carpet he was swayed and choose to commit today to the 2013 class. He brings pure athleticism and speed to the position and a natural ability to score. He has a good touch on his shot and just needs to add a little bulk and height (hopefully) to succeed at OSU and beyond. ESPN has him ranked as the 52nd best recruit in the nation. 247sports has him rated as a high 4 star. Scout lists him as the 20th best SG in the country. Finally, Rivals has him as the 80th best recruit in the country. All 4 recruiting sites list his as a high 4 star recruit with a lot of upside. Kameron joins Marc Loving another hig ranked 4 star SF as the no 2 memebr of the 2013 OSU Basketball class. Below you can see highlights of one of his games where he just dominated.

As has been rumored for weeks now JD Weatherspoon and Jordan Sibert have officially asked for and been given their release from their scholarships at The Ohio State University.

Jordan Sibert a 6’4″ SG from Cincinnati is a sophomore with 2 years of eligibility left. Sibert was expected to battle for playing time this past year but lost his battle with Lenzelle Smith Jr. and Sam Thompson. Sibert could never find consistency in his shooting and ended up sitting on the end of the bench for most of the year and was rumored to be very unhappy all year. Coach Matta had this to say about Jordan “Jordan has worked to improve since he became a Buckeye two years ago,” Matta said. “He has represented our program well and we wish him the best.” You can read the entire Ohio State press release here. Rumors are he will end up at Dayton but may also choose a MAC school to be closer to his hometown.

JD Weatherspoon a 6’6″ SF from Columbus is a sophomore with 2 years of eligibility left. Weatherspoon is a pure athlete with serious hops. He was a fan favorite for his dunks and effort but as a whole never developed the skills needed to be a starter. Coach Matta had this to say about JD “J.D. has done everything we’ve asked,” Matta said. “I can relate to a young man’s desire to play. I was in his shoes during my collegiate career. His teammates and our staff appreciate the hard work J.D. has put in to make our team better. We wish him nothing but the best.” You can read the entire Ohio State press release here. As of this moment JD says he doesn’t know where he will transfer to but most expect it to be a MAC school with the possibility of going with Sibert to Dayton where former OSU Asst. Coach Archie Miller is now the Flyers HC. Miller recruited both players to OSU. Archies staff also includes former OSU Assts. as well.

With the departures of these players as well as Sully and Buford to the NBA this leaves OSU with 9 scholarship players for next year. For most coaches this would be panic time but 9 scholarship players is 4 more then Matta likes to use anyhow :). There are really only 2 possibilities for recruits in this years class. Tony Parker a 6’9″ 250 PF from Georgia who isn’t likely to pick OSU next week when he decides. Also Amedeo Della Valle is a 6’5″ 180lb SG from Italy via Findlay Prep. He fills a need as he is a 3 point specialist and a pure shooter. He is currently on an official visit at OSU today. He will decide between OSU and Texas A&M soon.

Live chat placed below the fold for archival purposes (also to prevent dragging the loading of the Men of the Scarlet and Gray homepage to a halt)

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So after 40 minutes of that maddening zone defense, dozens of questionable calls (both ways!) and the gritiest clutchiness from Lenzelle Smith, Jr. and the Buckeyes are on their way to the Final Four.

Basketball in general is an extremely stressful sport to be a fan of. Every single possession carries with it such pressure. Come tournament time, it becomes excrutiating. I really don’t know how these kids do it. But that was a really good game. Of course it makes it better that Ohio State won 77-70. (And if you aske me, beating Boeheim makes it that much better)

We haven’t covered the Buckeyes basketball team this year for a variety of reasons, but we’ve never stopped rooting for them. We’ve also still haven’t stopped waiting for Buford to have that game. But we know it’s coming.

So congratulations to the 2011-12 Ohio State Buckeyes. Good luck to them next week. We’ll be cheering (with one hand covereing our eyes the whole time).