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The Buckeye basketball team landed a top prospect for next season earlier today. His name: Evan Turner. Evan made it officially known today that he will be wearing an Ohio State uniform next winter. Apparently he did not want to end his Buckeye career with his last memory being a missed shot at the end of a double-overtime loss to Siena in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
Excuse me if I got your hopes up of a promising young talent being the “top recruit,” but in my mind, the return of Evan Turner to this basketball team will mean much more than the commitment of any high school kid in the nation. Not only did Turner average 17.3 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, but he provided irreplaceable court leadership to a talented, young team. Having Turner back next year will allow this team to improve as a unit and position themselves to make a legitimate run in the 2010 NCAA tournament.
In other Buckeye basketball “recruiting” news, Ohio State freshman center BJ Mullens “de-committed” from the program today. Okay, so he didn’t actually de-commit, but he did decide to enter his name into this year’s NBA Draft. I share the opinion of my fellow Curse of Cleveland writer, Kirk, on this situation: Good riddance Mr. Mullens! I hope you have fun career sitting on an NBA bench.
For a guy as big (7-0, 275) as Mullens, he should have been an absolute monster rebounding the basketball, but he only managed to pull down 4.7 boards a game despite playing 20.3 minutes per contest. The guy has plenty of potential (and he certainly has the measurables) to be a great basketball player, but he lacks a passion and dedication for the game. The biggest knock on his game is his work ethic, something that will surely prevent him from ever being successful in the NBA.
As far as recruiting is truly concerned, the incoming class is already wrapped up at a total of zero players. For a team that landed 5 recruits in 2006, 6 in 2007, and 4 in 2008, it probably sounds crazy to hear we will not be bringing in any fresh talent next year. The reason is due to the fact that we do not have any seniors on the team, so everyone (minus Mullens) is returning to the Schott next year.
In the past several years, we as Buckeye fans have gotten used to relying on up-and-coming fresh talent to bring wins to the program. Next year we can rest assured in knowing we have the talent in place. If we can avoid any serious injuries, we will be one of the top teams in the Big Ten and one of the better teams in the nation.
As a complete team, the only thing we lack is a legitimate threat at point guard. PJ Hill and Jeremie Simmons both saw time as the “official” point guard this past year and Evan Turner frequently ran the point late in games, but we do not have a reliable player with excellent court vision, passing, and dribbling abilities. Without any new prospects at the #1 position on the court, it is anyone’s guess as to who will man the position next year. My prediction: Evan Turner.
Evan was plagued by turnover problems at the start of 2008, but he got it figured out by the end of the season and I like him leading the charge on the court. As an added bonus, with Turner at the point, he can be accompanied in the starting rotation by Buford, Diebler, Lighty, and Lauderdale. In basketball it typically pays off to put you best 5 players on the floor, and those five are the best at Ohio State. PJ Hill can offer a great spark off the bench, Simmons can come in to provide some scoring, and the 7-0 center Alabama-Birmingham transfer Zisis Sarikopoulos (“Big Z”) can give the Buckeyes a force in the post defensively.
So Mullens chose to follow the likes of Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Daquean Cook, and Kosta Koufos as freshman Buckeyes in the last three years to leave early for the NBA. If the stories are true about his lack of work ethic and unenthusiastic personality in general, then this team will be better off without him. On a happier note, I would like to congratulate Buckeye fans across the nation on the signing of Evan Turner. The future of Buckeye basketball looks bright!
Go Buckeyes!
-Chris
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I have a riddle for you: What do the Erie Bayhawks, Colorado 14ers, and Utah Flash all have in common?
Answer: They are all potential stops for B.J. Mullens next year in the D-league. Thanks for nothing, Mullens. You make Koufos look like Wilt Chamberlain!