Jake Diebler challenges Devin Royal to be 'okay being uncomfortable' during Ohio State's summer

Devin Royal took a step as a sophomore this past season for Ohio State. To take another as a junior, though, Jake Diebler needs him to be ready to do some different things for the Buckeyes.

Diebler was asked last week what the next step in the development of Royal would be in Columbus. He said that would start with some discomfort for him over this offseason as he learns and adjusts to a different role they’ll be asking him to play than he has in the past.

“Yeah, he’s got to be okay being uncomfortable this summer. And, listen, he can do it,” said Diebler. “The one thing about Devin, he’s got a really high basketball IQ and, at the end of the day, he’s going to find a way to be productive. He’s always done that in his entire career at every level. So, that production has got to look a little different but it can’t be completely, we can’t completely go away from some of the things that makes him special.”

Again, Diebler doesn’t expect Royal to be ready to play in an all-new way and do it well immediately. It’s going to take time with plenty of it as there’s four months still until they take the floor again after the summer and fall. Still, with his versatility, namely on offense with more to work on with defense, Diebler thinks it’ll only be a matter of that time for Royal.

“Like, he doesn’t have to be perfect at it yet. We’ve got to build him up to where he can do it but, I’m very, very confident he can do it,” said Diebler. “In fact, I don’t really have a whole of worry offensively. Defensively, it’s going to be an adjustment for him. You know, he’s been able to wrestle with guys inside most of his career. Now he’s got to be able to be on the perimeter more, identify different – it’s a different type of coverage, right. It’s a different type of action he’s going to see. So, that’ll just – he just needs reps. He needs experience. Because, again, he can see it, he’s plenty athletic enough. As he learns to use his size and length well on the perimeter, there’s no doubt in my mind that he’s going to be able to do it.”

Royal improved his stat line to 13.7 points (52.5% FG, 27.6% 3PT), 6.9 rebounds, and 1.1 assists last season, finishing as their leading rebounder. Now, in getting him a little more perimeter-oriented, especially offensively, Ohio State will have him looking to add more when it comes to his touches. That also includes more three-point shots with him being 16-58 overall but working there having been 12-34 (35.3%) over the back of their season from January 9th on.

“So, yeah, we may still throw the ball to him in the long post but it may be a different way for him to get there. He may be driving it from the perimeter to get there instead of him hanging around the basket and then cutting to get there,” said Diebler. “I was really impressed. He worked really hard to improve his three-point shooting. You know, the last, I don’t know, 15, 16 games? You can fact check me on this but he was mid-30s, I think, from three. So, significant improvement as to where he started the season, right. And he’ll go up from there. It’s no question in my mind. He has shot the ball really, really well. He’s been training with Bruce. He’s been training with some of our perimeter players all spring. We were intentional about that.”

Royal is looking like he’ll play a different way next season for Ohio State. He’ll now have several weeks through this offseason and into the preseason to adapt to it, and likely being a bit uncomfy for a bit while doing so, for the Buckeyes.

“He’s going to be in some different situations but he can do it and it’s just a matter of him being confident in himself, and being okay being uncomfortable for a little bit,” said Diebler.