Scarlet Sunrise: Brice Sensabaugh remaining in NBA Draft after one season at Ohio State
Good morning, Ohio State fans, and welcome to the Scarlet Sunrise. Football will always be our focus, but every day we’ll cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Buckeyes football, recruiting, basketball and more in Scarlet Sunrise.
Brice Sensabaugh remaining in NBA Draft after one season at Ohio State
After one year at Ohio State, forward Brice Sensabaugh is officially turning pro. The Buckeyes star is remaining in this year’s NBA Draft, according to Adam Jardy of The Columbus Dispatch.
Sensabaugh is the program’s second straight one-and-done. Similar to Malaki Branham in 2021-22, Sensabaugh outperformed his recruiting ranking in 2022-23 and climbed draft boards throughout his first year in Columbus, becoming an unexpected early departure from Ohio State.
Branham was selected by the San Antonio Spurs with the No. 20 overall pick in last year’s draft. He started 32 of the 66 games he appeared in for the Spurs as a rookie this past season while averaging 10.2 points per contest. Sensabaugh is projected to hear his name called in the mid-to-late first round.
Sensabaugh — the No. 54 overall prospect in the 2022 class, according to the On3 Industry Ranking — tallied the fourth-most points by a freshman in Buckeyes history. He led the team with 16.3 points per game last season. There was a stretch of 13 consecutive games where Sensabaugh was Ohio State’s top scorer. The Orlando native showcased his ability to score at all three levels, shooting a blistering 48% from the field, including 40.5% from deep.
Defensive shortcomings, a tendency to get into foul trouble and a limited playmaking portfolio are what’s preventing Sensabaugh from being a projected lottery pick. Plus, although he had a knack for making contested shots at Ohio State, the question remains if he can do the same in the NBA with maybe even less separation from defenders.
But the ceiling is high enough for Sensabaugh to be all but a lock for the first round, hence why he’s staying in this year’s draft rather than returning for a sophomore season with the Buckeyes.
What we learned from Buckeyes assistant coaches ahead of summer workouts
All 10 Ohio State football assistant coaches, plus strength and conditioning coach Mickey Marotti, met with the media Tuesday in the Woody Hayes Athletic Center ahead of summer workouts.
Lettermen Row broke down what we learned from both sides of the ball.
What’s the latest on the two-way quarterback race? Is there even more competition at center now, and how does that affect the offensive line situation? And what about the staff addition of former NFL head coach Joe Philbin? All of those questions are addressed here.
As for the Ohio State defense, linebacker C.J. Hicks is ready to be “unleashed,” safety Sonny Styles is in for a “dual plan” in the back end and Ole Miss D-Lineman transfer Twyone Malone‘s initial role is set. To find out more, go here.
RELATED
How Jelani Thurman can earn snaps, crack lineup early in Ohio State career
As “Tight End Week” continues at Lettermen Row, we highlighted the newest addition to the room: Jelani Thurman, a 6-foot-6, 253-pound true freshman who turned heads as an early enrollee this spring.
It’s rare for an Ohio State first-year tight end to see the field much. Can Thurman buck that trend? Consistency, particularly in the blocking department, will be key.
We explore how his skill set and size can earn him snaps in 2023. Check it out here.
Counting down
Buckeyes vs. Indiana: 93 days
Buckeyes vs. Michigan: 177 days
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