College Hoops Top 50

Last Year: 19-14; Fifth (10-8) in the Mid-American Conference

Head Coach: Jeff Boals (Fifth Year; 78-47 at Ohio with one NCAA Tournament appearance)

Projected Starting Lineup

PG Jaylin Hunter – 6’0″, 195 – Senior (5th)

SG Miles Brown – 6’1″, 180 – Senior (5th)

SF AJ Brown – 6’4″, 195 – Sophomore

PF AJ Clayton – 6’8″, 225 – Junior

C Gabe Wiznitzer – 6’11”, 240 – Senior

Projected Starters’ 2022-23 Stats

Jaylin Hunter: 13.2 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.2 apg, 1.8 spg – 40.8% 3FG

Miles Brown: 10.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 1.9 apg, 1.2 spg – 44.7% 3FG

AJ Brown: 10.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.8 spg – 37.5% 3FG

AJ Clayton: 7.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 0.8 apg, 0.8 bpg – 89.7% FT

Gabe Wiznitzer: 3.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.2 bpg – 51.2% FG

Experienced Reserves

G Elmore James – 6’3″, 205 – Sophomore

W Ike Cornish – 6’6″, 190 – Sophomore

F Aidan Hadaway – 6’8″, 190 – Sophomore

G Shereef Mitchell – 6’1″, 170 – Senior

G Ajay Sheldon – 6’1″, 185 – Sophomore

F/C IJ Ezuma – 6’8″, 240 – Junior

Experience Reserves’ 2022-23 Stats

Elmore James: 6.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 0.4 apg, 0.4 spg – 40.5% 3FG

Ike Cornish: 1.4 ppg, 0.3 rpg, 0.1 apg – 35.7% FG @ Maryland

Aidan Hadaway: 2.1 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 0.1 apg, 0.2 bpg – 40.9% FG

Shereef Mitchell: 1.8 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 0.5 apg, 0.4 spg – 34.5% 3FG

Ajay Sheldon: 1.2 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 1.0 apg, 0.4 spg – 35.1% FG

IJ Ezuma: 1.6 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 0.3 bpg – 44.7% FG in 2021-22

Freshmen

F Ben Nicol – 6’7″, 208 – Freshman

G Ben Estis – 6’0″, 180 – Redshirt Freshman

Jeff Boals has brought in an absolute glut of talent in his five-plus years as the head coach at Ohio. If only more of it had stuck around for awhile longer. 

Former two-time all-conference guard Jason Preston translated his huge March Madness performance a couple of years ago into being selected 33rd in the NBA Draft; former all-conference forward Ben Vander Plas finished off his career playing for the Virginia program which he had helped to derail a year before; and all-conference guard Mark Sears left the Bobcats to star in his home state at Alabama. That’s just in the past three years. Just think what a Mid-American Conference monster Ohio could have become had they all stayed. 

Such is life in college basketball these days, but even as the bags drop and players find their best fits and fortunes, Ohio under Boals soldiers on. The cupboard isn’t even bare after the graduation of two-time All-MAC big man Dwight Wilson. 

That’s because the second through sixth-leading scorers return to Athens from last year’s team, and Boals has a pair of high major transfers of his own coming in to help out for a change. “The way college basketball is now, you’ve got to continually recruit and we feel like if we get a kid to campus, they see what we have to offer in the facility, the campus, the academics, we feel pretty good about our chances,” Boals told The Post Athens. “We’re always going to try to get the best talent.” The biggest improvements for Boals’ program this year, after a fairly quiet offseason, should come from within. 

The backcourt is loaded with talent, and will be led by star point guard Jaylin Hunter and – Boals hopes – the next big thing in Athens, sophomore wing AJ Brown. A MAC All-Freshman pick last year as the Bobcats’ 6th man, Brown showed advanced aptitude at getting buckets. Despite missing the first few weeks of his rookie year, Brown hit double figures in the scoring column 15 times in his 26 games played. Though he had a couple of off games in February, Brown finished strong, including a 28 point explosion against Ball State in the MAC tourney. With good size and a quick, explosive first step, Brown is one of the highest-ranked recruits in Ohio history. He turned down offers from Alabama, Clemson, Penn State and VCU to come to Athens, and Brown validated the scouts’ expectations by displaying real three-level scoring ability as a freshman. He didn’t quite make 50% of his tries near the rim last season, per Bart Torvik, and if Brown can better utilize his strength when he drives to the cup this year, the sophomore could start racking up 20-point games in a hurry. Brown knows how to create contact in the lane, and he will be going to the foul line more often than the 2.2 trips he took per contest last year. He finished with a 37.5% rate from the land of trey as a freshman, and Brown has shown real range and fluid form on his jumper.

A MAC All-Freshman pick last year as the Bobcat’s 6th man, Brown showed advanced aptitude at getting buckets

Brown has both the developing handle and confidence to get a decent look when he wants it and the blow-by athleticism that some of his opponents just can’t match. Prior to getting hurt before his first season tipped off, Brown had led the Bobcats in scoring in each of their summer exhibition games in Spain last summer. Despite the injuries which he battled through to start his career, Brown has the look of a future star, and his coach is expecting the future to arrive soon. “Just proud of him for really staying positive,” Boals says of Brown, as reported by Robert Fenbers for Cleveland.com. “His attitude has been unbelievable…At some point we knew he was going to do this, and that he was going to be a great player for us.”

While Brown is still on the rise, Hunter is already a certified star. The team’s leading returning scorer from last year, Hunter took his game to a new level as a Bobcat after establishing himself at Old Dominion. He’s a little guard, but Hunter stepped into the Bobcats’ lineup after Sears left and gave a big performance last season, posting career highs across the board. He ranked fourth in the MAC in assists per game and assist percentage, and handed out better than two helpers for every possession he gave away. Hunter also emerged as a key scorer, and completely reinvented himself as a shooter. Despite making solid strides in each of his first three seasons, Hunter arrived in Athens with a 30% career mark from deep, having made just 66 career triples over three seasons. In his first year running the point for Boals, Hunter ripped off 73 deep balls at an excellent 40.8% clip, good for seventh and eighth in the conference, respectively, among players who attempted at least 100 triples. While the deep threat is a new element, Hunter has always been strong driving the ball into the painted area. He can weave through traffic nimbly, has developed a reliable floater, and Hunter has made 58% of his shots around the rim the past three years, per Bart Torvik.

Hunter is just as much a playmaker on the other end of the floor, and has quickly developed a reputation as one of the MAC’s most irritating perimeter defenders. He ranked third in the league in steals per game last season, and Hunter has pilfered 107 of the other team’s possessions in his past 65 games played. Terrific in transition, Hunter regularly turns his steals into breakout passes and quick buckets,  He finished strong, too; from January 31st until the end of Ohio’s season, Hunter averaged 17.8 points, 3.9 assists and 2.1 steals on 62.4% True Shooting. “Jaylin is a winner,” says Boals of his point guard. For his part, Hunter is glad to have found a prime role on a program that he expects to lead to more wins this winter. “Honestly it’s just a testament to coach Boals,” Hunter said at the MAC Tournament last year. “We always want to pride ourselves on playing our best basketball in March.” 

There is further quality returning to the Bobcat backcourt, particularly in the persons of Elmore James IV and Miles Brown. A ‘Covid Senior’ just like Hunter, Brown is back to use his final season of eligibility. Given the steady progress he’s made over the four previous seasons, Ohio fans will be glad to have the reliable combo guard for one more ride. A poster child for the program’s continued development under Boals, Brown has assumed a serious role over the past two years, and is one of the MAC’s top returning outside shooters. He’s splashed 96 triples over the past couple of seasons, ripping them off at a 41.9% rate over that span. Though he’s rarely the primary ballhandler, Brown is a capable facilitator and is especially slick shot-faking into a feed towards the paint. The Bobcats ranked 34th in the country in fewest turnovers per offensive play and had the 60th-fewest turnovers per game overall last year; and since Boals has done nothing but strengthen the guard depth, the Bobcats should continue to take good care of the ball while harrying the opponent. Like Hunter, Brown is a quick and active defender who’s very good at forcing turnovers and translating loose balls into buckets for his team.

James had a strong debut last year, and brings more size to the equation. He’s effective around the lane and can take on some assignments which Hunter and Brown aren’t suited to, and at 6’3″ and more than 200 pounds, James can get where he wants to go and finish despite contact. And yet, he shot the ball so well as a rookie that the 58% mark James shot around the rim was his least impressive percentage. James also shot a strong 46% on all other 2FG’s, per Bart Torvik, and though it came at a lower volume, he knocked down 40.5% of his deep heaves as a freshman. A MAC All-Freshman pick alongside his classmate Brown, James was good enough down the stretch that he started Ohio’s final 15 games. And over the team’s final 12 contests, James settled in to average 9.6 points on 59.7% True Shooting. “He’s one of those guys that just comes every day and works,” head coach Jeff Boals told Grayson Wolf for WOUB Public Media of Elmore. “He’s a worker. As a coach, you’re most proud when you see a freshman like that. Sometimes they can get frustrated and disappointed. He stayed even keel and when his opportunity came, he took advantage of it.” 

The frontcourt in Athens is no longer the domain of wide-bodied star big man Dwight Wilson, one of the nation’s top offensive rebounders over the past four years and a terrific player overall. There is no reasonable way to expect that this year’s options will replace him; the Bobcats ranked 34th nationally in offensive rebounds per game last year, and Wilson accounted for 29% of those reloads by himself. Two of last year’s experienced support players are ready to step into bigger roles, though, and hope to keep the Bobcats rolling along with a different look. Gabe Wiznitzer is a former Louisville transfer, and though he barely played for the Cardinals, Wiznitzer began to figure himself out last season at Ohio. Wiznitzer is long and has some mobility – though turnovers were an issue at times – and he showed a lot more confidence as an offensive player in a Bobcat jersey. Though he’s not as aggressive a player as Wilson, Wiznitzer is still active on the offensive glass and rebounds outside of his space at a decent level. He ranked second on the team in dunks last year, but made just 52% of his attempts around the cup, per Bart Torvik. Wiznitzer was stronger from mid-range, and can make short jumpers. He’s not a natural rim protector, but the hope is that Wiznitzer will develop more of a mean streak this year and make the best use yet of his size.

AJ Clayton enters his third year hoping to win both the most minutes and hold the starting job he earned down the stretch last year. While Boals has brought in enough guards to go small whenever he wants, Clayton started the final 16 games of last season next to Wilson, and developed into a really nice complimentary piece. Offensively, Clayton did two things quite well in his sophomore year; he stretched the floor as a big with real shooting range, and he crashed the offensive glass. Clayton knocked down 44 treys last year to rank third on the team, but would love to raise his 32.4% rate up by a few points as a junior. The fact that he made 89.7% of his foul shots last season and had made 38.2% of his triples as a freshman suggests that Clayton could be on the verge of a breakout turn as a deep threat. He also made a solid 66% of his shots near the rim, aided immensely by the 29 putbacks which Clayton accrued, per Hoop-Math. Those second chances accounted for 42.5% of his baskets near the cup, and Clayton grabbed 57 offensive boards overall. Clayton isn’t terribly agile defensively but gives a great effort, and if he can guard the post effectively enough to take over as the team’s top post player, Boals may just decide to play a smaller lineup and take advantage of having five shooters on the floor at a time. 

Five Stats Which Tell The Tale (with national ranks)

77.8 – Points Per Game (26th)

51.6% – Opponent Effective FG% (242nd)

.467 – Opponent Assists Per FG Made (77th)

.339 – Opponent FT Attempt Per FG Attempt (252nd)

.429 – Assists Per FG Made (350th)

The former high major players coming to Athens are expected to push for support roles immediately, and, Boals hopes, much more by season’s end. Shereef Mitchell played three full seasons at Creighton, but after being a key piece of the rotation for a couple of years, last year Mitchell faded into a deeper reserve spot. After missing all but six games two seasons ago and then being relegated further down the bench last winter, Mitchell is hungry to make a meaningful impact. “You know what you’re getting with Shereef,” said the Omaha product’s former coach, Greg McDermott. “I probably won’t see a much better defender than him in the country,” Mitchell’s former teammate Ryan Nembhard told Matt Foster of KETV in Omaha. Mitchell is a mature ballhandler and steady hand at the point, Mitchell is patient with both his dribble and the decisions that he makes. He’s got a 112 assist to 67 turnover ratio going so far, and with the Bobcats’ experienced scorers around him to keep fed, Mitchell should be able to mix in his own shots selectively. He’s been good driving in to create opportunities in the lane, and though Mitchell has been as inconsistent from the outside as his minutes have been, his stroke looks good. With more consistent playing time this year, Mitchell should finally get to truly show what he’s all about.

Formerly of Maryland, Ike Cornish was rated a Top 100 recruit out of high school but hardly played last year after redshirting his first season in College Park. Cornish was a Mark Turgeon recruit, but once Kevin Willard took over, things just didn’t flow for Cornish. He’s still a good-sized wing with plenty of talent, and Cornish will provide a skillset which Boals can utilize in all sorts of situations. He’s a willing passer whose length makes Cornish a potential wing playmaker, and he can rebound the ball well enough to hang in a 4-out lineup if Boals chooses. Maybe his most immediate impact will come on the defensive end, where Cornish can guard 1-4 and whose intensity should play well along with Ohio’s pressing guards. Cornish is a terrific athlete, and if Boals can find a role which feels comfortable, he could unlock the youngster’s ability. 

Five Out-of-Conference Games to Keep an Eye on

N – George Washington – November 24

vs Davidson – December 30

@ Clevelalnd State – November 11

N – TBD @ Baha Mar Tournament

vs Marshall – December 9

Aidan Hadaway got his feet wet last year, playing around the lane while Wilscon commanded the action. This season, he’ll be counted on as a useful forward off the bench. Hadaway has range out to the three point arc, and the quickness to cash in nearer the rim. He also provides the Bobcats with some versatility, as his perimeter skills make Hadaway a good option when Boals wants to go with a 4-out type of lineup. IJ Ezuma redshirted last season, with Wilson soaking up the vast majority of minutes up front last year. He’s not a particularly proficient offensive player, but Ezuma has the girth and rebounding acumen to become a quality backup around the bucket this winter. He’s a solid, hard-to-move dude who should make a solid impact defensively when Boals needs to give Wiznitzer a breather. Ajay Sheldon played in 29 games last season and even made a start, but he averaged just 8.3 minutes over the course of the season. A solid playmaker, Sheldon may be stuck in a bit of a logjam this year for playing time, but makes good decisions and projects as at least a solid backup going forward.

The MAC hasn’t necessarily gotten easier to run through; rather, the deck has been shuftled. While last season’s top two teams are dealing with an exodus of experienced talent, the Bobcats have retained the majority of their impact players. They’re going to have to play more defense this season, though, if they want to reach their goals.

It will be tougher going without Wilson to throw the ball in to and provide an anchor on the glass, but Ohio has a lot of scoring options this season and the youngsters who proved themselves last year are going to grow. The Bobcats may struggle more often on the glass this year, but there are shooters all over the place who should keep up something similar to the pace Ohio set last year, when they knocked down nearly nine triples per game. If the Bobcats can defend well enough and find some physicality in the lane, they should challenge for a league crown. And, with nearly all of last year’s key contributors back, Ohio won’t be daunted by a run through the MAC gauntlet.