It’s Monday morning.
Here’s what I am thinking about heading into another week here at Scarlet and Gray Report.
It’s the end of an era for Ohio State basketball.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing I will not be playing basketball anymore, but I can find some peace in knowing that I was able to leave everything I had out there and give everything, 110%, to Ohio State and all of Buckeye Nation.”
This is how Kyle Young began his retirement video, announcing that after five seasons with Ohio State, his basketball career would be over.
That’s weird to say, isn’t it?
There hasn’t been one player who has been more associated to this new era of Ohio State basketball than Young: the 2017 four-star forward, who was originally committed to Butler, developing deep relationships with both head coach Chris Holtmann and assistant coach Ryan Pedon, before becoming a Buckeye after the two coaches were hired to take over for Thad Matta’s regime prior to the 2017-18 season.
He was never really the face of the Buckeyes, but he was beloved: the Ohio native that helped set the tone for what was expected out of a leader, becoming the face of the culture Holtmann and his staff installed over the course of their first five seasons in Columbus.
In the Holtmann era, there hasn’t been a season without Young, who has played in 135 of the 163 games the Ohio State head coach has been a part of, the only player that has been a part of each of his first five seasons.
In that time, Young did a bit of everything, from starting at power forward in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons to taking a back seat for the majority of the redshirt senior season, but serving as the sixth man, averaging 22.7 minutes per game and providing the Buckeyes with a offensive and defensive versatility that made opponents think twice whenever he was on the floor.
But the Massillon, Ohio native’s mentality never seemed to change or waver, whether he was starting or coming off the bench, whether he was returning from one of his three concussions in a 12-month period. There would always be a time where Young would be on the floor, diving for a loose ball, charging the paint or taking contact off a defensive play.
Even on the play that ended his time at Ohio State — his head colliding with Villanova guard Collin Gillespie during the second half of Ohio State’s loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament — he was trying to generate momentum, trying to generate juice with his play, something he brought each time he took the floor.
It’s something that is hard to replicate, and something Holtmann has had for his first five seasons.
It’s irreplaceable, the Ohio State head coach said over and over in what proved to be Young’s final season with the program.
It’s something the Buckeyes will have to replace.
What about Young’s game will Ohio State have to replicate?
It starts with versatility.
In his final three seasons with the Buckeyes, Young shot over 50% from the field and over 55% from two-point range, but averaged more than five rebounds per game, nearly an assist per game and more than eight points per game.
In his final two seasons, he even extended his range, showing, during the 2020-21 season, his ability to shoot the 3-point ball, making 13 shots from deep on 30 tries. While that success waned a but in 2021-22, he got much more attention, setting career highs in 3s made (15) and 3s attempted (51).
At 6-foot-8, 225 pounds, Young was the centerpiece of what became Holtmann’s building block: positionless forwards who can switch onto a guard at a moment’s notice, doing anything necessary depending on what the situation called for.
And whenever the Buckeyes needed a physical pick-me-up, Young was that guy that provided the boost in transition and in the paint.
So who can step up and provide that boost for Ohio State in 2022-23?
I may have hinted at this earlier in the week when I put a video of his workouts on the message board, but I think it’s Zed Key, easy.
Yes, this may be the easy answer, since the incoming junior is 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds — even thought he does look like he’s slimmed down a bit over the course of the offseason. But at his best, Key is that physical presence down low, playing that center position, barrelling up against centers in the Big Ten that are three or four inches taller than him.
But the big thing for Key, and what he seems to be working through is his shooting versatility, improving on his free-throw consistency, along with establishing more of a mid-range shot and possibly a 3-point game.
As I have said before, Key doesn’t have to have a great or consistent shot from the midrange or longer, but if he can make opposing defenders think he can do it, it opens all the more possibilities for the offense as a whole.
In terms of the positionless forward, those duties would likely fall to someone like Justice Sueing: the 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward, who’s returning for his sixth season after missing all but 31 minutes of the 2021-22 season with an abdominal injury. He has the shot-making ability and play-making ability to do everything asked of him whether it’s as the primary ball-handler or in the post.
As for the life and energy-building Young provided, that remains to be seen. Any of the returning veterans such as Key, Sueing or Seth Towns can serve in that role, but it could also fall to someone like Isaac Likekele or Tanner Holden.
What will Ohio State’s transfers bring to their new schools?
With all of the changes coming to Ohio State’s roster, there’s also a few members of the Buckeyes who have left to find other programs to be a part of: Justin Ahrens and Meechie Johnson Jr.
Here’s a quick look at what they would both bring to their new teams.
Ahrens — Loyola Marymount: The Versailles, Ohio native is heading out west for his final season of eligibility and is set to provide the Lions with something they desperately need: a 3-point weapon. Last season, Loyola Marymount shot 34.5% from 3-point range — 136th best in the country — on 21 tries per game, leading to an average of only 69.3 points per game. While Ahrens is coming off the worst 3-point shooting performance of his career, shooting 35.4% on four tries per game, he gives the Lions a shooting threat after finishing in ninth place in a West Coast Conference that includes Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco and BYU.
Johnson — South Carolina: The Cleveland native never really found his footing in Columbs, averaging 13 minutes in 43 games across two seasons, while averaging 3.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game, shooting 31.9% from the field. The Gamecocks could give Johnson a chance for a change of scenery, especially after losing Jermaine Cousinard, who entered the transfer portal and committed to Oregon. The career 34.4% 3-point shooter is set to join one of the worst 3-point offenses in the country last season, shooting 31.6% on 21.5 tries per game last season.
Let’s check those NBA Mock Drafts out.
I haven’t done as good of a job looking at 2022 NBA Mock Drafts ahead of draft night on June 23. But here’s some of the latest fits for both E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham, along with who the Cleveland Cavaliers could select.
The Ringer
No. 18. Chicago Bulls: Ohio State F E.J. Liddell
No. 22. Memphis Grizzlies: Ohio State G Malaki Branham
Other picks of note
No. 1 San Antonio Spurs: Auburn F Jabari Smith Jr.
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: New Zealand F Ousmane Dieng
CBS
No. 18 Chicago Bulls: Ohio State F E.J. Liddell
No. 26 Dallas Mavericks: Ohio State G Malaki Branham
Other picks of note
No. 1 Houston Rockets: Duke F Paolo Banchero
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Baylor F Kendall Brown
For The Win
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Ohio State G Malaki Branham
No. 27 Miami Heat: Ohio State F E.J. Liddell
Other picks of note
No. 1 Houston Rockets: Duke F Paolo Banchero
No. 39 Cleveland Cavaliers: Santa Clara F Jalen WIlliams
No. 58 Cleveland Cavaliers: De’ Lonhi Treviso G Giordano Bortolani
Speaking of mock drafts, I’m going to straight up steal @BuckNaked’s idea from the board.
I thought I would get into some Mock Draft simulators and see what it tells me about the 2023 class.
First, I did a seven-round simulated mock draft on Pro Football network. Here’s what I found:
No. 3 Detroit Lions: QB C.J. Stroud
No. 5 Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
No. 16 Indianapolis Colts: OG Paris Johnson Jr.
No. 18 Arizona Cardinals: OT Dawand Jones
No. 42 Washington Commanders: DE Zach Harrison
N. 107 Carolina Panthers: OG Matthew Jones
No. 109 Seattle Seahawks: K Noah Ruggles
No. 120 Arizona Cardinals: C Luke Wypler
Notes: While Alabama DE Will Anderson Jr. was the first player off the board, C.J. Stroud was the first quarterback off the board with Alabama QB Bryce Young being picked at No. 6 by the Carolina Panthers, a back-and-forth that should be a key storyline throughout the 2022 season.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was also the first wide receiver off the board ahead of LSU’s Kayshon Boutte at No. 9 to the Seattle Seahawks.
While Paris Johnson Jr. was listed as a guard, which should switch to tackle by the time this season’s complete, he was the fourth offensive line taken and the second guard off the board behind Alabama’s Emil Ekiyor Jr. Expect that stock to raise dramatically over the course of this next season.
Dawand Jones was the third offensive tackle off the board, not counting Johnson, with both Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski and Baylor’s Connor Galvin ahead of him.
All in all, Ohio State had four first-round picks and eight draft picks overall.
In terms of fit, Johnson seems like an All-Pro tackle with the Colts, while Noah Ruggles, especially with the fourth-round draft choice, could be a Pro Bowl kicker with the Seahawks. Also, following the footsteps of Chase Young in Washington couldn’t be bad for Zach Harrison.
Want to see something funny?
I also did a three-round simulated mock draft on Pro Football Focus for 2023, and it was awful.
FWIW: It forced me to pick a team to draft with, so I picked the Cleveland Browns, who had only one pick, and I selected the best player available.
No. 10 Washington Commanders: QB C.J. Stroud
No. 12 Minnesota Vikings: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
No. 19 Philadelphia Eagles: OG Paris Johnson Jr.
No. 58 Dallas Cowboys: DE Zach Harrison
No. 74 Indianapolis Colts: OG Matthew Jones
No. 90 Dallas Cowboys: RB Miyan Williams
No. 96 Buffalo Bills: C Luke Wypler
Notes: There’s a lot of things wrong here.
Stroud will be a top-five pick.
Smith-Njigba will be a top-10 pick.
Dawand Jones was not even mentioned, and he will be a first round pick.
And then there’s the Miyan Williams selection. No offense, but come on now?
Long story short, PFF was off their rocker on this one.
Speaking of NFL Draft picks…
Now that he’s an NFL first-round pick, Chris Olave gets to do pretty cool activities, like throw the first pitch at a San Diego Padres game.
If you remember, Olave was a baseball player in high school, one of four sports he played at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, CA.
On the baseball diamond, as head coach Ryan Day recalled before the Indiana game, Olave wasn’t much of a hitter, but “he was a hell of a pinch runner.”
He showed that athleticism by overthrowing that first pitch, that’s for sure.
This, my friends, is a photo finish.
I’d be the first to admit, I haven’t done the best job at keeping up with other Ohio State sports than basketball or football. I’m one guy, I can’t get to everything.
But this caught my attention.
Ohio State beat Michigan by literal INCHES to win its 10th Big Ten title, the first for head coach Kate Sweeney, who led the Buckeyes to a second-place finish a season ago.
The Buckeyes’ women’s rowing team has been dominant, winning eight Big Ten titles in the last 11 years in which the championships have been held. Three members of the team — Anneta Kyridou, Maria Kyridou and Lexie Nothdurft — were named as first-team All-Big Ten honorees.
That’s pretty damn good, if I say so myself.
Here’s my song(s) of the week.
It’s been a few weeks since I was in Atlanta, seeing bands like Oysterhead, Trey Anastasio Band, Spafford, Goose, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Neighbor (who I introduced you to a few weeks ago) and others.
But there wasn’t a set that left a bigger impression on me than Lawrence.
Lawrence is a brother-sister duo out of New York city that developed into an eight-piece “soul-pop” band that put on one of the most electrifying shows I’ve seen in a long time.
They had us dancing, weaving in and out of nods to old TV shows (jamming the Hey Arnold! theme) and leading the crowd in the Cha-Cha Slide before ending the set with their big single “Don’t Lose Sight.”
But as the set continued, there was no better representation of what this band can do than its cover of “It’s Gonna Be Me:” the NSYNC classic. It’s just such an enjoyable time, balancing intricate musicality with a looseness and fun that was just so much fun to watch.
Here’s their cover, with a fun little wrinkle in the middle.
See you on the board!
Here’s what I am thinking about heading into another week here at Scarlet and Gray Report.
It’s the end of an era for Ohio State basketball.
“It’s a bittersweet feeling knowing I will not be playing basketball anymore, but I can find some peace in knowing that I was able to leave everything I had out there and give everything, 110%, to Ohio State and all of Buckeye Nation.”
This is how Kyle Young began his retirement video, announcing that after five seasons with Ohio State, his basketball career would be over.
That’s weird to say, isn’t it?
There hasn’t been one player who has been more associated to this new era of Ohio State basketball than Young: the 2017 four-star forward, who was originally committed to Butler, developing deep relationships with both head coach Chris Holtmann and assistant coach Ryan Pedon, before becoming a Buckeye after the two coaches were hired to take over for Thad Matta’s regime prior to the 2017-18 season.
He was never really the face of the Buckeyes, but he was beloved: the Ohio native that helped set the tone for what was expected out of a leader, becoming the face of the culture Holtmann and his staff installed over the course of their first five seasons in Columbus.
In the Holtmann era, there hasn’t been a season without Young, who has played in 135 of the 163 games the Ohio State head coach has been a part of, the only player that has been a part of each of his first five seasons.
In that time, Young did a bit of everything, from starting at power forward in the 2019-20 and 2020-21 seasons to taking a back seat for the majority of the redshirt senior season, but serving as the sixth man, averaging 22.7 minutes per game and providing the Buckeyes with a offensive and defensive versatility that made opponents think twice whenever he was on the floor.
But the Massillon, Ohio native’s mentality never seemed to change or waver, whether he was starting or coming off the bench, whether he was returning from one of his three concussions in a 12-month period. There would always be a time where Young would be on the floor, diving for a loose ball, charging the paint or taking contact off a defensive play.
Even on the play that ended his time at Ohio State — his head colliding with Villanova guard Collin Gillespie during the second half of Ohio State’s loss in the second round of the NCAA Tournament — he was trying to generate momentum, trying to generate juice with his play, something he brought each time he took the floor.
It’s something that is hard to replicate, and something Holtmann has had for his first five seasons.
It’s irreplaceable, the Ohio State head coach said over and over in what proved to be Young’s final season with the program.
It’s something the Buckeyes will have to replace.
What about Young’s game will Ohio State have to replicate?
It starts with versatility.
In his final three seasons with the Buckeyes, Young shot over 50% from the field and over 55% from two-point range, but averaged more than five rebounds per game, nearly an assist per game and more than eight points per game.
In his final two seasons, he even extended his range, showing, during the 2020-21 season, his ability to shoot the 3-point ball, making 13 shots from deep on 30 tries. While that success waned a but in 2021-22, he got much more attention, setting career highs in 3s made (15) and 3s attempted (51).
At 6-foot-8, 225 pounds, Young was the centerpiece of what became Holtmann’s building block: positionless forwards who can switch onto a guard at a moment’s notice, doing anything necessary depending on what the situation called for.
And whenever the Buckeyes needed a physical pick-me-up, Young was that guy that provided the boost in transition and in the paint.
So who can step up and provide that boost for Ohio State in 2022-23?
I may have hinted at this earlier in the week when I put a video of his workouts on the message board, but I think it’s Zed Key, easy.
Yes, this may be the easy answer, since the incoming junior is 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds — even thought he does look like he’s slimmed down a bit over the course of the offseason. But at his best, Key is that physical presence down low, playing that center position, barrelling up against centers in the Big Ten that are three or four inches taller than him.
But the big thing for Key, and what he seems to be working through is his shooting versatility, improving on his free-throw consistency, along with establishing more of a mid-range shot and possibly a 3-point game.
As I have said before, Key doesn’t have to have a great or consistent shot from the midrange or longer, but if he can make opposing defenders think he can do it, it opens all the more possibilities for the offense as a whole.
In terms of the positionless forward, those duties would likely fall to someone like Justice Sueing: the 6-foot-7, 215-pound forward, who’s returning for his sixth season after missing all but 31 minutes of the 2021-22 season with an abdominal injury. He has the shot-making ability and play-making ability to do everything asked of him whether it’s as the primary ball-handler or in the post.
As for the life and energy-building Young provided, that remains to be seen. Any of the returning veterans such as Key, Sueing or Seth Towns can serve in that role, but it could also fall to someone like Isaac Likekele or Tanner Holden.
What will Ohio State’s transfers bring to their new schools?
With all of the changes coming to Ohio State’s roster, there’s also a few members of the Buckeyes who have left to find other programs to be a part of: Justin Ahrens and Meechie Johnson Jr.
Here’s a quick look at what they would both bring to their new teams.
Ahrens — Loyola Marymount: The Versailles, Ohio native is heading out west for his final season of eligibility and is set to provide the Lions with something they desperately need: a 3-point weapon. Last season, Loyola Marymount shot 34.5% from 3-point range — 136th best in the country — on 21 tries per game, leading to an average of only 69.3 points per game. While Ahrens is coming off the worst 3-point shooting performance of his career, shooting 35.4% on four tries per game, he gives the Lions a shooting threat after finishing in ninth place in a West Coast Conference that includes Gonzaga, Saint Mary’s, San Francisco and BYU.
Johnson — South Carolina: The Cleveland native never really found his footing in Columbs, averaging 13 minutes in 43 games across two seasons, while averaging 3.2 points, 1.1 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game, shooting 31.9% from the field. The Gamecocks could give Johnson a chance for a change of scenery, especially after losing Jermaine Cousinard, who entered the transfer portal and committed to Oregon. The career 34.4% 3-point shooter is set to join one of the worst 3-point offenses in the country last season, shooting 31.6% on 21.5 tries per game last season.
Let’s check those NBA Mock Drafts out.
I haven’t done as good of a job looking at 2022 NBA Mock Drafts ahead of draft night on June 23. But here’s some of the latest fits for both E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham, along with who the Cleveland Cavaliers could select.
The Ringer
No. 18. Chicago Bulls: Ohio State F E.J. Liddell
No. 22. Memphis Grizzlies: Ohio State G Malaki Branham
Other picks of note
No. 1 San Antonio Spurs: Auburn F Jabari Smith Jr.
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: New Zealand F Ousmane Dieng
CBS
No. 18 Chicago Bulls: Ohio State F E.J. Liddell
No. 26 Dallas Mavericks: Ohio State G Malaki Branham
Other picks of note
No. 1 Houston Rockets: Duke F Paolo Banchero
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Baylor F Kendall Brown
For The Win
No. 14 Cleveland Cavaliers: Ohio State G Malaki Branham
No. 27 Miami Heat: Ohio State F E.J. Liddell
Other picks of note
No. 1 Houston Rockets: Duke F Paolo Banchero
No. 39 Cleveland Cavaliers: Santa Clara F Jalen WIlliams
No. 58 Cleveland Cavaliers: De’ Lonhi Treviso G Giordano Bortolani
Speaking of mock drafts, I’m going to straight up steal @BuckNaked’s idea from the board.
I thought I would get into some Mock Draft simulators and see what it tells me about the 2023 class.
First, I did a seven-round simulated mock draft on Pro Football network. Here’s what I found:
No. 3 Detroit Lions: QB C.J. Stroud
No. 5 Jacksonville Jaguars: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
No. 16 Indianapolis Colts: OG Paris Johnson Jr.
No. 18 Arizona Cardinals: OT Dawand Jones
No. 42 Washington Commanders: DE Zach Harrison
N. 107 Carolina Panthers: OG Matthew Jones
No. 109 Seattle Seahawks: K Noah Ruggles
No. 120 Arizona Cardinals: C Luke Wypler
Notes: While Alabama DE Will Anderson Jr. was the first player off the board, C.J. Stroud was the first quarterback off the board with Alabama QB Bryce Young being picked at No. 6 by the Carolina Panthers, a back-and-forth that should be a key storyline throughout the 2022 season.
Jaxon Smith-Njigba was also the first wide receiver off the board ahead of LSU’s Kayshon Boutte at No. 9 to the Seattle Seahawks.
While Paris Johnson Jr. was listed as a guard, which should switch to tackle by the time this season’s complete, he was the fourth offensive line taken and the second guard off the board behind Alabama’s Emil Ekiyor Jr. Expect that stock to raise dramatically over the course of this next season.
Dawand Jones was the third offensive tackle off the board, not counting Johnson, with both Northwestern’s Peter Skoronski and Baylor’s Connor Galvin ahead of him.
All in all, Ohio State had four first-round picks and eight draft picks overall.
In terms of fit, Johnson seems like an All-Pro tackle with the Colts, while Noah Ruggles, especially with the fourth-round draft choice, could be a Pro Bowl kicker with the Seahawks. Also, following the footsteps of Chase Young in Washington couldn’t be bad for Zach Harrison.
Want to see something funny?
I also did a three-round simulated mock draft on Pro Football Focus for 2023, and it was awful.
FWIW: It forced me to pick a team to draft with, so I picked the Cleveland Browns, who had only one pick, and I selected the best player available.
No. 10 Washington Commanders: QB C.J. Stroud
No. 12 Minnesota Vikings: WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
No. 19 Philadelphia Eagles: OG Paris Johnson Jr.
No. 58 Dallas Cowboys: DE Zach Harrison
No. 74 Indianapolis Colts: OG Matthew Jones
No. 90 Dallas Cowboys: RB Miyan Williams
No. 96 Buffalo Bills: C Luke Wypler
Notes: There’s a lot of things wrong here.
Stroud will be a top-five pick.
Smith-Njigba will be a top-10 pick.
Dawand Jones was not even mentioned, and he will be a first round pick.
And then there’s the Miyan Williams selection. No offense, but come on now?
Long story short, PFF was off their rocker on this one.
Speaking of NFL Draft picks…
Now that he’s an NFL first-round pick, Chris Olave gets to do pretty cool activities, like throw the first pitch at a San Diego Padres game.
If you remember, Olave was a baseball player in high school, one of four sports he played at Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, CA.
On the baseball diamond, as head coach Ryan Day recalled before the Indiana game, Olave wasn’t much of a hitter, but “he was a hell of a pinch runner.”
He showed that athleticism by overthrowing that first pitch, that’s for sure.
This, my friends, is a photo finish.
I’d be the first to admit, I haven’t done the best job at keeping up with other Ohio State sports than basketball or football. I’m one guy, I can’t get to everything.
But this caught my attention.
Ohio State beat Michigan by literal INCHES to win its 10th Big Ten title, the first for head coach Kate Sweeney, who led the Buckeyes to a second-place finish a season ago.
The Buckeyes’ women’s rowing team has been dominant, winning eight Big Ten titles in the last 11 years in which the championships have been held. Three members of the team — Anneta Kyridou, Maria Kyridou and Lexie Nothdurft — were named as first-team All-Big Ten honorees.
That’s pretty damn good, if I say so myself.
Here’s my song(s) of the week.
It’s been a few weeks since I was in Atlanta, seeing bands like Oysterhead, Trey Anastasio Band, Spafford, Goose, Joe Russo’s Almost Dead, Neighbor (who I introduced you to a few weeks ago) and others.
But there wasn’t a set that left a bigger impression on me than Lawrence.
Lawrence is a brother-sister duo out of New York city that developed into an eight-piece “soul-pop” band that put on one of the most electrifying shows I’ve seen in a long time.
They had us dancing, weaving in and out of nods to old TV shows (jamming the Hey Arnold! theme) and leading the crowd in the Cha-Cha Slide before ending the set with their big single “Don’t Lose Sight.”
But as the set continued, there was no better representation of what this band can do than its cover of “It’s Gonna Be Me:” the NSYNC classic. It’s just such an enjoyable time, balancing intricate musicality with a looseness and fun that was just so much fun to watch.
Here’s their cover, with a fun little wrinkle in the middle.
See you on the board!
