Is Lenzelle Smith Jr. Ready to Step Up?

The knock on Lenzelle Smith Jr. has always been his inconsistency.

Although it’s not unusual for a college basketball player to have ups and downs, the senior guard has frustrated fans because his highs have been so tantalizingly high.

After all, as a sophomore, Smith went off for 45 points and 12 boards over three games from the Sweet 16 win over Cincinnati through the heartbreaking Final Four loss to Kansas. That’s a 15/4 average for the mathematically impaired.

There have been better pure shooters and more freakish athletes on the team. There have been stingier defenders, flashier passers and players who could jump much further out of the gym than Lenzelle. But that was his thing. He was good at everything but dominant at nothing. In a nutshell, he was kind of a David Lighty. Only he never quite reached Lighty-ness.

Will 2013-14 finally be the season Smith puts it all together? I submit that it is.

That sophomore season — culminating with his selection on the All-East Regional Team — seemed like it would be the springboard to a great junior year. Smith started all 39 games, established himself as a good defender, strong rebounder and occasionally a great shooter (see also: his 28-point, seven-rebound destruction of No. 7 Indiana). Big things were expected of him for 2012-13.

But Lenzelle only increased his scoring from 6.8 points per game to 9.2, while his field goal percentage dipped from 47.3% to 43%, and his three-point percentage fell from 37.8% to 37.4%. It was a bit maddening for Ohio State fans who wondered what happened to that force of nature they saw in the East Regional the year before.

Smith started 35 games last year, scoring in double figures 16 times. Although he never matched the offensive explosion against Indiana the previous year, he did score 24 against Northwestern  and went 6/6 from the field with 21 total points at Nebraska. But those weren’t exactly the Big Ten’s best squads, and it didn’t help that he went scoreless against Washington in non-conference action.

A consistent Zelle would be a huge boost for the Buckeyes.

Zelle does a lot of things well, but he has seldom done all of them together. Historically, his highest rebounding games and his larger offensive outputs are usually not in sync. He’s a very good defender, but he sometimes loses focus on the perimeter or loses a guy cutting to the back door. 

Ohio State fans can be particularly unforgiving when a shooter isn’t knocking down his shots. Some of the nastiest terms I’ve heard slung at Buckeye hoops players were aimed at William Buford, one of the most prolific scorers in school history — albeit one prone to cold streaks. Similarly, Lenzelle has been an easy target for critics during his career, especially last season.

But now things are different. Smith is a senior and someone Thad Matta counts on for leadership. Smith isn’t responsible solely for his own game anymore. He’ll be expected to set an example. It’s the kind of thing that has brought focus to Ohio State athletes. Look what the weight of being a senior brought out in Zach Boren’s leadership skils, for example. See also: Philly Brown.

Smith seems to have the kind of maturity it takes to take that all-important step. He may not ever excel in one area, but he might just be the ‘glue guy’ Ohio State will need this season — providing whatever the Buckeyes need on any given night, whether that’s points, rebounds, good defense or a timely steal or assist. In short, a David Lighty.

Ohio State's offensive emphasis will likely be more committee-related with Deshaun Thomas's departure to Europe. That will give Smith more opportunities and, perhaps, more confidence. It was probably pretty easy to get cold running around the perimeter while Thomas supplied the offense. While a similarly gifted scorer, Ross seems more likely than Thomas to kick the ball out and create offense for others. It's entirely possible for Smith to average double figures in scoring and five or six rebounds per game.

He has already set the tone. Smith came out in Sunday’s exhibition win against Walsh and shot 6/8 from the floor and 3/4 from the stripe, tying LaQuinton Ross for a team-high 15 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds (six defensive, two offensive). It was a complete game performance and it may have served notice that Lenzelle is ready to step up.