Arguably, the biggest concern surrounding the upcoming hoops season is how the new point guards will fare. It's not a question of talent, rather, how long it will take for them to acclimate themselves to the college game.
A.J. Harris and JaQuan Lyle will be the most inexperienced pair of Buckeye ball handlers since Thad Matta arrived in Columbus. Ohio State usually has a pretty smooth transition at the position, in terms of tenure – Jamar Butler to Mike Conley, back to Butler, to P.J. Hill and Jeremie Simmons, to Evan Turner, to William Buford and Aaron Craft, and to Shannon Scott and D'Angelo Russell.
To be fair, at this time last year, the staff didn't necessarily expect Russell to be in the NBA right now. Save for the Hill-Simmons experiment – a team which still made the NCAA Tournament, by the way – OSU usually doesn't experience a lull in point guard play. It's possible that doesn't happen even with two freshmen, considering Lyle spent last season at IMG Academy and seemingly prepared himself for a college-like basketball regimen. Plus, Harris' high IQ is a trademark of his game.
Still, it's undoubtedly easier to bring the rest of a young team along when your floor leader has experience running the team's offense. In order to avoid this potential problem again, the staff wants to bring in another point guard while Harris and Lyle are still in school.
The notebook covered 2016 point guard Kobi Simmons' visit and the offer to Tyson Carter, last week. Now we know Ohio State is after two more guards in successive classes.
Jay Jay Chandler, a four-star point guard from Katy, Texas, does not currently have an offer from Ohio State, but does have one from Oklahoma and Texas A&M. The 2017 prospect is in Kentucky, today, and will travel up I-71 to Columbus, Friday, according to Hoop Seen.
Here is Chandler displaying some open-court athleticism during his sophomore season:
Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are also expecting a visit from 2018 guard Hunter Strait, according to Future150's Andrew Force. The 5-foot-11-inch Iowan is not currently ranked by major recruiting services but that should change soon. Strait drew praise for his vision and passing during the summer.
Nike vs Under Armour
This isn't a full-fledged sneaker war, like the one documented in ESPN's "Sole Man" 30 For 30. Sonny Vaccaro has since retired, Adidas' influence in amateur hoops has diminished and Reebok is more focused on CrossFit than basketball.
A new skirmish has developed, however, as Under Armour challenges Nike for the throne. This isn't a battle over a particular prospect – in the past, shoe companies sparred over LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and Tracy McGrady. Currently, they're competing for all of the elite high school prospects at once.
Under Armour's Elite 24, telecasted on ESPNU, takes place Saturday. The aforementioned Kobi Simmons will play alongside some of the top recruits in the 2016 and 2017 classes. At one point, the Under Armour Elite 24 was the only major showcase this weekend and one of the few summer events NBA scouts are allowed to attend.
Nike swiftly changed that. The apparel giant decided to lure recruits away from the Under Armour event by hosting an event in the Bahamas, also scheduled to take place this weekend. According to CBS Sports' Garry Parrish, it was a somewhat hastily arranged event.
Harry Giles, Jayson Tatum and Malik Monk are among the recruits who spurned UA for Nike's vacation destination. Among the others scheduled to attend is Ohio State target Gary Trent Jr. He recently expressed interest in teaming up with fellow Bahamas attendee Wendell Carter Jr.
While it would be incredibly difficult to squeeze both Trent Jr. and Carter Jr. in the 2017 class – Kaleb Wesson has the last available scholarship at the moment – the Buckeyes are still heavily pursuing Trent Jr.
"Coach Matta texts me about once a week just to check in and see how I'm doing," he told Cleveland.com. "We're building a relationship and it's steadily getting stronger and stronger."
