There isn't expected to be a ton of turnover on Ohio State's roster this offseason.
Marc Loving was the lone senior on last season's roster and Trevor Thompson is reportedly set to enter the NBA Draft — though the option remains for him to return for his senior season if he does not hire an agent.
The rest of the Buckeyes' roster from the tumultuous 2016–17 campaign will be back, though. That's the current position Ohio State's roster is in, for better or worse.
With the Buckeyes officially in offseason mode now, here is a look at what each player that is expected to return next season can work on this spring and summer.
Author's note: Thompson is excluded from this list as he is expected to forgo his final year of eligibility. As mentioned above, Thompson does have the right to return to Ohio State for his senior season so long as he does not hire an agent.
Keita Bates-Diop — Forward
Many expected Bates-Diop to enjoy a breakout campaign for the Buckeyes, but a season-ending injury at the beginning of Big Ten play halted any hope for that. So, the No. 1 thing for Bates-Diop to do is get healthy. Ohio State needs its best two-way player back on the floor next season and needs him at 100 percent.
This team desperately needs somebody to play at an All-Big Ten level and as the best pro prospect on the roster, Bates-Diop needs to become that player. He has the skill set to be a mismatch nightmare, so it's important he develops this offseason once he's healthy and capable.
Dave Bell — Center
Bell is in an interesting place as he's likely to be the third big man again next season and will only play spot minutes when Ohio State needs him. He's a solid defender and rebounder but still raw offensively. Development on the offensive end of the floor could potentially lead Bell to some more minutes next season, which will be his fourth in the program.
Derek Funderburk — Forward
Funderburk is coming off a redshirt season so it's hard to pinpoint, exactly, what he needs to work on as our only reference point was Ohio State's exhibition game this season.
However, he's an athletic 6-foot-9 wing who can likely fit in at either forward position and provide the Buckeyes with immediate help on the defensive end. His offensive game was a bit raw coming out of high school, so continued development there would be a huge plus as he's expected to add depth in the frontcourt next season.
C.J. Jackson — Point Guard
Jackson was fairly solid in his first season with the program. He started as Ohio State's backup point guard but claimed the starting position late in the season.
His jump shot improved dramatically in Big Ten play as it was a bit of a worry in nonconference play. Jackson came to Columbus with a reputation as a knockdown shooter but shot just 26.6 percent from 3 in the early part of the season. He upped that percentage to 35.3 percent in Big Ten games.
As a smaller point guard, Jackson needs to continue to get stronger this offseason in addition to working on his handle and shooting consistency.
JaQuan Lyle — Guard
Lyle admitted his sophomore season did not go the way he hoped it would. He showed improvement in several areas — 3-point shooting, cutting down turnovers, etc. — but his biggest issue was once again consistency.
Lyle shot 41 percent from 3 this season and his assist to turnover ratio was 1.9 to 1. Not great, but still an improvement from the 1.45 to 1 he had as a freshman. He also shot just 25 percent from 3 during his freshman year.
His late-season injury and family situation certainly didn't help down the stretch with his play, but if Lyle figures out the whole consistency thing he can be a special player. The talent is there, it just needs to be there every game and not every other. That's more of a mental thing than it is physical, so that's what he needs to work on most this offseason.
Micah Potter — Forward/Center
Potter played a bit out of position this season as he's not really a natural center but more of a stretch power forward. Should Thompson return next season and with the addition of Kaleb Wesson, perhaps there's a chance Potter plays his natural position more than he did last season.
He must become a better defender, though, if he wants to do that. Many of the power forwards in the Big Ten are Vincent Edwards- or Nigel Hayes-types so if Potter wants to play the stretch four, he's got to be able to defend players who are quicker. He also must become a better rebounder than he is for 6-foot-9.
He can be a very valuable pick-and-pop big man with his ability to shoot it and Ohio State can create some matchup problems by using him at center in certain situations. It's probably only going to be matchup-based, however.
Jae'Sean Tate — Forward
Tate is healthy heading into the offseason for just the second time in the last four years. He underwent surgery for torn labrums that sidelined him during the summer entering his freshman season and then again last year. That's certainly a positive.
The obvious area for improvement this offseason for Tate is his jump shot. He's still not a great outside shooter and it's probably the last step in his development. He'll never be a sharpshooter, but getting some consistency from the outside — and free-throw line — would be a plus. Having a fully functioning left shoulder — something he didn't have last summer — should help.
Andre Wesson — Guard/Forward
Perhaps no player showed more improvement from the beginning of the season to the end than Wesson, who was a key member of Ohio State's rotation at the end of the year. It was pretty apparent the game started to slow down for the versatile Wesson.
He shot 43.5 percent from 3 in Big Ten play and showed the ability to defend multiple positions. An area of improvement this offseason could be continued improvement and expansion in Wesson's offensive game. It'd be a plus if he developed into more than an outside shooter on that end of the floor. As just a first-year player, though, there's still plenty of room to grow.
Kam Williams — Guard
Williams showed significant growth from his freshman year to his sophomore campaign but didn't take another step forward this past season as a junior. Perhaps that was a product of playing too many minutes, or perhaps it was Williams trying to do too much.
He's Ohio State's best outside shooter but shot just 32.4 percent from 3 in Big Ten play this season. As a sophomore playing eight fewer minutes per game, Williams shot 51.5 percent from 3.
For his fifth and final season, Williams needs to improve his handle as he looked uncomfortable with the ball in his hands a lot of the time. And as always, he needs to become a more consistent defender.
