Through Ohio State's first 11 games this season, Chris Holtmann has used five different starting lineups – partially out of necessity, but also to continue to get a feel for his first Buckeye roster.
In the first two games of the year, Holtmann went with a veteran-laden lineup, starting C.J. Jackson, Kam Williams, Keita Bates-Diop, Jae'Sean Tate and Micah Potter against Robert Morris and Radford.
In wins over Texas Southern and Northeastern, Holtmann inserted freshman Musa Jallow into the starting lineup, bringing Williams off the bench. Jallow's length and athleticism on defense kept him in the starting lineup until Saturday's 97-62 win over William & Mary, in which he returned to a role off the bench.
With Potter out indefinitely after suffering a high ankle sprain against Northeastern, freshman forward Kaleb Wesson has filled in nicely as a starter for the Buckeyes. Wesson is averaging 12.2 points per game and tied a season-high in rebounds against William & Mary, while also dishing out a pair of assists from the post.
The more comfortable he gets, the more teams are beginning to double Wesson, which has opened passing lanes for the Buckeyes. Holtmann said Saturday that Wesson's ability to pass out of the post is a talent that is still expanding.
"He likes to pass. His skill level is a great strength for him," Holtmann said. "He can get going when he feels a little bit like a point guard and starts going behind his head and through his legs. He can get a little loose with it at times. But he's a willing passer, he can re-trap some double-teams.
"I think he'll get to the point where he'll demand a double-team most games. That's not the case right now because he's not strong enough probably," Holtmann added. "But I do think later in his career he'll be a guy that will demand a double-team most nights out, and his passing will really allow us to play through that."
When Wesson was doubled against the Tribe, the corner three-pointers came open for the Buckeyes. Guards Kam Williams and C.J. Jackson – both of which have been benched and re-instered into the starting lineup this season – have been the main beneficiaries in the corner for Ohio State.
Against William & Mary, the duo combined to shoot 6-of-8 from long range, as the Buckeyes shot a season best 52.4 percent (11-of-21) from behind the arc as a team.
Holtmann said that in addition to tinkering with different lineups, the Buckeyes are still in the process of figuring out their offensive identity. He added that he has seen Ohio State take more high-percentage threes in recent games, which has led to better offensive execution.
"We're still in the process of figuring out what we want our team, and our offense, to look like," Holtmann said. "And I think they're figuring out too what we think is a quality three versus not a quality three. I think there's been a little more patience on their end."
The only two players to start every game for Ohio State this season are Keita Bates-Diop and Jae'Sean Tate. Each has been asked to play out of position at times this season due to injuries to Potter and Kyle Young.
Bates-Diop played in the post for a good majority of the win over William & Mary, while Tate has played a significant role as Ohio State's point guard when Jackson was benched for games against Wisconsin and Michigan.
Jackson was re-insterted into the starting lineup against the Tribe on Saturday, and responded in a big way. The junior guard scored 16 points, dealt out six assists and did not commit a single turnover. Holtmann said after the win over William & Mary that while the Tribe doesn't force many turnovers, he has been pleased with the way Jackson has responded, in addition to limiting his giveaways.
"We are trying to help him understand that he can improve in this area and needs to improve as important as he is to our team. He continues to respond," Holtmann said. "He has been able to make poised, smart decisions with the ball and he has offensively really impacted the game with his ability to make threes."
Holtmann's lineup is likely to continue to evolve as the season goes on, and the Buckeyes will likely have a different rotation against Appalachian State on Dec. 16, with Young expected to return to the lineup.
