With the departures of Andrew Dakich and Jae'Sean Tate, Ohio State was getting set to enter the second year of the Chris Holtmann era without two of its three primary ball-handlers from a year in which the Buckeyes finished second in the Big Ten.
On Tuesday, the Buckeyes got some help, as graduate transfer guard Keyshawn Woods announced he will play his final year of eligibility in Columbus.
Woods took his visit to Ohio State during the same weekend the football team played its spring game, and was also reportedly interested in Louisville and Virginia Tech. Less than two weeks after his visit, he made up his mind.
Woods will be eligible immediately for Ohio State, so let's take a look at what he might bring to the floor next season for the Buckeyes.
On The Court
Woods has shown the ability to get to the rim off the dribble at times throughout his career, but it is his perimeter shooting that stands out when you watch his film. With good size at 6-foot-3, Woods is a career 42.5 percent three-point shooter who has the ability to catch and shoot but also create space for his jumper off the bounce.
While he was relegated to a role off the bench for most of last season for Wake Forest, Woods showed he can create for others as well, averaging 3.5 assists per game as a redshirt-sophomore in 2016-17 with the Demon Deacons. During that year, he posted his best overall season, averaging 12.5 points and 4.2 rebounds per game to go along with his assist numbers.
He has an established mid-range game and can also use his size to defend when he has to. There is a good chance he will push C.J. Jackson for the starting point guard role, though the two could see the floor at the same time as well, as Holtmann used Jackson and Dakich at the same time at certain points in 2017-18.
In The Class
Woods officially gives Ohio State six newcomers to the program for the 2018-19 season. He joins a four-player 2018 recruiting class as well as Florida State transfer C.J. Walker, who will join the team this season but will have to sit out due to NCAA transfer rules.
The addition of Woods likely means less playing time for the likes of Duane Washington, who figures to have a Musa Jallow-like freshman year now that Woods, Luther Muhammad and Jackson all figure to play premier minutes on the perimeter this season.
Holtmann has said that Jallow will likely be a candidate to handle the ball more next season than he did as a rookie, but with the addition of Woods, Jallow might be able to play more on the wing, which should fit his skill set more.
The Intangibles
Woods' high school (Northside Christian Academy) is less than a half-an-hour drive from Olympic Community, where Jackson attended high school in the Charlotte, N.C. area. He also played against Walker last season in ACC play, scoring 15 points off the bench in a 76-72 upset victory over the Seminoles. Walker scored just five points in a start.
The two also went at it in 2016-17, with Walker getting the victory as Florida State defeated the Demon Deacons, 88-72, on Dec. 28, 2016. Woods scored 16 points in a losing effort while Walker countered with 13 points in as many minutes.
