Duane Washington Jr.'s never been gun shy.
That trait has been both a gift and curse for the Buckeyes and their head coach, Chris Holtmann, who has often remarked Washington's shot selection and defensive concentration haven't always been on point over the course of Duane's two and a half seasons in Columbus.
After a January 9 win over then-No. 9 Rutgers in which Washington tossed in 17 points but with four turnovers, Holtmann summarized what it's like coaching such a confident kid with an itchy trigger-finger offering, "I love him. I love coaching him, but he's going to send me to an early death. He brings joy to playing, which we love about him. He brings joy to playing and brings a great spirit to playing the game and competing. Got a lot of confidence in what he can be. But no question he's taken years off my life."
Washington's play over the first 18 games of this season certainly lent credence to Holtmann's comments as the junior guard averaged a very respectable 14.5 points per game but did so on just 35.9% shooting from the floor. Ohio State needed his production and ability to create his own look but along with the benefits of that skill came instances of questionable shot selection, helping reinforce his reputation among some fans as purely a volume scorer.
Shooting under 33% from the floor in seven of those first 18 games, the last three in January saw Washington connect on an abysmal 16.7% from the field (5-of-30) while averaging only 8.3 points per outing with eight turnovers. The slump marked the first time since his freshman season in which he failed to reach double figures in three straight games.
| STRETCH | FG / FGA | FG% | 3FG / 3FGA | 3FG% | POINTS PER GAME |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LAST FIVE GAMES | 35/65 | 53.8 | 17/38 | 44.7 | 19.4 |
| FIRST 18 GAMES | 79/220 | 35.9 | 49/132 | 37.1 | 14.5 |
To his credit, Washington never lost confidence, displaying the amnesia you want from a born scorer. And just like that, the calendar flipped to February and Washington went on what is currently a five-game stretch of playing his best basketball as a Buckeye.
His streak started with a 16-point night on 6-of-15 from the field in an 89-85 win over then-No. 8 Iowa and that 40% shooting night stands as his least-accurate effort during the run.
Washington went for 18 points on 47% shooting in a victory at Maryland and chipped in a modest 12 points but on 50% from the floor during Ohio State's blowout of Indiana.
Things really picked up the last two games as he lit up Penn State for 21 points on 6-of-9 shooting in a 92-82 win and on Sunday he torched No. 3 Michigan for a career-high 30 points on 12-of-18 from the field including a 5-of-10 effort from beyond the arc in a 92-87 loss.
Washington's 40% or better shooting in each game marked his best such stretch since an eight-game run last year but that's bit of an apples-to-oranges comparison since Holtmann counts on him so much more offensively this year. During that eight-game stretch last year, he only averaged 11 points per game, reaching double figures four times in eight games. During this current five-game blitz, he's averaged 19.4 points, good for 4.9 more points per game than he averaged over the first 18 contests.
In fact, those last two outings against Penn State and Michigan help illustrate just how important his production is to Ohio State's success.
Duane Washington's shot chart for February month-to-date compares quite nicely to his November-January results.
The Buckeyes trailed the Nittany Lions by five with 13 minutes left in the game before Washington scored 15 of Ohio State's final 36 points (42%) on a perfect 4-of-4 from the field, including 2-of-2 from beyond the arc and 5-of-5 from the stripe. He ended up as the only Buckeye to reach double figures in the second half after tallying just six in the opening 20 minutes.
Against Michigan, 18 of his 30 points came in the second half as he again was the only Buckeye to score at least 10 after halftime. Those 18 points, on 7-of-9 from the floor and 3-of-5 from distance, accounted for 42% of Ohio State's second half tally. He was also Holtmann's only player to post a positive +/- against the Wolverines (+3) and his net points (Oliver's formula points produced minus points allowed) of 13.7 was the best of any player on the floor.
The monster two-game stretch averaging 25.5 points on 67% from the field and 60% from three-point land earned Washington Big Ten co-player of the week honors.
More importantly, it added more fuel to what was already an impressive start to the month for a guy that has to score efficiently for Ohio State to consistently compete with elite teams, or at the very least increase its margin for error in those contests.
The fact remains we've ridden Washington's offensive rollercoaster over the last few seasons so whether or not he can maintain his current offensive efficiency is legit question mark.
That said, if Washington can sustain his current level of play, or at least get hot for another stretch at the right time, he can help E.J. Liddell and company reach a level of success not seen since the 2012-13 Buckeyes reached the Elite Eight under Thad Matta.
