In a day and age where 3-pointers are taken now more than ever, Ohio State has been behind the change of times in recent years.
And now, the Buckeyes will lose their three most efficient 3-point shooters – and five of their top six 3-point shooters overall – either due to graduation or via the transfer portal.
Jamison Battle, who transferred to Ohio State before this year for his final season of eligibility, led the team with 210 3-point attempts. His 43.3% from beyond the arc was the seventh-best mark among qualifying shooters in Division I this season.
Scotty Middleton, meanwhile, made 28-of-62 3-point shots and was Ohio State's most efficient 3-point shooter for the season. Making 13-of-20 shots from deep (65%) in eight games after Jake Diebler took over, the freshman showed plenty of glimpses of being a go-to scorer late in his freshman season but decided to enter the portal on Monday.
Roddy Gayle Jr., who entered the portal on Wednesday, was third on the team in scoring (13.5 points per game) and also third on the team in 3-pointers attempted (102) this season. While he struggled to find any rhythm from beyond the arc, shooting just 28.4% from beyond the arc, his playmaking ability paired with his ability to shoot from downtown still played a major role in Ohio State's offense.
Bowen Hardman, while only taking 21 3-pointers in 76 total minutes this season, was also one of OSU's most efficient shooters from deep with nine makes on those 21 attempts. He was the first Ohio State player to enter the transfer portal this offseason, putting his name in the portal last week.
Add in Dale Bonner, and five of Ohio State's top six players in terms of 3-point attempts won't be in Columbus next season.
In all, the Buckeyes made 254 3-pointers (152nd in the country) and attempted 736 (160th), good for a 34.5% clip (152nd). Averaging those numbers out, OSU made 7.1 shots from beyond the arc per game (224th) and shot 20.4 per game (242nd).
Source: CBB Analytics
Even though five of Ohio State's seven fastest-paced games of the season of the season came in the final month of the season, all under Diebler's lead, the Buckeyes averaged just 18.6 3-point attempts (7.3 makes) per game in that stretch. If you were to average that number out through the entire season, that would rank No. 301 (out of 362 Division I teams) in terms of attempts.
While Diebler has already stated multiple times this offseason that he wants his team to continue to push the pace, have tempo and be aggressive next season, much like OSU did in the final 11 games of this season, that doesn't necessarily mean more 3-pointers, as the end of this season proved. While Diebler can emphasize running the floor more often, the numbers seem to suggest that he must also emphasize making more shots from long range, with the latter potentially being even more important in today's game.
Given the players that the Buckeyes will have to replace this offseason and their respective numbers from distance this season, it's something that must be addressed in the transfer portal ahead of next season.
| WHO | 3PM | 3PA | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023-24 TEAM TOTALS | 254 | 736 | 34.5% |
| JAMISON BATTLE | 91 | 210 | 43.3% |
| Roddy Gayle Jr. | 29 | 102 | 28.4% |
| Dale Bonner | 27 | 93 | 29% |
| SCOTTY MIDDLETON | 28 | 62 | 45.2% |
| BOWEN HARDMAN | 9 | 21 | 42.9% |
| Zed key | 3 | 12 | 25% |
| total lost 2023-24 Production | 187 | 500 | 37.4% |
| total lost 2023-24 production as a % | 73.6% | 67.9% | 37.4% |
| Total Returning Production | 67 | 236 | 28.4% |
| Total Returning Production as a % | 26.4% | 32.1% | 28.4% |
(Note: Key still has another year of eligibility but participated in Senior Day festivities alongside Battle and Bonner.)
With Ohio State in need of a wing scorer to replace Battle, another big man and more depth in the backcourt, 3-point shooting is an attribute the Buckeyes should be looking to add to their roster, no matter the position.
Getting Meechie Johnson to return for his final year of eligibility was a good start to ohio State’s portal activity, but he doesn't solve the Buckeyes’ woes from beyond the arc. He led South Carolina in scoring this past season (14.1 points per game) but shot just 32.1% from beyond the arc while attempting 5.7 3-pointers per game after attempting 7.1 3-pointers per game during the 2022-23 season.
Johnson will join Bruce Thornton in Ohio State's backcourt. Thornton led the Buckeyes in scoring (15.7 points per game) this season and was second on the team in 3-point attempts (5.0 per game). Thornton and Johnson are currently the only two OSU players currently on the roster who shot better than 27% from beyond the arc and took more than 20 3-pointers this season. But Thornton still shot only 33.3% on long range.
Juni Mobley and Collin White – OSU's 2024 recruiting class – could each provide plenty of playmaking ability, but their consistency from long distance has yet to be determined and cannot be something that the Buckeyes can lean on, at least early on.
Players that Ohio State has been linked in the portal who are good 3-point shooters include Kent State's Jalen Sullinger (39.2% in 2023-24) and Princeton's Matt Allocco (42.7%), both of whom are Central Ohio products.
With three players already in the transfer portal and just a two-player recruiting class in 2024, the Buckeyes currently have two open scholarships available to use in the portal, with more roster attrition still possible following the completion of this weekend's Final Four.
