There may be more competition for Evan Mahaffey to start at small forward in 2024-25, but his role for Ohio State men's basketball is expanding regardless.
One of the Buckeyes’ more versatile assets already in 2023-24, Mahaffey said head coach Jake Diebler wants him to both expand upon his ball handling and passing game from last season and add an outside threat as he plays more on the perimeter.
“It's something I love to do,” Mahaffey said. “I've been mixed in (on the perimeter) my whole life. But yeah, in high school I was on the perimeter a lot more. But I love it. I know we’ve had different conversations over time about moving me to the perimeter more.”
In his first year after transferring from Penn State, Mahaffey proved multifaceted for the Buckeyes, even if he wasn’t the flashiest member of the squad. While he picked up just 4.3 points per game, ninth-most for Ohio State, he finished second in steals (one per game), second in blocks (0.7), third in assists (1.7) and fourth in rebounds (4.2).
Mahaffey frequently handled the ball in crucial situations, helping the Buckeyes break multiple full-court presses down the stretch of games. As Diebler tries to establish an aggressive identity for his squad, one that includes a fast pace, Mahaffey is a critical piece for those plans. Especially after a season-ending ACL tear for sophomore guard Taison Chatman.
“I think I've been pretty open about this, I want to play more ball handlers. I think that'll help us play faster,” Diebler said in June. “Evan can certainly do some of that. We had really big plans for Micah from the moment we started recruiting him, this doesn't impact those plans. They were big from the beginning.”
As expected with a program in transition, the offseason saw several of Mahaffey’s teammates with remaining eligibility transfer elsewhere for the continuation of their college careers. Ultimately it’s the family atmosphere that Diebler is working to establish that made him stay.
“I think being from Ohio, being a kid from Ohio, seeing Ohio State as a program, seeing the legacy of how many players came by here – you saw them back this summer – being able to be a part of that and then contribute to it in a positive way is something that I really want to do,” Mahaffey said. “Being able to do it with the guys around this program, the coaches in this program.
“Bouncing around, it really just isn't me,” Mahaffey said. “I know from the first school to this one, I really wanted to find a home, someplace I could trust somebody, trust a group of people. And I think I found that.”
He’ll have to compete with San Diego State transfer Micah Parrish to start at the team’s small forward position, but he’s destined for a big role off the bench if nothing else.
Mahaffey scored double-figures three times during an eight-game stretch from Jan. 20 to Feb. 13, Chris Holtmann’s final game against Wisconsin, before seeing his minutes decline a tough to 18 per game with a surge from freshman power forward Devin Royal after Diebler took over. Though he scored just 1.6 points per contest in Diebler’s 11 games as head coach, Mahaffey still picked up 3.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 0.9 blocks per contest.
“I think just being able to contribute wherever I am,” Mahaffey said of what he learned from last year. “Staying with my game through the ups and downs of the season as well. Obviously there's always ups and downs, everybody has their highs and lows during the season. But just staying in a positive mindset, being able to contribute whether you're on the court, not on the court, whatever position you're playing. Just being able to help out wherever I can.”
“I really wanted to find a home, someplace I could trust somebody, trust a group of people. And I think I found that.”– Evan Mahaffey on why he stayed at Ohio State
There hasn’t been a strong indication of 3-point viability thus far in Mahaffey’s career, he shot just 2-of-17 (11.8%) from behind the arc in 2023-24 after going 4-of-12 (33.3%) as a freshman with the Nittany Lions. It’s largely a new component he’ll have to add as Ohio State tries to replace some of the production lost with the end of Jamison Battle’s career.
It’s never about overhauling a shooting motion, Diebler said. The main way to develop it into someone’s game is the most obvious. Get them in the gym shooting and get them to take such shots in 5-on-5 settings.
“It’s hard work, certainly,” Diebler said. “I think there are adjustments you can give them within reason. You can't give too much or it becomes counterproductive. But if there's one or two things that we can do – consistency with footwork, finishing the shot the same way every time – focusing on some details like that is important. But it's good old-fashioned hard work and time is most important, and then it’s getting experience in live reps.”
Development in the summer is about “small victories,” Diebler added, and Mahaffey’s been one of the biggest examples.
“We've seen that with Evan, him playing on the perimeter more than he did last year and being in decision-making situations,” Diebler said. “So we've seen steady growth. We haven't seen significant growth in (only) a few weeks, but we've seen steady, steady growth. And that's what summer is all about.”
As Mahaffey prepares for a more outside-oriented role, he’s working on all the skill elements of his craft, not just shooting the basketball. He’ll be a vital rebounder for the Buckeyes, too, as they replace last year’s top glass-eater Felix Okpara, with Diebler saying it’s an area Mahaffey can add more “consistency.”
“Just making sure that my abilities, my ball handling, my shooting, my decision-making are just getting better each day so that you can trust me out there,” Mahaffey said. “So I honestly love it. I love being challenged in that way, too.”
Mahaffey has another five months to chisel away at his perimeter game before the season tips off in November.
