Ohio Team Report

GETTING INSIDE

   As Thad Matta’s top lieutenant at Ohio State, John Groce wasted little time helping to make the big recruiting scores necessary to take the Buckeyes to the top of the Big Ten as well as the NCAA Tournament final.

While it might be a little unrealistic to project Ohio into an NCAA final—seeing as how the Bobcats finished last in the MAC East last season—Groce has again wasted little time injecting a roster with high-profile recruits. Groce’s second Ohio squad features five touted freshmen as well as former Indiana point guard Armon Bassett.

“Our big key is blending our returners with our newcomers,” said the perpetually positive Groce.

Ohio lost its top two scorers from last year, including first-team all-MAC forward Jerome Tillman (17.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg), but retains four players who made at least 14 starts. Sophomore shooting guard Steven Coleman, who made the league’s all-freshman team, is the top returning scorer at 9.8 ppg. “He really put it together the last eight games,” Groce said.

Coleman will help ease the pressure on Ohio’s trio of new point guards. Bassett won’t be eligible until approximately Dec. 1 (when Ohio’s fall quarter ends), so freshmen D.J. Cooper and James Kinney will hold things down. Cooper led Seton Academy to the Illinois High School Association’s Class 2A state title while Kinney paced Champaign Centennial to the Class 3A state title. Kinney finished fifth in Illinois’ Mr. Basketball voting while Cooper was eighth.

“Those guys believed in our vision,” Groce said. “Our vision to compete for championships.”

Ohio’s other freshmen will be found in the frontcourt: Small forward Ivo Baltic (6-8, 205) from Kansas City, small forward Marquis Horne (6-6, 185) from Cincinnati and power forward Reggie Keely (6-8, 230) from Cleveland. Ohio also brought in power forward Alex Kellogg from Providence, but Clark Kellogg’s son must sit out a transfer year.

Groce hopes the mix of intriguing newcomers and solid veterans will help the Bobcats climb the MAC East ladder this year.

NOTES, QUOTES

• After leaving Indiana after a tumultuous 2007-08 season that ended with a first-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, point guard Armon Bassett initially transferred to UAB to be with former Indiana coach Mike Davis. In the midst of sitting his transfer year at UAB, though, Bassett decided to leave and enrolled at Ohio prior to the 2008-09 season’s winter quarter. Bassett will be eligible to play for Ohio on roughly Dec. 1, which is shortly after the fall quarter ends.

“The transition’s been very smooth,” said Ohio coach John Groce. “The kid’s excited about his last go-round.”

Bassett averaged 10.4 points and 3.2 assists in two years as Indiana’s starting point guard.

   —John Groce doesn’t skimp on the praise for junior power forward DeVaughn Washington. “He’s probably as athletic as any guy in our league,” said Groce, speaking in terms of MAC frontcourt players.

But Groce also doesn’t skimp on the criticism for the young man who averaged 6.7 points and 4.4 rebounds last year. That’s because the other half of Groce’s quote about Washington qualifies his athleticism: “When he plays with a motor.” In essence, Groce doesn’t want Washington to be a roller-coaster player. He saw good things during spring workouts and expects them to carry over into the fall.

• When Ohio assistant Jamaal Walker left to join Sean Miller’s staff at Arizona, Groce replaced him with former DePaul assistant Ramon (pronounced “Ray-mon”) Williams. If Williams isn’t the best shooter in Ohio’s gym this season, then that’s a good sign for the Bobcats. He scored 1,630 points during his playing career at VMI.

   LAST YEAR: 15-17 overall, 7-9 in the MAC East; lost in quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament.

   HEAD COACH: John Groce (career 15-17); 2nd year at Ohio (15-17).

   QUOTE TO NOTE: “I want to be able to play nine or 10 guys double-digit minutes. We’ve got enough talent to be able to do that.”—Ohio coach John Groce.

 

STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL

   SCOUTING THE NEWCOMERS: Miami welcomes five freshmen and two transfers to town, though one transfer (Providence junior forward Alex Kellogg) must sit out this season. Indiana/UAB transfer Armon Bassett and freshman James Kinney and D.J. Cooper will tag-team at point guard. Bassett will start as soon as he’s eligible at fall quarter’s end, while Groce expects either Kinney or Cooper to earn a bunch of minutes as well. Groce views his pair of small forwards, Ivo Baltic and Marquis Horne, as “really talented” while Reggie Keely projects as a true post scorer. If there’s a problem, it’s in the less-than-hulking physiques of a few of the freshmen. “A couple guys showed up benching 150 pounds.”

   KEY EARLY-SEASON GAMES: Groce loves the support he gets from Ohio’s administration, which has allowed Ohio to start with four winnable home games that will give his five freshmen time to get acclimated to the next level. The Bobcats eventually travel to Tulsa (Dec. 6) and Pittsburgh (Dec. 22) while playing host to Illinois State (Dec. 16).

   PROGRAM DIRECTION: The Bobcats are in the throes of a youth movement that should make them a MAC contender sooner than later. With just one senior on the roster (center Kenneth Van Kampen), this squad will be together for awhile.

   PROBABLE STARTING LINEUP: PG Armon Bassett (once eligible approximately Dec. 1), SG Steven Coleman, SF Tommy Freeman, PF DeVaughn Washington, C Kenneth Van Kampen.

   ROSTER REPORT:

   —F Asown Sayles missed the 2008-09 season with a shoulder injury, but he’s 100 percent and should be able to add depth at the “4” spot.

   —F Alex Kellogg, the son of former Ohio State great Clark Kellogg, has transferred from Providence to Ohio. He must sit out this season, but he’ll have two years of eligibility remaining.

• Coach John Groce stocked up on lefties with his freshman class. Point guard D.J. Cooper, combo guard James Kinney and small forward Marquis Horne all are left-handed.