Seattle, WA – The Ohio State Buckeyes, fresh off a dominating performance at Oregon in which they blew the game wide open by holding the Ducks scoreless for five minutes, made their way to Seattle looking to sweep the Pacific Northwest teams. Meanwhile, the Washington Huskies were back home after two tough losses on the road at Indiana and Purdue.
The Buckeyes jumped to an early lead thanks to terrific shooting and domination on the offensive glass. The Huskies hung tough and held Ohio State scoreless for three minutes toward the end of the first half to whittle the deficit to two points at the break. Ohio State again started strong, but the Huskies answered the Buckeyes’ 5-0 run at the beginning of the second half with a 12-0 run of their own to take the lead 46-45. The Huskies held their lead, but it was tenuous and if not for several clutch rebounds, blocked shots, and made free throws by 6’11 Franck Kepnang with the game still in the balance, the Dawgs might have lost. The Huskies won 81-74 to improve to 10-6 on the year. Ohio State falls to 11-5.
Continuing to impress, as he has all season, was Huskies’ 6’11 freshman Hannes Steinbach. In only his thirteenth game as a Husky, the former German Bundesliga professional scored 21 points (9-19 FG, 0-3 3PT, 3-3 FT), and added nine rebounds and two steals in 35 minutes. Steinbach displays excellent court vision and natural instincts. He also understands leverage, using his body to seal defenders for easy finishes in the flash post and outmuscle guys for putbacks. He runs well in transition and although it’s a smaller part of his game, he’s making nearly 40% of his three-point attempts on 1.5 shots per game. Steinbach’s averaging 1.2 points per possession on a 67% true shooting percentage.
Steinbach anchors the Husky defense. He disrupts shots in the paint and rotates effectively to help his teammates. He’s not an elite mover laterally and therefore sometimes finds himself in trouble with quicker guards in the switch-heavy Husky defense. Steinbach’s an excellent rebounder averaging 11 boards and nearly one steal per game. Steinbach projects as a Top 20 NBA draft pick this year.
Leading Ohio State’s balanced attack this season is 6’2 senior Bruce Thornton Thornton has had a terrific career with the Buckeyes so far and brings a wealth of on-court experience having started every game since arriving in Columbus. He’s a high motor, physical point guard with an outstanding outside shot and ability to get downhill—mostly to his right. Thornton manages the high pick and roll game dribbling off the screen to make the correct read. He’s equally effective in transition whether as a finisher or creator. Thornton takes care of the ball, maintaining a 2.7 assist to turnover ratio. He averages 1.2 points per possession on 69% true shooting percentage. He shoots 43% from three with most of his shooting success coming from the top and left wing. Thornton grabs 5.3 rebounds per game.
Against the Huskies, Thornton scored 28 points (9-17 FG, 3-7 3PT, 7-8 FT), to go with 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal in 37 minutes. He had one turnover. NBA front office concerns about his height may prevent him from being drafted but he’ll have an opportunity as a free agent.
Also coming up big on the scoreboard for the Buckeyes was 6’6 freshman Amare Bynum. In his highest scoring output of the season so far, Bynum finished with 20 points (8-19 FG, 2-6 3PT, 2-3 FT) and four rebounds in 37 minutes. He’s a reliable finisher in the paint but has struggled from beyond the arc, shooting 26%. Nonetheless, his length, athleticism and touch from the free throw line (75% shooter) suggest he’s a future prospect.
Things won’t get any easier for UW as first Michigan and then Michigan State come to Seattle to take on the Huskies. The Buckeyes fly home to face UCLA and Minnesota later this week.
This article was written by Justin Pallari, a correspondent and scout for NetScouts Basketball. You can follow us on Instagram, or on twitter.
We are looking for those interested in our basketball scout apprenticeship program. For information contact us and forward your resume.
