Ohio State senior guard Kam Williams (15) looks to drive in the first half of the game against Penn State on Jan. 25 in the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Jack Westerheide | Photo Editor
The Ohio State men’s basketball team will receive a boost to its bench when redshirt senior guard Kam Williams returns from his suspension Thursday against Penn State.
Williams had missed the past three games for Ohio State. A reason was never provided as to why Williams was sitting out, but Holtmann said he did not travel for the Purdue game because he had to attend class and finish a project.
“Kam is expected to play,” Holtmann said. “We had conversations and meetings that I’ll kind of leave private but he fulfilled those and I don’t know if I can necessarily be certain on what it’ll look like in terms of his role because we’ve played well here in this last stretch and he’ll have to earn his way back to whatever role gives our team the best chance of winning.”
Despite Williams returning to the team, he is not expected to regain his starting spot with sophomore forward Andre Wesson projected to maintain the starting spot. In three starts in the lineup, Wesson has averaged 30.7 minutes, 6.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game. Overall on the season, he averages 2.6 points, 1.7 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game.
Williams is the fifth-leading scorer on the team, averaging 8.0 points, 2.0 rebounds and 0.5 assists per game. Though Williams has been the more prolific offensive producer than Wesson this season, Wesson has received praise for his defensive ability and gives Ohio State a better defender in the starting five.
The move of Williams to the bench gives the team a source of points on the bench, given that the sixth-best scorer on the team is sophomore center Micah Potter, who averages just 4.3 points per game.
Ohio State will travel to State College, Pennsylvania, for a rematch with the Nittany Lions at 7 p.m. Thursday. Penn State gave Ohio State its only conference loss of the season on Jan. 25.
