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Ohio State junior forward Justice Sueing (14) dribbles the ball down the court during the Ohio State-Purdue game on Jan. 19. Ohio State lost 65-67. Credit: Mackenzie Shanklin | Photo Editor

The last time the Buckeyes held a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament, the roster was led by an underclassman forward, a junior scoring guard and one of the top 3-point shooters in the country. 

Although Ohio State no longer has then-freshman forward Jared Sullinger, then-junior guard William Buford and then-senior guard Jon Diebler, the 2020-21 Buckeyes have relied on individuals filling roles to elevate the team into the conversation for one of the top seeds in March. 

In the 2010-11 season, former head coach Thad Matta’s team — littered with top-100 recruits — went 32-2 through the regular season, and although he is sharing similar success to his predecessor, head coach Chris Holtmann said his team must continue to maintain the buy in that has put them in the position to be the No. 4 team in the country with a 17-4 record.

“I think it’s been probably one of the biggest factors for our success, there’s no question, is our guys embracing their role and starring in their role,” Holtmann said Saturday. “Now that’s fluid. Hopefully that will continue. Hopefully guys will continue to embrace that because we’re going to need everybody on our team in various situations, but it’s been really impressive to this point.”

Sophomore forward E.J. Liddell has emerged as Ohio State’s leading scorer — similarly to Sullinger in 2010-11 — but he serves as much more than a bucket-getter for the Buckeyes. 

Although Liddell’s 15.1 points per game give the Buckeyes a lift on most nights, he also makes his presence known on the defensive end, leading Ohio State with 6.7 rebounds per game while adding a team-high 1.3 blocks per game.

Despite not collecting a start in his freshman campaign, Liddell has settled into his new role as the primary scoring option and anchor on the defensive end. Following Ohio State’s 83-79 win against Penn State Jan. 27 — a game in which Liddell hit a pair of free throws to put the Nittany Lions away — Holtmann pointed to the leaps that the Illinois native has made in his game as reasons for his success in his second year. 

“We’ve been confident [in him] really since a week or two into the season; obviously, we did want to see him as he was growing his game as a sophomore. He’s obviously made a tremendous jump,” Holtmann said. 

Similar to Buford 10 years ago, junior guard Duane Washington Jr. leads the Buckeyes with shots taken on the season.  

Washington’s 14.6 points per game edges Buford’s 14.4 in 2010-11, but the Michigan native’s 37.2 percent shooting is far less efficient than Buford’s 46.2 percent. 

Despite shooting slumps from the Buckeyes’ most consistent shooter, Holtmann said Washington’s presence uplifts the rest of the team. 

“Duane’s charismatic,” Holtmann said Feb. 4. “People gravitate to him, so that’s why he needs to make sure he’s about the right stuff, but he’s incredibly charismatic as a person so I’m sure it is infectious.”

Washington’s career-low shooting is paired with a career-high 3.0 assists per game. 

Junior forward Justin Ahrens fills the role of sharpshooter — being the first player since Diebler to shoot at least 46.9 percent from three and average more than two 3-pointers a game.  

Ahrens traditionally sticks to shooting threes as he averages more than 4.5 more 3-point attempts than 2-point attempts per game. Diebler averaged the same shooting differential in 2010-11. 

With redshirt senior guard CJ Walker missing time in January, Ahrens’ role considerably increased. As the junior forward has run with the newfound opportunity, Holtmann said that he’s earned his role due to his recent play. 

“He creates great gravity for you offensively, opens the floor. People are naturally hugging him and drawn to him because of his ability to shoot it so consistently,” Holtmann said Jan. 26. “He’s earned this playing time.” 

As Ohio State has landed on the national radar, the Buckeyes have leaned heavily on their senior leaders in Walker and forward Kyle Young. 

Holtmann pointed to the value of Walker and Young’s collegiate experience and said they serve as a model for what the program is trying to build to. 

“I think [veteran leadership] helps. We’ve been trying to build towards that, everybody knows that,” Holtmann said Feb. 8. “I’ve mentioned the importance of building with guys that have been a part of our program, that understand how we do things, where there is some consistency.” 

With a late-game option, attacker, floor spacer and veteran leadership on the court, redshirt junior forward Justice Sueing’s role is not as clear. 

Instead of etching out a niche for himself, Sueing has adjusted his play to match the needs of the team each game. 

Posting season highs with 19 points, 11 rebounds, five assists, five steals and two blocks, Sueing has led the Buckeyes in each of the major statistical categories on at least one occasion throughout the season. 

With a well-rounded game, Sueing said his greatest asset to the team is his versatility. 

“Just the fact that I feel I can bring, whether it’s offensively or defensively, just anything to the game that the coaches need or that my teammates need for us to come out with a win,” Sueing said Saturday. “As long as we’re winning, that’s a skill that I’m good with.”