Ohio State Basketball: Ranking the Buckeyes' NBA Prospects

Thad Matta has made a habit of putting his players into the NBA.

In his time at Ohio State alone, Matta has seen Greg Oden, Mike Conley Jr., Daequan Cook, Kosta Koufos, Byron Mullens, Evan Turner, Jon Diebler and Jared Sullinger drafted by NBA teams.

This year’s version of Ohio State’s basketball team doesn’t have a dynamic player like Oden or Conley that is a sure-fire first-round selection, but some of the current Buckeyes will likely be lacing it up in the Association at some point.

Read on to see a power ranking of the roster in terms of NBA draft prospects. These rankings reflect where each player will stand when his respective collegiate career is over.

No. 7: Lenzelle Smith Jr.

Lenzelle Smith Jr. could be a much more prominent NBA prospect if he played with more consistency.

When he is at his best, Smith is a scoring threat who contributes in the rebounding department and is an excellent defender. Unfortunately for the Buckeyes’ sake, that Smith doesn’t always show up come game day.

A crystal clear example of Smith’s inconsistency came against Kansas this past weekend. Smith couldn’t hit a three-point shot if his life depended on it, struggled defensively and couldn’t establish himself inside the lane either.

However, at 6’4” Smith has a chance to play himself into draft discussions if he can establish the level of consistency that Ohio State fans have craved from the shooting guard position since Jon Diebler left. He is a formidable shooter and defender, so the formula is definitely there.

No. 6: Aaron Craft

Aaron Craft is a bit of a mystery to me when it comes to NBA potential.

He may be the best defensive player in all of college basketball, which professional teams will obviously love, but he doesn’t have much of a jump shot to speak of and he occasionally struggles to get into the lane on offense.

Here’s my ultimate take on Craft and a possible NBA career—he will provide great leadership and defensive intensity in a league that doesn’t emphasize defending enough to whatever team takes a chance on him. However, it is just too big of a risk to have someone on the floor who is an offensive liability in today’s NBA.

Perhaps a team like the Chicago Bulls that stresses defense above all else will go after Craft. Otherwise, I just don’t see much of a future at the professional level for the Buckeye point guard.

No. 5: Sam Thompson

Much like Aaron Craft needs to develop his jump shot if he hopes to make it in the NBA, Sam Thompson’s pro prospects would certainly benefit if his shot continues to improve.

One thing that Thompson has working to his advantage when it comes to the NBA is his athleticism. He can jump out of the building, is quick for his size and uses that ability to excel on defense and when grabbing rebounds.

In fact, Thompson has many of the ingredients that professional teams look for in a small forward. He is lengthy, athletic and helps on the glass on both sides of the ball. It’s just that pesky jumper that is really holding him back.

However, Thompson showed flashes of an improved shot against Kansas, but he is still only shooting 6-of-20 from behind the arc this year. Unfortunately for Thompson I don’t envision him ever being a true threat from three-point range, but his athletic ability could result in an NBA spot one day.

No. 4: Shannon Scott

If Shannon Scott makes the same type of leap he made between his freshman and sophomore seasons every season, NBA scouts will begin to take notice.

Scott was somewhat of a liability last year and had Buckeye fans questioning Thad Matta’s decision to recruit him instead of Columbus native Trey Burke. However, Scott has been one of Ohio State’s best players in the early going and has made his case to possibly join the starting lineup down the road in 2012-13.

He has averaged 7.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.5 steals and only .8 turnovers a game, despite playing most of his time at the point guard spot.

Scott is effective on defense, a great distributor and can penetrate with the ball in his hand. If he continues to develop, he should catch the eye of a number of NBA scouts.

No. 3: Amir Williams

Let me be perfectly clear about the reasoning behind placing Amir Williams this high. It is solely based on potential and the fact that he is nearly 7’ tall and has the chance to be a force in the middle.

He hasn’t really lived up to the hype that accompanied his recruitment and looks a bit tentative and lost at times. However, he was excellent against Jeff Withey this past weekend and even swatted the Jayhawks' big man a couple of times.

Williams was also great in the Elite Eight last season when Jared Sullinger got into foul trouble against Syracuse. So we have seen the evidence that Williams can be an effective player.

The next step for Williams is to establish some type of consistency for the rest of his collegiate career. There will always be a spot for someone who is 6’11” in the NBA, so if he can start to live up to his potential Williams could be an early pick.

No. 2: LaQuinton Ross

If Amir Williams in the No. 3 spot is a potential pick, then LaQuinton Ross in the No. 2 spot is absolutely a potential pick.

Ross was the crowned jewel of Thad Matta’s impressive 2011 recruiting class, and Buckeye fans were intrigued by tales of a three-point marksman who would take over the role that Jon Diebler filled so effectively in the past.

However, we haven’t seen much of that during Ross’ tenure at Ohio State. He rode the bench most of his freshman season thanks to an early suspension, but he is seeing more minutes this year.

Ross has taken advantage of some of those minutes (22 points against Northern Kentucky for example), but the three-point stroke that was supposed to be his specialty hasn’t been there yet.

I’m assuming Ross will eventually find his footing and deliver on that enormous potential (and learn how to play defense). If he does, not many NBA teams will be snubbing a 6’8” shooter who can rebound and drive as well.

No. 1: Deshaun Thomas

Deshaun Thomas almost went to the NBA draft after last season, and many are assuming this will be his last year in Columbus. However, Thomas isn’t necessarily considered a sure-fire first-round pick at this point, so that is still up for discussion.

Despite where some projections stand now, Thomas is the top NBA prospect on Ohio State’s roster. He is a matchup nightmare at 6’7” thanks to his ability to shoot the three, drive off the dribble and post up smaller defenders.

Thomas is a scoring machine, which will appeal to a number of professional teams. However, if he improves on his defense, which he gradually has during his collegiate career, he will be a much better prospect.

Thomas has become more of a force on the glass than in years past and has even distributed the ball better at times as a passer. As long as he continues to add to other dimensions of his game besides scoring, Thomas should be an NBA player sooner rather than later.