Ohio State Basketball: Shannon Scott Proving Ready to Step Up and Lead Buckeyes

The 2014-15 Ohio State basketball team is only two games into its new season, but it may have a case of no Aaron Craft, no problem if Shannon Scott’s early performances are any indication.

Scott controlled the pace of the entire 74-63 victory over Marquette on Tuesday night and finished with eight points on 4-of-7 shooting, an astounding 14 assists, two rebounds and two steals.

That game was only just the beginning for the senior leader on a team that is loaded with young contributors. It is his fourth year on campus, and he finally looks fully comfortable in his role.

This is his team.

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While the 4-of-7 shooting was certainly noteworthy, Scott’s 14 assists are what turned heads. Eleven Warriors pointed out that it has been a two-game pattern already, while Lori Schmidt of 97.1 The Fan passed along the rather amusing reaction from Scott’s teammates when they found out how close he was to a school record:

Scott not only led the way in the victory, but he also caught the eye of the national media along the way. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports gave the Buckeyes point guard some praise, while ESPN commentator Dan Dakich said on the broadcast that Scott is actually one of the toughest guards to defend in the Big Ten this season.

Dakich’s comments may be a bit hyperbolic in the aftermath of an excellent game, but it was crystal-clear that Scott is ready to step into the national spotlight as a senior distributor.

Perhaps the best part of Tuesday’s game for the Buckeyes is that all 10 players who saw action on the court scored. It will be just as much Scott’s job to keep everyone involved in this group that can go 10 deep as head coach Thad Matta’s. Matta will be the one tasked with keeping the legs fresh before the tournament, while Scott will be the one asked to keep everyone happy and involved with his precise passing.

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Against Marquette, Kam Williams scored 15 points, Sam Thompson had 10, Marc Loving added 10 and the team as a whole made eight of 15 three-pointers. Amir Williams, who has been inconsistent at best his entire Ohio State career, scored 12 points and made all six of his field-goal attempts.

That’s not even mentioning freshman D’Angelo Russell, who may just be the most talented player on this entire team.

Scott can work with Amir Williams, Anthony Lee and even Trey McDonald on pick-and-rolls or set up athletes like Russell, Sam Thompson, Kam Williams, Loving, Keita Bates-Diop and Jae’Sean Tate in transition as slashers toward the rim or when they are spotting up from downtown.

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On the defensive side, Scott spearheads the different zone looks that Matta has utilized in the early going. Ohio State even mixed in some 1-3-1 on Tuesday.

We already know from Scott’s track record playing alongside Craft that he is capable of being a lethal defender. He was an All-Big Ten defender the last two seasons who forced turnovers (two steals a game last year and 1.7 a game in 2012-13) and got out in transition afterward.

There is no reason to expect the defensive results to change in Scott’s senior season.

There are so many young players on this roster that someone needs to take the initiative on the defensive end. It may be less glamorous than scoring, but it has also been the key to victory ever since Matta took over at Ohio State.

As the senior leader and point guard who takes pride in his defense, Scott will do this all season.

We know what Scott is capable of on the defensive side, and we saw a glimpse of his offensive abilities on Tuesday against Marquette. The reason this is so encouraging for Buckeyes fans is that Scott has wasted little time breaking out this season after playing under Craft’s shadow his entire career.

The talent has always been there for Scott since he was a highly touted recruit, but Craft was the one who caught the attention of the fanbase (and opposing fanbases) and commentators across the country. It was for good reason too, considering Craft was the Defensive Player of the Year last season.

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Scott undoubtedly learned from playing with Craft for three seasons, but he may actually be the better offensive player. Neither is a deadeye jump-shooter, but Scott is more than willing to distribute and get everyone involved. He is faster in the open court than Craft ever was, which is critical for this year’s team that is loaded with wing players and shooters who are ready to get out in transition.

Perhaps the most encouraging thing of all is that Scott understands this is his team and is embracing his role as a senior leader, which was evident in his preseason comments, via Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors:

"

It’s not really a different feeling because I’ve had a lot of these guys around me for the last three years so I kind of understand what they like to do on the court, but I understand that I’ve gotta be very aggressive this year. I can’t look to Aaron to help me on the court, I’ve really gotta pick it up and keep going by myself in getting everyone where they need to be. 

"

If Scott continues to get everyone involved like he did on Tuesday, the Buckeyes will be playing deep into March.

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