Impact Transfer Anthony Lee Key to Ohio State Basketball in 2014-15

By Nathan Grubel @The_Only_Grubes on September 13, 2014

The Ohio State Buckeyes have always had a basketball team that is able to compete at a high level in the Big Ten Conference. Unfortunately, ever since center Jared Sullinger left back in 2012, the team has lacked a true low post scoring presence to really move the needle forward in terms of offensive balance. The Buckeyes have relied upon a variety of perimeter-oriented scorers to lead the offense, but this year things may change, as there will be a new leader in town via transfer.

Enter forward Anthony Lee.

Lee is transferring from Temple University, where he was arguably one of the best players on the team the past three years. Lee is a true low-post scorer capable of backing his man down in the post and hitting a variety of hook and up and under shots that most big men struggle with at this point in their career. Lee showed drastic improvement last season when comparing his numbers to his freshman season, upping his scoring average all the way up to 13.6 points per game on 49.5 percent shooting.

What makes Lee so dangerous is that his offensive capabilities do not just lie in the post, as his improvement to his mid-range jump shot has really allowed him to become a versatile weapon.

Lee knocked down shots all the way out to 15 feet with consistency last season, which is something that can really diversify the Ohio State offense this upcoming season. The Buckeyes have not been without a big man, as center Amir Williams has held his own on the court, but Williams is more of a defensive big man, and has not been asked to be a true option on offense due to his limited skills on that end of the floor. With Lee, Ohio State gets a true scoring presence down low that will only add to the firepower on offense.

Speaking of defense, Lee is no slouch on that end of the floor either. Lee is a solid shot blocker that utilizes timing to contest shots and force bad looks. Lee has also been able to hold his own guarding other players, but his individual defense can be looked at as a liability at times because he tends to get in quite a bit of foul trouble. Lee tends to move into his defender too often when trying to stop a drive in the lane rather than standing his ground with his arms up and his feet set, which is how big men are supposed to be set up on defense in order to create an obstacle and hopefully draw a charge. Lee will need to continue working on that part of his game, but having a defensive-minded big man like Williams behind him will certainly help, as it will allow Lee to be more focused on the players who are not such massive loads in the paint.

Adding Lee to the team was a brilliant move by Ohio State, as he can really be the offensive leader the team will need in order to compete in the Big Ten. Being a senior, Lee will be able to step on the court right away and assume an important leadership role that will be key in mentoring some of the younger players, including incoming freshman D’Angelo Russell, who should be an important scorer on the perimeter for the Buckeyes. The rest of the teams in the Big Ten need to be careful of Lee, as he might be the player that Ohio State needs to put the team over the top and get back to the Final Four.

Nathan Grubel is a basketball contributor for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @The_Only_Grubes, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.