‘BTPowerhouse 25’ - Tie - No. 22 Justice Sueing

In the months leading up to the 2021-’22 college basketball season, BTPowerhouse will be releasing a series called the ‘BTPowerhouse 25,’ which features the Top 25 players in the Big Ten as voted by members of the staff. All players set to be on Big Ten rosters for next season were eligible during the staff vote with their top selection receiving 25 points and their 25th and final selection receiving 1 point.

Today's edition will take a brief look at Justice Sueing of the Ohio State Buckeyes, who came in tied for No. 22 in the rankings. The Buckeyes are hoping surprise this year and finally get over the hump this season under head coach Chris Holtmann after yet another season of high expectations but failing to deliver last year.

'BTPowerhouse 25' - Tied-No. 22 Justice Sueing:

• Eligibility: Redshirt Senior
• Career Totals: 94 games, 2,971 minutes, 1,219 points, 528 rebounds, 151 assists
• 2020-’21 Averages: 28.3 min, 10.7 pts, 5.5 rebs, 1.5 asts, 0.2 blks, 0.9 stls
• Positional Role: Forward

Ohio State last season was a common name for potential dark horse conference contender. The Buckeyes lost a lot in the offseason but gained a lot in the transfer portal, enough so that some pundits say OSU as a potential surprise. In the end, the Buckeyes finished one spot ahead in the standings as compared to the preseason poll, and Justice Sueing is a league unsung hero who played a vital role in bringing that result to fruition. Ohio State will likely rely heavily on the versatile forward yet again this season.

-Player Strengths

Sueing is perhaps best described by Land Grant, Holy Land when they called him a “jack of all trades but a master of none.” When it comes to the stats columns, Sueing does not lead the league, or even his team, in any category. Well, except for double-doubles. His four last season was a team best. However, besides that, his across the sheet average in points, rebounds, assist, and shooting percentage were all combined higher than all but three Big Ten players last season.

The 6-foot-7 and 215 pound Cal transfer from Honolulu sat just behind Ayo Dosunmu, Franz Wagner, and Isaiah Livers in his debut season with the Buckeyes after sitting out as a transfer in 2019-20 with his 10.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game while averaging 36.1 percent from beyond the three point line. No other Big Ten player featured a stat sheet that strong across the board or better besides those three 2021 NBA Draftees. Having a versatile player like that can really make a difference for a team who lacks depth in the long grind of a 20 game conference season.

-Areas for Improvement

Sueing could stand to improve on the defensive end. While he has talent, he seems to lack the focus sometimes to stay with his man. In order to really step up his game for his team he needs to be a more reliable stopping power on defense.

Considering his shooting ability from deep, he could also be a higher volume shooter from deep. While he has a number of talented teammates, Sueing being more willing to demand the ball and take the open shot or create one will help stretch defenses and improve his own standings.

-Player Projection

Sueing will continue to be a reliable starter for the Buckeyes. He is going to be a versatile player again this year as a redshirt senior and continue to improve his game and give opponents fits in trying to address his versatility as a player. While he may not be the best player on the court for Ohio State at any moment, his ability to fill into whatever role the Buckeyes need at a given moment and produce will see him playing lots of minutes all season long once again.

***

'BTPowerhouse 25' Rankings:

• #26-27 - Players That Just Missed The Cut
• #25 - Moussa Diabate (Michigan)
• #24 - Donta Scott (Maryland)
• #22 - Tie - Justice Sueing (Ohio State)
• #22 - to be continued ...