The Ohio State Buckeyes had an untraditionally terrible season and for the most part, their team was overlooked by the time Big Ten play was underway. Despite the underwhelming season for the program, they do have a bonafide lottery prospect entering the 2023 NBA Draft in Brice Sensabaugh. The “one and done” forward sat out of the 2023 Big Ten Tournament due to a small issue with his leg but is good to go for NBA workouts and will be looking to prove that he has earned a spot in the draft lottery. While there was some debate if he would enter the draft to start the season, his level of play proved that he was indeed ready for the next level of basketball.
Scoring
To make the NBA in the modern era a player almost always has to at least be capable of scoring the basketball. Sensanaugh is more than capable when it comes to putting the basketball in the hoop. As a freshman with the Ohio State Buckeyes, the forward was great with the ball in his hands and when making moves without the ball in his hands. Overall he already shows a lot of confidence when scoring and should hit the ground running when he does get to the NBA. While plenty of prospects showcase their ability to score in college, Sensabugh could end up being one of the better rookie scorers next year during the NBA season. Teams are always looking for more forward points and the Ohio State freshman could be the right fit.
As a freshman for the Ohio State Buckeyes, Brice Sensabaugh averaged 16.3 points per game with a field goal percentage of 48.2 percent and a three-point percentage of 40.5 percent. While playing in the Big Ten, he showed the ability to score at all three levels while on the court. He looked comfortable slashing, pulling up from the mid-range, and scoring from beyond the arc. Brice Sensabaugh has all of the tools to be an NBA scoring forward and just needs to put it together once he gets to the league.
BRICE SENSABAUGH MY GOODNESS ?
(via @CBSSportsCBB)
pic.twitter.com/sYoxXkvMix— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) February 26, 2023
Build
Sometimes a prospect comes into the NBA Draft and just looks like a future NBA player. This is the case for Brice Sensabaugh entering the 2023 NBA Draft. He is a 6’6″ forward that is listed at around 235 pounds. With his frame ready-made for the NBA and with the inevitable addition of muscle that will happen at the next level, Sensabaugh looks ready to impact the NBA. The forwards of the NBA are big and strong, but Sensabaugh won’t have a problem there from a physical standpoint. His wingspan has also been measured around 6’11” or even 7’0″ which pairs well with his size on the court. There are still some aspects of the game he needs to work on, but his build should get him lottery looks alone based on his skill set.
Playmaking
Point forwards have become more common in all stages of basketball and while Sensabaugh isn’t quite there yet, he does show plenty of potential. The Ohio State forward is very good with the ball in his hands as a scorer, but also showcased the ability to take the ball up the court and set his teammates up with scoring opportunities. While he only averaged 1.2 assists per game with the Buckeyes there is plenty of reason to believe he can vastly improve on that number once he gets established in the NBA. Sometimes good passers in college don’t rack up the assist numbers they are capable of because of missed shots and other factors. In the NBA, Sensabaugh will be passing to far more consistent scorers and should see his numbers increase. The Ohio State forward could be the next great NBA point forward with the right development.
Weaknesses
While Brice Sensebagh is a talented and skilled player, there are some issues with his game that he will need to work on as he gets used to the NBA. While overall a great scorer he does need to get better at driving through traffic when he drives to attack the rim. His playmaking ability is also solid, but he needs to make better decisions and lock in as a passer. Sensabaugh will likely never be a top-level defender in the NBA, but shouldn’t be overly exposed at the next level. Sensabaugh is a somewhat raw prospect skill-wise, but that often gets overlooked with his size. He will need the right coaching staff to build on his strengths and limit his setbacks.
NBA Comparison: TJ Warren
TJ Warren was also a built-forward that looked like a natural scorer coming out of college. While he did have more college experience, he and Brice have a similar skill set coming out of college basketball. Warren developed several skills once he got to the NBA that made him a go-to starter in the NBA. Sensabaugh has a few things to learn and work on to get to the level of Warren, but it is a good baseline for his potential projection. The NBA is nearly built around forwards that can score at any time. Sensabgh could be one of the better shooters in the class, but will that be enough for him to stay in the NBA?
