You’re Nuts: What are your expectations for freshmen Anthony Thompson, Alex Smith next season?

Connor

I think Anthony Thompson is going to burst onto the scene and be everything that fans are hoping that he would be — a great shooter and rebounder that’s able to keep things calm and prevent prolonged stretches of cold offense.

His 7-foot-4 wingspan not only helps him high-point the ball when trying to grab rebounds, it also makes his jump shot nearly impossible to contest. Thompson has a long, high release point, and at 6-foot-9 it’s nearly impossible to get a hand on the ball when he rises up to shoot.

There may be a game here or there early in the season where Thompson struggles because he’s not able to match the rough, dogged physicality of the Big Ten, but for the most part I think his skill will more than compensate for any lack of toughness or physicality.

You don’t find many guys his size who also can shoot the way he can often. I think Thompson will average at least 15 points per game as a freshman.

Alex Smith is a tougher one to map out because of Ohio State’s incomplete roster. Right now it looks like Smith is the main backup forward behind Thompson and Amare Bynum, but it seems unlikely Ohio State will leave it that way.

As the No. 123 recruit in the class according to 247Sports, Smith will not arrive on campus with the same pedigree that Thompson has. There will not be a starting spot with his name on it, and to be honest, there may not even be a bench role with his name on it. That will have to be earned.

Smith transferred from Upper Arlington to Prolific Prep last summer, and he held his own playing in the EYBL. Smith went from being the main weapon on offense playing at Upper Arlington to being the fifth or sixth best option at Prolific Prep. Smith did average 1.08 points per shot this past season, which puts him at the 71st percentile in high school basketball last year.

He was 52.6% from two-point range and 36.4% from three-point land. My hunch is that Ohio State will recruit at least one additional forward to compete with Smith for those minutes, and he’ll have to fight his way into the rotation even to just get 10-ish minutes per game this upcoming year.

Justin

My expectations for the two players are vastly different, mainly because I think Anthony Thompson will be the best player on the team and I am not sure Alex Smith will play — a redshirt year might benefit him.

I will start with Thompson. He is one of the top incoming freshman in the country and one of the top shooters in the class. He has an effortless shot that is efficient and hard to stop with his size. I think he will average 15-18 points per game in his freshman season and be the go-to scorer as the season progresses, similar to a Malaki Branham but with a more immediate impact.

This is what 247 Sports Director of Scouting Adam Finkelstein had to say about Thompson:

“Thompson is a skilled lefty forward and natural scorer with extreme length,” Finkelstein said. “He’s a potent shot-maker who leans back into a high release that is virtually unblockable, allowing him to make threes and pull-ups with very little separation. While his tough shot-making ability is his best offensive asset, we’re gradually starting to see him put more pressure on the rim.”

He added, “He has a terrific right hand in the paint, increasing vertical pop at the rim, and the ability to decelerate and maneuver the lane with euros and long strides. This 3SSB season he averaged 22 points per game on 53% shooting, 39% from three, and 88% from the free-throw line.”

In a 2027 prospect ranking, Bleacher Report ranked Thompson No. 11 and compared him to Jabari Parker. Sounds good to me.

For Alex Smith, he is also very talented but that potential is rawer and he has to put on some size to play the four in the Big Ten. I depends on how the Buckeyes fill out the bench in the transfer portal but it might benefit him to redshirt his first season to get his feet wet and then make an impact as a redshirt freshman.