Looking at what Jimmy Sotos brings to Ohio State

As the college basketball season approaches rapidly, Chris Holtmann's roster continues to face an abnormal amount of questions.

A day after Utah State grad transfer Abel Porter announced his career was over due to a medical condition, the NCAA approved Ohio State's waiver for Bucknell transfer Jimmy Sotos. Sotos, a senior, will receive a free season this year thanks to a previous NCAA ruling on winter sports eligibility. The 6-foot-3, 200-pound point guard will immediately step into a large role behind C.J. Walker.

With the even more recent addition of freshman Meechie Johnson, Sotos will also hold a leadership role (alongside Walker) as Ohio State grooms its lead guard of the future.

Sotos brings plenty of experience to the Buckeye backcourt-- he started 77 games over three seasons at Bucknell and averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.9 assists in his final season with the Bison. The Illinois native shot 40.6 percent from the field and 37.1 percent from beyond the arc.

In watching some game film of Sotos, his impact on the court is evident in quite a few areas. Though he was consistently used as Bucknell's primary ball handler, Sotos can also work as an off-ball playmaker and shooter. He was an energizer on the fast break, finding any opportunity to push the pace and create offense.

Bucknell plays in the Patriot League, a lower-level conference in Division I. Sotos certainly does not have the athleticism of a normal Big Ten recruit-- a reality stood out when he faced off with more explosive players. What he lacks in athleticism, however, Sotos makes up for in craftiness. He has quick hands and good position on defense and finds the right angles to make plays on the interior.

Let's dive into everything the senior transfer will bring to Ohio State this season.

One thing immediately jumped out when looking at Sotos: he loves to get out in transition whenever possible. That may seem like a statement that applies to every player on the planet, but Sotos is a bit different. He finds a great balance between attacking in transition to score, looking for teammates, and knowing when to pull the ball out.

It all starts in transition. Sotos is a very capable rebounder-- last season, he registered 10 games with five or more rebounds and takes great angles to the ball, snatching it off the rim and starting the break right away.

Along with his penchant for turning rebounds into fast breaks, the guard averaged 1.6 steals per contest as a junior. He has very quick hands and takes smart gambles, cutting off passing lanes and sneaking behind big men to poke the ball free.

Although some of his risk-taking will be cut down in Holtmann's conservative defense, Sotos can still create opportunities with his hands on the defensive end. With the athletic wings and big men on this roster, any chance to run should be taken.

Once he has the ball with the offense moving down court, Sotos is as opportunistic as they come. He has flashes of Lonzo Ball in his game-- he loves the quick push-ahead pass. When a defense is slow to get down the court, Sotos will make it pay with a touch pass to a streaking big man or a long lob over top.

Paired with E.J. Liddell and Kyle Young, this tendency is a massive advantage. It can't be understated how great the fit between Sotos and Ohio State's two main big men should be. The athletic duo of forwards loves to run the court and the Bucknell transfer always has his head up, looking for a quick score.

Sotos will make defenses pay for a lack of effort, but he'll also make himself pay at times. Sometimes his motor runs a little too hot, leading to some risky passes and a high number of turnovers. As a junior, Sotos averaged 2.8 turnovers per game, and that number was even higher his sophomore season. It will almost certainly go down as he handles less responsibilities and plays fewer minutes under Holtmann, and the pace he brings to the offense more than makes up for those careless moments.

Beyond his creative impact in transition, Sotos is a ball-mover in the offense. As mentioned earlier, the senior has the ability to function as the lead ball handler or as a secondary option in the half court offense.

Off ball, Sotos makes the extra pass and is always ready to attack the defense. He shows his hands and is ready shoot when the ball is swung his way, but can also attack the defense and find kick-outs to shooters.

He showed an impressive level of confidence and creativity in the pick and roll at Bucknell, making snap decisions to find the roll man or kick the ball around the arc. The jump pass was his weapon of choice in the two-man game; Sotos freezes defenses with a quick look away and hits his man with an on-time bullet.

The clip above is the perfect display of Sotos' reads in the pick and roll. He is patient when receiving the screen, rejecting it and driving the open gap to his left. But when four Canisius defenders collapse on the roll man, Sotos immediately reads the floor and finds his man on the high wing, creating a huge advantage for the offense against a scrambling defense. This kind of read looks very simple, but the speed and recognition of Sotos isn't something that every team has.

The level of craftiness Sotos has in his game was obvious when facing Patriot League competition. In the Big Ten, it becomes even more important that the point guard uses his skill to an advantage. He has great passing touch, and if his vision and decision-making improve slightly, he becomes a dangerous backup floor general.

The defense remains a pressing issue, but Sotos has the hands and positioning of a sneaky-good defender. If he shows Big Ten-ready athleticism, his heady skill set and craftiness on the court will have a major impact from the start.

Holtmann will in no way ask Sotos to shoot or score as much as he did at Bucknell. The transfer attempted 9.2 shots per game as a junior and it's reasonable to think his output will go significantly down this season. He just needs to hit the shots the defense gives to him.

As an three-point shooter, Sotos was solid, hitting 37.1 percent of his shots from deep on 4.4 attempts per game last season. He did it in multiple ways, too, showing a willingness to pop off of the dribble.

His shot form is consistently pretty. There are no mechanical issues and it's a fairly quick release that should have no trouble adjusting to the Big Ten. Sotos is patient-- he won't hunt for shots, but he'll take what opens up. It's fair to think the vast majority of his shots this season will come from deep, and a high percentage of those will be of the catch-and-shoot variety. He won't be asked to create his own looks.

If he can hit open shots off the catch at a high clip, Sotos will force defenses to respect him. Combining that threat from outside with his impressive playmaking chops results in a dangerous player on offense. Any success he has scoring at the rim will be a major bonus to an Ohio State team filled with a diverse scoring punch.

Speaking of interior scoring, Sotos was (like many Ohio State guards of recent memory) subpar over his career at Bucknell, shooting just 43.8 percent inside the arc as a junior. His best work comes in the pick and roll when some space is cleared out. There isn't an overwhelming level of explosion towards the rim coming from Sotos, but he occasionally shows the patience and creativity inside to finish around defenses with either hand.

He does not thrive off of contact and won't finish over defenders, so it will become a matter of finding the most opportune times to attack an off-balance defense. Ohio State will not put Sotos in the position to become a slashing scorer, and rightfully so. Unless he shows a new level of physicality inside, opportunities will be limited at the rim for the senior.

Overall, Sotos has the ability to add a wide skill set to an offense. He can be a great passer and is already a good shooter. As the primary point guard for a movement-centric Bucknell offense, Sotos was used to playing big minutes and controlling games. He won't have that freedom under Holtmann, so controlling his turnover rate and having a large impact as a shooter, defender, and floor general will be crucial in the minutes he does see.

If all goes well, Sotos should either start or receive big minutes as a veteran point guard next season. This year should be one of adjustment for Sotos. The talent and skill he brings is undeniable and will still be invaluable this season, but behind Walker, Sotos will have to thrive in a very defined role.