Meet the team: Ohio State forward Justin Ahrens

Justin Ahrens enters his fourth season in the Ohio State program with high expectations as one of the Buckeyes' four captains ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: 195 pounds

Year: Senior

Position: Forward

Last year: 5.7 points per game while shooting 43% from the field and 42% from 3-point range.

Ahrens serves in a sharpshooter role and hardly ever strays from that distinction.

Last season, Ahrens shot just seven shots inside of the 3-point line, while taking 127 3-point attempts.

Not only does Ahrens hit 3-pointers at a high rate, he takes a high volume of them — averaging 4.1 per game in 2020. Expect that number to rise even more this year, as it has steadily risen each season of his career.

Although much of his offensive production comes from the perimeter, his presence from that range opens up opportunities for guys in the post. His gravity is one of the most important aspects that he brings to the table, as it forces the defense to always be cognizant of where he is, opening up one-on-one matchups for his teammates down low.

On the defensive end, Ahrens made serious strides in the 2020 season, boasting career-highs in blocks and steals. Much of his improvement on that end stems from growth in his speed and strength throughout his Ohio State career.

Expect to see Ahrens in a similar role as it has been in prior years: a sharpshooter.

As mentioned above, Ahrens lives and dies by the 3 and has taken less than 10 shots within the 3-point line in each of the past two seasons.

Ahrens started in 18 games last season, his highest total in his Ohio State career. Expect to see that number rise to an everyday starter level, with his ability to create space deeply helps the Buckeyes in the post-Duane Washington Jr. era.

In terms of impact, expect to a see a rise in his scoring totals — thanks primarily to the departure of Washington — as he is bound to get more shooting opportunities.