Entering his junior season, Ohio State guard Duane Washington Jr. redefined himself.

An unexpected end to the 2019 basketball season provided Washington with months of time to prepare for his third year in the program.

He used that time to commit to making crucial changes to himself- both as a player and as a person.

“Ever since we stopped playing in March we had a long time to just hang out and do whatever,” Washington said on Friday. “For me, I was in the gym but I had a lot of time to self-reflect and grow up a little bit and- just some of the things that many freshman or sophomore year, I felt I could have done better. It was really, really good for me, important for me.”

When he was on the court last season, the guard took 28.2 percent of Ohio State’s shots, by far the highest usage rate on the team.

Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said Washington has to keep that aggression while improving his all-around game as he moves into a leadership role.

“Duane is never gonna be a pass-first point guard. We don’t want him to be that. I think he’s gotta utilize his unique gifts in scoring, and there is a freedom that he has,” Holtmann said. “I do think he has to read defenses a little bit better as he’s playmaking for us.”

Washington agreed with his coach, mentioning the need to impact games in more than one area.

“My freshman and sophomore year, I was just kind of fixed on this scoring deal,” Washington said. “That was my main goal. I’m wired to do that; it’s what I’ve been doing my whole life. Obviously, finding other ways to affect the game, whether it’s just my presence on the court or me passing the ball, it’s me being the communicator.”

In his first two years as a Buckeye, Washington registered 74 turnovers compared to just 77 assists. That’s a ratio that needs to improve, especially since Ohio State has just two guards with experience in the program.

Senior C.J. Walker, Washington’s probable backcourt mate this season, is excited for another season alongside the explosive scorer.

“He’s literally been improving from his freshman to sophomore year, as you can see. He produced a lot for us last year, scoring the ball and things like that,” Walker said. “I can most definitely see him being a consistent leading scorer for us this year. You know he can score the ball, he can get hot really fast, and it makes the game a lot easier for me getting him involved and spacing the floor out.”

Washington, the nephew of former Lakers player Derek Fisher, said studying the professional ranks motivated him to improve his mindset. He mentioned Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving as two influences on his game, saying he noticed their impact beyond scoring.

The former three-star recruit spent most of his extra time over the past six months in the gym with his father, who played 13 years of professional basketball. The focus was on getting physically stronger to be able to battle on defense and finish at the rim.

Above all else, Washington wants to be a difference-maker in any way possible over his final two seasons.

“I talked to my parents a lot, just had a lot of really deep conversations about my life, who I am as a person. I grew up a lot,” Washington said. “You gotta be mature to be the guy that takes the tough shots at the end of the game. You gotta be mature to be the leader on the team- mentally and physically.”

Those two seasons are all he has left to leave his mark.

An impact player from the very beginning of his career in Columbus, Washington said the inevitability of his limited time at Ohio State finally caught up to him during the extended break.

“I’m 20 years old now, so you know, junior year got here really quickly- it feels like I was just a freshman,” Washington said. “Reality kind of hit- basically this year and next year, and that’s it.”

A 39.3 percent three-point shooter over his career, Washington provides an invaluable skill set to the Ohio State offense. He has the rare ability to take over a game at any moment with his scoring.

Holtmann recognizes the impact a talent like Washington brings. The leader of the Buckeyes does not want his third-year guard to lose the confidence that makes him special.

“My challenge for Duane is to grow in that area of defense and just continue to be him,” Holtmann said. “I think he took major steps last year. You look at his step from freshman to sophomore year, it was significant. We wouldn’t have been in the position we were towards the end of the year without him taking a real step forward.”

This year presents a new-look Ohio State roster and significant differences to the season as a whole.

Out of the uncertainty emerges a new Duane Washington.

“Mentally, I’m prepared and I’m ready to take on this challenge and be who the coaches want me to be, and do what I have to do to help the team win,” Washington said.