What Ohio State gets in Oklahoma State transfer Isaac Likekele
Ohio State had one scholarship spot left. And the Buckeyes needed some versatility.
Isaac Likekele fits that mold well.
After four seasons with Oklahoma State, the former three-star shooting guard and the No. 150 player in the 2018 recruiting class announced Wednesday his intention to transfer to Ohio State for his final season of college basketball.
With the Cowboys, Likekele brought a bit of everything.
Averaging 30.9 minutes per game in each of his 30 starts last season, the 6-foot-5, 215-pound guard shot 43.7% from the field averaging 7.1 points per game, not proving to be much of a 3-point shooter, making only two of 11 attempts last season.
But Likekele can do a bit of everything else.
He's a rebounder, bringing in at least 5.5 per game in each of his last three seasons. He can steal the basketball, averaging at least one per game in each of his four seasons with the Cowboys. And while Likekele can turn the ball over a bit, averaging 2.4 per game across his career with Oklahoma State, he can be an offensive playmaker, averaging 3.9 assists through four seasons.
It started his freshman season with Oklahoma State, being one of two players in the Big 12 that season to average at least 8.7 points, 4.8 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game, along with Iowa State's Nick Weiler-Babb, also becoming the first Cowboy freshman to produce more than 120 assists and more than 40 steals since Marcus Smart.
Likekele is a complete player. And that's what Ohio State needs from him, considering the pickups the team had made in the transfer portal previously.
With former Wright State guard Tanner Holden, the Buckeyes got a blatant scorer, averaging 16.1 points per game, putting up 10.5 shots per game, including a career-high 13.6 shots per game last season, while shooting 53% from the field. While he's not much of a 3-point presence, he uses his bigger frame to dominate inside, shooting 55.5% from inside the line in 92 appearances.
With former West Virginia guard Sean McNeil, Ohio State gets its 3-point option, averaging 5.5 3-point attempts through his last two seasons, shooting 37.8% from deep along with 12.2 points per game.
Pairing with likely Justice Sueing as the Buckeyes' wing forward and center/forward Zed Key in the post, the combination of Holden, McNeil and now Likekele brings the Buckeyes' an older, experienced presence in the Big Ten, even though they might not have much experience together.
It provides a bit of a safeguard for the five-man freshman class, while a player like point guard Bruce Thornton is expected to see the court extensively with the lack of depth behind the starting five, along with shooting guard Roddy Gayle Jr. and forward Brice Sensabaugh.
Now, with Likekele secured and with no scholarship spots left, Ohio State has an idea of what it can build around heading into 2022-23, replacing E.J. Liddell, Malaki Branham and the majority of the 2021-22 roster.