2023 Ohio State University
On Thursday, June 22nd, 60 young men had their life changed forever. One of those young men was Brice Sensabaugh who was a one-and-done at The Ohio State University this last season. After a stellar freshman season he was ready to turn pro. He was selected in the first round with the 28th overall pick by the Utah Jazz who finished 12th in the Western Conference last season with a 37-45 overall record. He is now the third Buckeye drafted in the last two seasons under Chris Holtmann joining E.J. Liddell and Malaki Branham who were drafted last season. He will reportedly wear #8 after wearing #10 in college and #5 in high school.
Sensabaugh was at one point viewed as a potential lottery pick with a massive upside, but due to a knee injury that forced him to miss games this past season, he slid to the very end of the first round. Now he will join fellow draft mates Taylor Hendricks (UCF) and Keyonte George (Baylor) in Utah next season as they join the Jazz core currently consisting of former Cavaliers Collin Sexton and Lauri Markkanen.
So where does the former Buckeye fit into the Jazz system and how much will we see of him next season? Well currently the Jazz are without a starting caliber shooting guard which would be a new position for Sensabaugh after playing as a forward for his entire career. However, he is an offensive minded 6'6 athlete which is exactly what teams are looking for in today's offensive focused league. So a position change shouldn't be to difficult for him to manage if they move him to guard but, he would have to pass the ball more often than he did at Ohio State. If he makes the position change, there's a good chance the Jazz could have him in the starting five next to his fellow draftees depending on how free agency shakes out over the next few months.
However, if he is determined to stay as a forward he would be coming off the bench behind Lauri Markkanen who is expected to move to small forward to allow Taylor Hendricks to play his natural position of power forward. Many NBA analysts view Sensabaugh as one of the best three-level scorers in this years draft so there's little doubt that the former Buckeye will be on the floor plenty this season. He can score from all over the floor and will be an explosive player that will compliment Collin Sexton's game well. While he likely won't be taking home any postseason awards next season he should prove himself a valuable member of the Utah Jazz's young core moving forward.