Will Fields be Buckeyes’ only 1st-round pick?
Ohio State has produced multiple firstround picks in each of the past five NFL drafts.
That might change this year.
Outside of Justin Fields, the uber-talented quarterback who could be among the first players to hear their name called in April, the Buckeyes do not have another player who is certain to be taken among the first 32 selections.
Most mock drafts published in recent weeks include only Fields.
The most likely reason for the development is last season’s performance by cornerback Shaun Wade, prominent ESPN draft analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said during a conference call with reporters on Monday afternoon.
“He would’ve been a first-round pick had he played up to the level you expected,” Kiper said.
Moving from inside corner to outside corner, Wade never fully made a smooth transition.
The Hawkeyes turned the Buckeyes over on 19.7% of their possessions, the fourth-best showing for the Iowa defense in Big Ten play. Starting guards CJ Walker and Washington each had four turnovers. All games in this three-game losing streak have not been equal. The 92-87 loss to Michigan on February 21 was the fourth-best offensive efficiency performance of the season according to Kenpom.com and a game where, based on 100 possessions, the Buckeyes would score 129.3 points.
Since that loss, Ohio State's offensive efficiency ratings against Michigan State (98.0) and Iowa (86.3) are the fourth-lowest and lowest, respectively, for this season. And aside from E.J. Liddell, who has scored between 15-23 points in their past five games, the Buckeyes have seen struggles across the board in the two most recent losses.
Two players have had the most glaring individual struggles. After scoring 30 in the loss to Michigan, Washington has scored 24 in the last two games while going 2 for 12 from three and 10 for 26 overall. Junior Justin Ahrens, meanwhile, has just one made shot in his last three games — a three-pointer against Iowa. After moving into the starting lineup for a Jan. 13 home game against Northwestern, Ahrens averaged 6.2 three-point attempts in the next 10 games, connecting on 45.2% (28 for 62) of his attempts during that stretch.
In his past three games, Ahrens is 1 for 5 from the field overall and did not attempt a three in the Michigan State loss. Without Ahrens chipping in, the Buckeyes are 9 for 31 (29.0%) from three in their past two games after hitting 37.3% during their first 17 Big Ten games. In addition, they are getting to the line less (average of 16.5 free-throw attempts during the last two games compared to 20.8 during the first 17 Big Ten games) and shooting a worse percentage (69.7% during the last two compared to 78.1% through 17 Big Ten games) when they get there.
Some of the struggles can be attributed to injury-limited efforts from Kyle Young (concussion), Justice Sueing (groin), Walker (torn ligaments in right hand), Musa Jallow (left ankle) and Seth Towns (left knee). At this point in the season, no teams are immune from crowded trainers' rooms. ajardy@dispatch.com @Adamjardy