Brice Sensabaugh hears NBA talk but is 'living in the moment'
COLUMBUS — Brice Sensabaugh was the No. 8 shooting guard in the 2022 class, according to On3. He could end up being the No. 14 overall pick in this year’s NBA Draft — at least that’s where The Athletic’s Sam Vecenie mocked the star Ohio State freshman forward in January.
Sensabaugh is second in scoring among all freshmen nationally, trailing only Alabama’s Brandon Miller, and he’s tied for fifth in the Big Ten in points per game. The four-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week has led the Buckeyes in scoring in 12 straight games, something no other first-year Ohio State player has ever accomplished.
“I wouldn’t say I knew it would happen, but I think it’s kind of a testament to how hard I work,” Sensabaugh said Tuesday, when asked about his prolific scoring.
Sensabaugh has showcased the ability to score at all three levels. His 6-foot-6, 235-pound frame allows him to attack the paint. He arguably has the best mid-range game in the Big Ten, in part thanks to a lethal fadeaway jumper. Plus, Sensabaugh is on pace to record the highest 3-point percentage (47.4%) of any Buckeyes freshman with at least 15 triples in a season.
The knock on Sensabaugh this season has been his defense. That said, the Orlando native is making progress in that department, even if that progress isn’t necessarily linear.
Sensabaugh’s defensive rating (98.8), according to Sports Reference, is actually better than all but three Buckeyes rotational players: wing Eugene Brown III (97.6), center Zed Key (96.8) and center Felix Okpara (93.7).
Sensabaugh has averaged 0.8 steals per game over Ohio State’s last eight outings — double his average for the first 13 contests this season — and he’s raised his rebounding average from 4.5 boards per game to 7.3 boards per game in that span.
“Just being more active and attentive,” Sensabaugh said of his defensive growth. “I’ve been listening a lot and learning and watching film and fixing little details and practicing really hard on my defense to improve in that area to stay on the court, not only for the offensive side of the ball but to make defensive impacts — that sort of thing wins games.”
By the Numbers: How does Brice Sensabaugh compare to past Ohio State freshman stars?
Winning games is what Sensabaugh is focused on, even though there is NBA buzz surrounding his name while the Buckeyes are nearly off the NCAA Tournament bubble after a 2-7 January.
“Yeah, I hear it,” Sensabaugh said of the NBA chatter. “I’d be lying to you if I said I wasn’t. To be honest, I think I try to focus on staying where my feet are and living in the moment. And I think I do a pretty good job of that. I don’t really pay too much attention to it, to be honest. Whatever I can do in the moment to play however I’m playing or make little improvements for Ohio State.
“Obviously, things like that build up, or your performance gets better or anything of that nature can reflect on the future. But right now I’m just in the moment.”
It’s a tough balance to strike, a balance that guard Malaki Branham — Ohio State’s last one-and-done player and a current San Antonio Spurs rookie — dealt with last season.
But Sensabaugh is confident in his discipline. He’s committed to giving the Buckeyes everything he has, and that shows in his consistent scoring production and continued improvement elsewhere on the court.
“I think I give a lot of credit to my parents for raising me like that,” Sensabaugh said. “And obviously, a lot of credit to the coaches as well. They’ve made it clear to me that they want the best for me and my future wherever it may be. Not even as a player but as a man. They emphasize for me to stay in the moment, and, obviously, they’re the coaches of Ohio State, and I’m a player of Ohio State. So whatever we have to do for Ohio State is going to happen.
“We’re in a little dip right now, but we’re constantly working and constantly having conversations about how we can do better and keep improving.”
