Ohio State F Brice Sensabaugh Staying In 2023 NBA Draft
Even before the season started, Ohio State Buckeyes forward Brice Sensabaugh introduced himself to Buckeye Nation in style.
At the "Buckeyes on the Blacktop" event held in October 2022 — a free event for students and fans to get a look at the 2022-23 Ohio State men's basketball team on the basketball courts between Ohio Stadium and the Recreation and Physical Activity Center — he stole the show, winning the 3-point shooting competition and nearly the dunk contest.
That wasn't a fun-filled fluke, either, etching his name in the history books as one of the most dominant scoring freshmen in Ohio State men's basketball history last season. Now, as the May 31 deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft and return to school, Sensabaugh will officially be the second one-and-done in as many seasons, joining Malaki Branham last season.
Sensabaugh told Big Ten Network's Andy Katz May 19 that he declared for the 2023 NBA Draft after feeling he improved his game enough through "extra hours" of hard work.
"Whether it be watching film, in the weight room or getting extra shots up on the court, putting in that extra time was super important for me," Sensabaugh said. "Hard work pays off, and it did for me, whether it was one-on-one with my position coach getting shots up after practice, extra condition, whatever it was, I think that extra work pays off."
Sensabaugh carried over that 3-point shooting he showed in the "Buckeyes on the Blacktop" event, knocking down a whopping 40.5 percent of his attempts from deep in 2022.
His 537 points total last season are the fourth-most by a freshman in program history, as he was the first player since D'Angelo Russell — who was also a one-and-done — to lead the Buckeyes in scoring as a freshman.
The Orlando, FL. native was named to the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team and Third Team.
He is a projected first-round pick.
Sensabaugh isn't the only Buckeye NBA Draft hopeful, though, as former forward Justice Sueing also will remain in the 2023 draft pool, according to his Rize Management agent Scott Nichols.
The 2023 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 22 with the first round to be broadcast on ESPN and ABC.
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