Duke might say Ohio State doesn’t need any other weapons. Too bad.
The Buckeyes’ roster will be even better in the coming days as freshman LaQuinton Ross was cleared by the NCAA. He was initially denied eligibility in September after his high school GPA and SAT were too low. He has since passed.
“We are excited to get LaQuinton back,” coach Thad Matta told the Columbus Dispatch. “I don’t have a timetable for when he will be ready to compete. A lot will depend on what he has done while away and how quickly he picks things up.”
The 6-8 wing is a deadly shooter who’ll thrive in a setting where he can get looks from point guard Aaron Craft or benefit from defensive attention on center Jared Sullinger. When Sullinger’s healthy, that is.
The 6-9 sophomore sat out Saturday’s win due to back spasms. It appears to mostly be a precautionary move – Texas Pan-American didn’t post much of a challenge – as an MRI showed an “aggravated disk” but not a damaged one.
He’ll likely play against Kansas on Saturday.
“What happens there is, the muscle tightens around that area. Things just have to calm down,” Matta told the paper. “We’ll take a look at him Monday (or) Tuesday and assess. But he’s feeling better every day, so that’s a great sign.”
Related stories:
- Ohio State looked great vs, Duke, but don’t go overboard
- Reminder for Ohio State: Get Sullinger the ball
You also can follow me on Twitter @MikeMillerNBC.