As you know, Sean Stewart transferred out of Duke after last season, heading out to be an Ohio State Buckeye.
In this piece from our friends at landgrantholyland.com, justingolba looks at Stewart and what he brings to Ohio State.
Here’s what he says about Stewart’s expected role:
“Stewart comes to Ohio State with an immense amount of upside and potential from Duke as a former five-star McDonald’s All-American. He will be a starter for the Buckeyes alongside Aaron Bradshaw in the frontcourt, and he is a walking double-double if he plays 20 minutes a game, which I think he will play around 20-24 minutes a game… Stewart will be a starter and play more minutes likely, but it will be close to a 50-50 switch. They both bring something unique to the Buckeyes on the offensive end. Stewart’s versatility and athleticism will help him be a defensive mismatch on the other end of the ball.”
Talent was not the problem for Stewart at Duke and it likely never will be.
His issue was knowing what to do on the court. As we’ve noted previously, on several occasions, older teammates at times literally pushed him into defensive position. He never quite mastered what he was supposed to do on the court.
We understand he is close to Ohio State coach Jake Diebler and respects him, so that might help.
At the end of the day though, his situation reminds us a bit of when Clifford Rozier told Dean Smith he was leaving UNC.
We don’t remember the exact quote, but more or less, it was this: “Clifford, they play defense at Louisville too.”
Stewart has an insane amount of talent, but until he learns the game, it won’t help him – or his team – very much.
That said, if he figures it out, he’s going to be tremendous. We hope that he does.
