COLUMBUS – Brandon Fuss-Cheatham drove past two defenders and flipped the ball off his left hip and into the basket. Matt Sylvester buried a 3-pointer off a Fuss-Cheatham pass. Terence Dials corralled a rebound in traffic.
Shortly after stepping onto the court, the Buckeyes’ three freshmen quickly showed why they were recruited, giving sometimes solemn coach Jim O’Brien a reason to be optimistic heading into his fourth season.
“I thought at times they were a little bit impatient, but I think first time in front of everybody, with the bright lights and the uniforms and the whole deal, I thought that they handled themselves pretty well,” O’Brien said. “I think that there’s a lot of potential with those guys.”
Fuss-Cheatham, Sylvester and Dials make up Ohio State’s most highly regarded recruiting class since the 1992-93 season, when Greg Simpson, Derek Anderson, Charles Macon and Nate Wilbourne arrived to play for Randy Ayers.
That class, however, never panned out. Simpson, a former Ohio Mr. Basketball, and Macon were kicked off the team after several run-ins with the law. Anderson and Wilbourne transferred.
Fuss-Cheatham said there is pressure to perform. “I think we’re supposed to be the No. 1 class that coach has had. And I think now we’ve got to prove ourselves,” he said.
O’Brien said they seem to have all the facets of the game covered. Fuss-Cheatham is a 6-foot-1, 190-pound point guard – first-team all-state in Pennsylvania – who puts passing before scoring but can also find offense for himself because of his crossover dribble.
Sylvester, a first-team all-Ohio forward from Cincinnati Moeller, can spot up for jump shots, take defenders off the dribble and be a threat in the low post once he adds muscle to his 6-7, 200-pound frame.
Dials, a 6-9, 240-pound rock from Youngstown Boardman, could be a dominant rebounder.
“We need to get a presence around the basket,” O’Brien said. “I think in time Terence Dials has the ability to do that with his size.” Once the trio gets some experience, the rest of the Big Ten should watch out, Sylvester said.
“I think in the next couple years we’re going to be a load to handle because you’ve got me and Brandon and Terence, which is already tough, and then JaQuan Hart,” Sylvester said.
Hart, a 6-foot-6 swingman from Flint, Mich., is academically ineligible this season. Several recruiting services have him rated among the top 40 prospects in the nation.
“So you put all of us together, if we gel correctly, we can have an extremely good class,” Sylvester said.
Opponents figure to pay the most attention to Fuss-Cheatham, who led Blackhawk High School in Beaver Falls, Pa., to the 1999 state title and a 104-20 record the last four years.
“That could work to my advantage because maybe people will key on him and then maybe I’ll get open shots or a free lane to the basket,” Sylvester said.
That’s just fine with Fuss-Cheatham.
“If scoring comes, it comes,” he said, “but my main focus is passing the ball and hitting guys that are open.”
