2011 Basketball Preview: Jordan Sibert

There is no doubt that Jordan Sibert’s accomplishments on the court as a freshman were heavily overshadowed by the solid seasons of fellow teammates Deshaun Thomas, Jared Sullinger, and Aaron Craft.

Every time the young guard made his way to the court though, he made it count. Despite only scoring double digits once last season, the Cincinnati native looks to work his way into the rotation  with an even more important role in the upcoming 2011-12 season. He might not be the a starter when the season begins, but should be a key contributor off the bench and play some significant minutes at both the shooting guard and small forward positions.

Hometown: Cincinatti, OH
High School: Princeton HS
Position: Guard (2/3)
Year: Sophomore
Height: 6-4
Weight: 180

High School Awards:

– 2010 Gatorade Player of the Year in the state of Ohio (2010).
– 2010 First Team All-Ohio.
– Associated Press Southwest District Division I player of the year (2010).

A four star recruit out of high school last season, Sibert was ranked as top ten guard of the 2010 class nationally by Rivals.com and the best incoming shooting guard in the Big Ten heading into his first year as a Buckeye. A teammate of Jared Sullinger and Aaron Craft at the AAU level, Sibert committed to Ohio State almost immediately in 2008, after visiting the campus for the first time. Considered the best pure shooter of the 2010 Big Ten class, it became clear early last season that the youngster had some talent in the back court. But in short time, it also became clear there are parts of Sibert’s game he needs to work on.

His minutes per game are more than likely to double this season, as the Buckeyes look forward to the challenge of replacing David Lighty and Jon Diebler. With Shannon Scott in the mix, this team now has a true point guard. That gives Sibert an even better chance to spell William Buford at points and Aaron Craft when he is off the basketball. In his short minutes last year, he provided a huge spark in ball games with big plays and top notch energy. It wasn’t until March though, when we saw his full potential. Seeing an increase in playing time due to foul trouble, Sibert put together flashes against Michigan on March 12th. Sure he only scored 2 points in 11 minutes, but his defensive ability on the court kept the Buckeyes in front heading into the locker room at the half. And it was his electrifying dunk with 6:45 remaining in the half off a steal out of the hands of Tim Hardaway Jr. that really set the tone to the future. Last season his teammates saw the talent he possessed as a freshman, including David Lighty, who thinks Sibert will be a key part of the Scarlet and Gray future.

Watching Sibert grow on the court will be one of the most enjoyable experiences of the upcoming season. He has the talent and drive to become the next great Buckeye guard, and with Thad Matta, Chris Jent, and Jeff Boals teaching him the game, the sky is the limit.

Career Stats:

Strenghs:

The one thing that sticks out for Sibert is his ability to shoot the basketball. An excellent spot up shooter, number 2 also knows how to find the basket by slashing past defenders on his way into the paint. He also has shown since he broke his leg in high school, that he can slash and dish — drive to the hoop and pull up for the inner perimeter jumper or find the open man on the screen. Sibert brings an offensive energy to the court that nearly matches that of Aaron Craft.  A lot of that has to do with his explosiveness with the basketball in his hands.

This year though, his focus could be on filling the void of graduating senior Jon Diebler. Sibert has the range to be an effective three point shooter, and comes off screens pretty well. He will still need to work on his jump shot with Chris Jent, to become more consistent, but he could figure into the outside game a lot more than fans anticipate. The beauty though of Siberts strengths is while he can make that shot, he is one of the more better open court players in this recruiting class. That gives the offense options, and allows Sibert to take what is given to him. As he works his way onto the court more, it will be imperative that he uses his ability to create opportunities for his teammates.  Something he has a lack of experience doing at this level of basketball.

Weaknesses:

The one thing that Sibert struggled with in limited time last season was his presence on the defensive side of the floor. Whether it was in zone or man-to-man, at times the freshman looked stiff and uncomfortable covering other guards on the floor. A lot of that has to do with the adjustment of speed in the game from high school to college, and a lot of it simply has to do with not getting enough repetitions against top tier talent. No matter what was saw on the court, practicing with the like of David Lighty last year as well as Aaron Craft and Jon Diebler could only improved his timing and on the ball skills. Those battles will continue into practice before the season, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see the sophomore come off the bench in defensive situations.

If he molds himself into the defensive player Thad Matta demands on the court.

William Buford has raved about Sibert’s defensive ability this off-season. If he can put that together completely, it will be hard for this coaching staff to keep him off the floor. There is a lot of talent in this back court. Jordan Sibert could be the spark plug that the Buckeyes need, but weren’t expecting coming into 2011.