Brice Sensabaugh Looking For Increased Role in Year Two as the Former Buckeye Saw Up and Down Playing Time During Rookie Campaign

At the start of the 2023 NBA season, Brice Sensabaugh became the next Buckeye star to make the jump to the next level. Sensabaugh, only 19 at the time, was picked 28th overall by the Utah Jazz in the 2023 NBA Draft.

During the 2022-23 college basketball season, Sensabaugh played in 33 games for the scarlet and gray, starting 21 contests. His numbers were impressive, totaling 16.3 points per game in 24.5 minutes of action per game.

He also added 5.4 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game and shot 48.2 percent from the field and 40.5 from beyond the arc. From his first game when he had 17 points in 18 minutes, to scoring 27 on 10-12 shooting just months later, it was clear he was an NBA-level versatile scorer.

After dealing with injuries and Ohio State struggling throughout the season, Sensabaugh leaped to the next level. For the Utah Jazz, he played in 32 games including 11 starts.

The former Buckeye great averaged 7.5 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game in the 18.3 minutes he averaged. His season started out slow with minimal playing time, not playing in more than two games in a calendar month until March.

However, with injuries and a struggling team with not as much to play for, Sensabuagh’s playing time exponentially grew. He played a total of seven minutes in his first three appearances with zero total points until a January 12th matchup with the Raptors saw him score five points including his first NBA two and three-pointer.

In February Sensabaugh played in six games including four games of 13+ minutes. Then March madness came, and he played in 15 games with anywhere from 13 to 34 minutes played.

Sensabaugh put together some impressive stretches for a below-average Jazz team. In March alone he had games of 22, 16, 16, 15, and 14 points. He also had a game with 12 rebounds and multiple four and five-assist games. He posted a double-double in his first career start.

Finally, wrapping up the regular season in April, the young forward played seven games, averaging 12.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and two assists per contest. He was one of the lone bright spots for a team that did not make the playoffs nor the play-in.

The future of the Jazz team has a lot of questions, but Senesabaugh has the potential to be one of the few recent Buckeye stars that pan out in the league. An increased role and some more consistent team success could vault him into a brighter light next season.