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Memphis' Curtis Givens III (5) looks to kick the ball out after driving to the basket during the game between Memphis and the University of South Florida at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on March 5, 2026. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ohio State’s offseason overhaul was never going to be about chasing one superstar addition, even if we wanted them to.
After another season where depth, shot creation and bench consistency became recurring problems, the Buckeyes entered the portal cycle looking for functional pieces that could stabilize the rotation around the program’s young core.
That search led them to two very different guards in Memphis transfer Curtis Givens III and Duquesne transfer Jimmie Williams.
Neither arrives in Columbus carrying the expectations of a 15+ point per game centerpiece, but both fill extremely specific needs that Ohio State badly lacked at times over the past few seasons.
Givens projects as the likely backup point guard behind Justin Pippen and gives the Buckeyes another steady initiator capable of organizing the offense, making quick reads and occasionally creating his own shot when possessions stall.
Williams, meanwhile, profiles almost as the opposite archetype. A physical downhill scoring wing who can play the two or three, attack gaps, absorb contact and provide a bench scoring punch in ways Ohio State’s reserve units have often struggled to do consistently.
What makes both additions interesting is that their value may ultimately come less from raw numbers and more from fit. Ohio State’s roster construction entering 2026 increasingly looks built around spacing, pace and interchangeable perimeter pieces.
Givens and Williams are not identical players, but together they give Jake Diebler something every modern roster needs, lineup flexibility without sacrificing experience.
Curtis Givens III: The stabilizer Ohio State needed at point guard
Givens arrives from the University of Memphis with a reputation as a smart, composed lead guard who understands how to keep an offense functional. That may not sound glamorous, but it is exactly the kind of skill set Ohio State quietly lacked when lineups became disjointed or overly dependent on Bruce Thornton and isolation scoring.
At Memphis, Givens showed flashes of being much more than a caretaker, but his greatest strength consistently revolved around pace control, decision-making and offensive organization.
Statistically, Givens averaged just under double figures while contributing as both a secondary creator and occasional starter. What stood out most on film was not volume scoring, but instead his comfort operating in structure.
He processes quickly in pick-and-roll situations, rarely looks sped up, and consistently keeps the ball moving without over-dribbling possessions into stagnation. Ohio State’s offense under Diebler has increasingly emphasized flow and quick decision-making, and Givens fits naturally into that philosophy.
As a scorer, Givens is more nuanced than explosive. He is not the type of point guard who overwhelms defenders with elite burst or first step, but he compensates with timing, patience and touch. He changes speeds well, keeps defenders on his hip in ball-screen actions and has a reliable floater package that allows him to score without needing to live at the rim.
He is also capable of hitting pull-up jumpers when defenders go under screens, an important trait for a point guard expected to keep second units functional.
The other underrated element of Givens’ game is shot selection. Ohio State’s guard play at times became too volatile over the past few years, particularly when bench units entered games. Givens brings a more measured approach.
He understands when to initiate offense quickly, when to slow tempo and when to simply get the team into a clean set. That sounds small until a team hits February and every possession starts mattering more.
Defensively, Givens competes hard and generally stays connected at the point of attack, though his biggest impact may come through reliability rather than defensive playmaking. Ohio State does not necessarily need him to become an All-Big Ten defender.
They just need him to avoid mistakes, stay organized and allow the Buckeyes to survive non-starter minutes without offensive drop-off. That role may not generate headlines, but it could become extremely important over a long season.
And perhaps most importantly, Givens gives Ohio State lineup insurance. Modern college basketball teams rarely survive a full season without at least two or three trustworthy ball handlers. Last season exposed how fragile the offensive rhythm can become when one creator sits. Givens helps solve that issue immediately.
Jimmie Williams: The bench scorer Ohio State has been missing
If Givens is the organizer, Williams is the change ofpace scorer.
The Duquesne transfer arrives after averaging 15.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game, bringing with him a much different offensive profile than Ohio State’s existing perimeter pieces. At around 6-foot-5 with a strong frame, Williams plays more like a power guard than a traditional wing shooter. His game is built around pressure, downhill attacks and physical finishing.
That physicality immediately stands out on tape. Williams is not someone who relies entirely on jump shooting rhythm to stay productive offensively. He gets into the paint consistently, absorbs contact and plays through defenders at the rim, proven by his 64% shooting at the rim.
Ohio State has lacked that kind of bench scoring presence at times over the past few season, especially when half-court possessions bog down late in games.
What makes Williams particularly valuable is that he does not need high usage to impact the offense. He projects primarily as an off-ball two or three, which fits naturally alongside creators like Pippen, Mobley and potentially Givens in staggered lineups.
Williams cuts hard, fills lanes in transition and attacks closeouts aggressively. Those traits matter because Ohio State’s offense increasingly projects to feature more spacing and drive and kick opportunities. Williams thrives attacking rotating defenses rather than trying to create everything himself from a standstill.
His outside shot is solid rather than elite, but good enough that defenders cannot simply ignore him. When defenders close too aggressively, that is where Williams becomes dangerous. Few things translate more consistently from mid-major basketball to the Big Ten than strength, physicality and downhill scoring, and Williams has both.
There is also a toughness element Ohio State likely valued heavily in the portal process. Williams rebounds well for a guard, embraces contact and plays with noticeable energy. The Buckeyes have often struggled when bench units lose physicality or scoring aggression. Williams helps address both concerns.
The biggest question entering 2026 is probably efficiency against higher level defensive athletes. Big Ten defenders will recover faster and contest stronger than what Williams saw at Duquesne. But stylistically, his game should still translate because it is not dependent on difficult shot making alone.
He generates offense through strength, angles and physical pressure, which tends to scale upward better than purely finesse based scoring profiles.
Why these additions matter more than they might look on paper
Portal evaluations often become too focused on star power and raw scoring averages. Ohio State’s addition of Givens and Williams feels more intentional than flashy, and that may ultimately be the smarter approach for where this roster currently sits.
The Buckeyes already have young offensive upside pieces. What they needed was infrastructure around them. Givens provides lineup stability, secondary creation and offensive organization. Williams provides bench scoring, physicality and downhill pressure.
Together, they help diversify a roster that too often became predictable offensively over the past few years.
They also help solve one of Ohio State’s biggest recurring problems, surviving non-star minutes. Great teams are rarely defined only by their top end talent. They are defined by whether their depth can preserve momentum instead of merely surviving possessions.
Givens and Williams both project as players capable of helping Ohio State maintain functionality when rotations shift. And in the modern Big Ten, that matters more than ever.
Ohio State does not need either player to become an All-Conference star or even a starter necessarily for these additions to work. If Givens stabilizes second units, protects possessions and keeps the offense flowing, while Williams provides reliable scoring punch and physicality off the bench, both transfers could quietly become two of the more important portal additions of the offseason.
Not because they change the ceiling alone, but because they may raise the floor of the entire roster.
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