The eighth in a nine-part series reviewing Arkansas basketball in 2018-19.
GABE OSABUOHIEN
Position: Forward
Class: Sophomore
Height: 6-8
Weight: 221
Stats: 3.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.1 turnovers, .9 steals, .4 blocks
33 percent FG, 38.8 percent 2-point FG, 16.7 percent 3-point FG, 47.2 percent free throws
Per 40: 8.3 points, 8.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 3.0 turnovers, 2.3 steals, 1.2 blocks
SEC stats: 3.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.2 turnovers, 1.1 steals, .4 blocks
37.3 percent FG, 44.4 percent 2-point FG, 14.3 percent 3-point FG, 47.6 percent free throws
Best month: February - 3.1 points, 2.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.0 turnovers, 1.1 steals, .4 blocks
47.8 percent FG, 55.6 percent 2-point FG, 20 percent 3-point FG, 40 percent free throws
Worst month: 2.7 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .7 turnovers, .1 steals, .1 blocks
27.3 percent FG, 27.8 percent 2-point FG, 25 percent 3-point FG, 46.2 percent free throws
Strengths
• Defensive anticipation. It was written many times throughout the course of the season that Osabuohien is a blue collar, defense-first type of player - although he may not play that way all the time - and it's something of a bonus if he provides scoring on the other end. When Osabuohien was on the floor this season, Arkansas recorded a defensive turnover rate of 23.7 percent, which is fantastic and a number that would rank sixth nationally. As a team, the Razorbacks finished the season with a mark of 22.5 percent - good for 16th.
One of the reasons Arkansas was pretty good at coming up with takeaways was Osabuohien's defensive anticipation. I wrote about it in late February because it was something I kept noticing while rewatching games to update my shot charts. He made an interesting habit - thanks to his length - of jumping entry feeds after the initial post seal, a defensive gamble that, for the most part, paid dividends for the Razorbacks and allowed them at times to run in transition once the ball was knocked free.
Osabuohien's anticipation extends beyond just jumping passing lanes. It includes taking charges and deflections, too. Entering the Indiana game in the NIT, Osabuohien had totaled 99 deflections on the season, a high of seven at Vanderbilt earlier in March and six each vs. Texas A&M, Ole Miss and at Providence. He was second on the team in charges taken with 23, trailing only Isaiah Joe. He took three charges in Arkansas' upset win at eventual SEC regular-season champ LSU and against UT-Arlington. I believe this to be his best attribute and expect to see more of the same from him in the future.
Osabuohien was one of three players to finish with a defensive rating - points allowed per 100 possessions - below 100 this season, joining Reggie Chaney and Daniel Gafford. His 98.3 DR ranked third among the team's regulars.
• Decent passer for a forward. It gets overlooked a bit because Osabuohien is prone to bad shot selection and turnovers - which I'll get to below - but he is a fairly decent passing big man at 6-8. Osabuohien finished fifth on the team in assists with 44. And yes, he did have more assists than turnovers this year. Osabuohien turned in seven games with three-plus assists and recorded two assists in four other games this season. That's a figure I did not expect in the least entering 2018-19.
His six-assist performance in the Razorbacks' win at LSU was a surprise, but he did a great job finding Gafford around the rim for scores and locating Arkansas' open shooters, too. In games against Kentucky and LSU (3 total), he finished with 10 assists versus three turnovers. Not a bad ratio for a forward against great teams with loads of talent at the same position.
Weaknesses
• Shot selection. The scouting report on Osabuohien is he's not much of an offensive threat in the traditional sense. His production, more often than not, will come from second-chance opportunities, offensive rebounds and running in transition. Osabuohien's shot selection at times, though, would lead you to believe he thinks otherwise. In just about every game in Bud Walton Arena this season, the crowd would collectively groan when the sophomore was left alone on the perimeter or thought for a moment about launching a jumpshot.
The groans were largely deserved. According to shot chart data collected throughout the course of the season with the exception of the Texas-San Antonio game in North Little Rock, Osabuohien made just 10 of his 50 jumpers. Beyond the arc, he preferred the left side of the floor, where he was 3-of-17. As far as midrange jumpers go, Osabuohien missed his first eight of the season through the loss at Missouri and knocked down his first in the blowout loss at Auburn. He finished the year 3-of-11 on midrange jumpers between the elbows and 1-of-4 on the left side of the floor (the lone make there came in the loss at Indiana). He was 0-of-5 on in-between jumpers on the right side of the floor.
• Limited offensive game. Osabuohien regularly would take opponents off the bounce after catching on the perimeter, driving hard with the right hand to spin middle. However, teams picked up on that move quickly and it appeared he didn't have a counter. He didn't finish well at the rim either. According to the shot chart data, he made just 44 percent of his shots at the rim and 45.5 percent of his attempts in the painted area. Again, scoring the ball isn't necessarily his forte, but if he wants to become someone opposing teams have to at least respect on the offensive end, he's going to need to round out his game by growing more consistent in his midrange shot and finish much more efficiently.
Extra points
On floor: Offense - 0.97 PPP, 46 percent 2-point FG; Defense - 0.99 PPP, 23.7 percent TO rate
Off floor: Offense - 1.08 PPP, 53.3 percent 2-point FG; Defense - 1.01 PPP, 22 percent TO rate
Best Osabuohien quote: "I’m good. I take it like a soldier." - Osabuohien when asked if he was sore after taking three charges at LSU
Best quote on Osabuohien: "I just think his energy, his hustle, fixing things on defense, taking charges, that stuff is contagious. I think it helps our basketball team." - Mike Anderson following Arkansas' win over Georgia
Season review series
Part 1: Jalen Harris
Part 2: Isaiah Joe
Part 3: Adrio Bailey
Part 4: Keyshawn Embery-Simpson
Part 5: Mason Jones
Part 6: Reggie Chaney
Part 7: Desi Sills