Following a season-opening win against Southern, Kenny Kaminski sat stone-faced in the press conference and said Ohio had the best depth of any team in the country.
Almost fittingly, it was Kaminski who put his theory to practice.
After injuring his shoulder against Georgia Tech, Kaminski was kept out of Ohio’s 68-57 win over Tennessee Tech this past Friday. Thus, the bench was called upon.
For the first time in the early season, coach Saul Phillips altered his starting lineup, swapping Kaminski for freshman shooting guard Rodney Culver. In 29 minutes, Culver produced seven points and three rebounds.
The standout bench player, though, was Jason Carter, who finished with 17 points, a career-high. Granted, Carter is a freshman, but his influence on the program is already glaring.
Dubbed the future Mid-American Conference Player of the Year by teammate Sam Frayer and a true “4” by Phillips, Carter has filled in and produced.
Of course, four games into a season is too early for any prediction but early indications show Phillips and company have a team that could cement itself as complete in terms of its starting lineups and backups.
In the preseason, the main question approaching the roster was who would play in the backcourt as a second shooting guard. The answer was Culver but his impact was questionable.
This season, Culver has averaged four points and 1.5 rebounds per game in 16.5 minutes. For players subbing off the bench, minutes are second only to Carter, who averages 17.
As for Carter, he’s averaging 6.8 points and 4.5 rebounds, but those numbers should grow if Kaminski has to miss more time. It’s important to note that only the starters — Kaminski, Jaaron Simmons, Jordan Dartis, Gavin Block and Antonio Campbell — scored at Georgia Tech.
So what does that mean for Ohio (4-0) moving forward?
Well, if Simmons has to miss time as point guard, Dartis can fill in as a solid backup who could start at point anywhere else in the MAC. Against Tennessee Tech, Dartis had a team-high 22 points. That backup role could be crucial long-term, especially as Simmons almost missed time earlier this season with a foot injury.
Behind Dartis rests Culver; behind Block is Mike Laster.
With Carter as a strong option to substitute Kaminski, the freshman’s partnership should grow with Campbell beside him in the front court. Carter has already found success playing alongside Doug Taylor, Campbell’s backup.
Whether or not success will come from the team, the one guarantee is Phillips’ ability to rotate off his bench with confidence and still find offensive and defensive production, even if limited.
Maybe Kaminski was right about Ohio’s depth all along.
