Jazz First-Round Pick Brice Sensabaugh Looking Forward To NBA Transition
Jun 22, 2023, 10:54 PM | Updated: Jun 26, 2023, 1:20 pm
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Jazz used their third and final first-round selection in the 2023 NBA Draft on Ohio State forward Brice Sensabaugh.
Sensabaugh called into the KSL Sports Live Draft Show to talk about his college experience and what he can bring to a young Jazz team.
Help us welcome @bricepsensa to the Jazz 🥳#TakeNote pic.twitter.com/R1OK8JeUQf
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 23, 2023
Sensabaugh started off by saying that he’s very grateful for the opportunity and looks forward to putting in work in Salt Lake City.
“I’m excited to get to work in Utah,” Sensabaugh said. “Young team, young coach, and a lot of opportunity. This is my dream.”
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The Ohio State Buckeyes went 16-19 last season. Despite the struggles, Sensabaugh feels that he learned a lot from his time in college.
“Our season was a little bit underwhelming,” Sensabaugh said. “We were super close despite going through a tough season. It prepared me a lot to stay locked in and stay focused. I learned a lot for sure, I was a sponge. I think it was big for me, especially from a maturity standpoint.”
Sensabaugh is confident that he can bring a lot to the Jazz, both on and off the court.
đź“Ť @bricepsensa is comin’ to SLC #TakeNote pic.twitter.com/LfcRyRvyrS
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) June 23, 2023
“My attitude and the charisma I bring,” Sensabaugh said. “I love to spread a positive light. Just lifting guys up and making sure everybody is on the same page. As far as my game goes, I like to play fast and push the ball but most importantly play the right way. I’m excited to make this transition.”
Both Sensabaugh and Taylor Hendricks come from Florida. They played on the same AAU team and competed in state championships.
“I played AAU with Taylor before,” Sensabaugh said. “We’ve known each other for a long time. We’ve texted a lot throughout this pre-draft process. We’re both living out our dreams right now, so to be on the same team as him is kind of crazy.”
About Ohio State Forward Brice Sensabaugh
One of the best pure scorers in all of college basketball, Sensabaugh led the Buckeyes in scoring by a significant margin, despite coming off the bench in 12 of his 33 appearances.
Standing 6-foot-6 with a powerful 235 lbs frame, the freshman has a build that should be able to withstand the rigors of the NBA game.
Sensabaugh knocked down two or more threes in 21 of 33 games in college, including 11 games with three or more, proving to be one of the deadlier shooters projected in the first round of the draft.
I’ve been increasingly appreciating the ability to not just get to your spots as a scorer, but create shot windows within “failed” drives like this. Seems minor, but essential for players like Sensabaugh where the touch can do the rest of the work, even off dirty footwork pic.twitter.com/vkwjMkasuA
— Matt Powers (@DraftPow) April 5, 2023
The Ohio State guard has a tight handle to get to his preferred spots on the floor where his timing and release allow him to get his shot off against any defender.
Sensabaugh is also solid rebounder for a guard, grabbing 5.4 per game, showing a nose for the ball as it comes off the rim.
Though his assist numbers were low, a lack of talent around him likely hurt his totals. Ohio State was better off allowing Sensabaugh to shoot the ball rather than winding up in the hands of one of his teammates.
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Chandler Holt is a Digital Sports Producer for KSLSports.com, specializing in all things basketball and football. Follow Chandler on Twitter at @ChandlerHoltKSL.
