In the following weeks, The Post will analyze Ohio men’s basketball roster and its potential impact in 2016-17.
This week, The Post will look at forward Kenny Kaminski, who is trying to find his shooting touch once again.
He had it at Michigan State, shooting an impressive 49 percent from beyond the 3-point line as a freshman in the Big Ten.
But after reportedly bumping heads with Spartans’ coach Tom Izzo and transferring to play under a more relaxed coach, Saul Phillips, Kaminski’s once mystical shooting stroke was inconsistent in his first season in The Convo.
Maybe it was previously unearthed drama causing mental blockage. Maybe it was a bothersome right shoulder injury (Kaminski wore a brace throughout last season). Maybe it was the double-teams he saw early in non-conference play.
Whatever it was: Kaminski is looking to bounce back in his final collegiate season.
“I think Kenny has a chance to take a step forward,” Phillips said. “That shoulder brace is off and he had a good summer. He got engaged, so he’s been really busy this summer.”
Kaminski will (again) be used in Ohio’s varied offensive attack during his second year. Despite the inconsistencies, he’s still the Bobcats’ No. 3 scoring option behind Jaaron Simmons and Antonio Campbell. Last season, he was used mostly in rub screens and in the ‘horns’ setup alongside Simmons and Campbell.
At times, Kaminski seemed like a hand-and-glove fit for Ohio’s halfcourt offense. Other times, he seemed frustrated with his shot. Phillips was frustrated with it too.
But with more support this season (Gavin Block, Doug Taylor, Jason Carter and Khari Harley, to name a few) Kaminski could be freed up. Ohio’s freshman have matured and with that in mind, defenses may potentially forget about the sharpshooter hugging the perimeter.
Certainly, though, Ohio hasn’t forgotten about Kaminski.
"He's one of those guys, you see the ball leaving his hands and you think it's going in,” Phillips said of Kaminski last year. “The bench ... if I were to take a 3-pointer, the bench wouldn't rise up when I played. But, it's automatic when he catches and shoots."
