In following weeks, The Post will analyze Ohio's men's basketball roster and the team's potential impact in 2016-17.
This week, Ellis Dozier will look forward to his first real season donning the Green and White after redshirting his first year.
Up to this point, Ohio forward Dozier hasn't been utilized much.
He sat out all last season due to NCAA redshirt requirements, only participating during practices and from the Bobcats’ bench.
That isn’t a bad thing, though.
Redshirting his first season gave Dozier a full year to adapt to the speed of college basketball. He’s also had a full year to understand Ohio’s offensive playbook — one filled with a variety of screens and picks.
"Ellis (has a) seven-foot-plus wingspan and ability to stretch the defense add another versatile player to the roster," Phillips said back in 2014 when Dozier committed to the Bobcats. "He (played) for an outstanding coach at an elite prep school, and his upside is huge."
At practices, Dozier showed flashes of length, speed and mid-range shooting. His lean frame fits what Phillips likes: a flex player that can cause mismatches.
And a mismatch Dozier could be for some Mid-American Conference opponents, if he’s used.
From highlights found on Youtube (Dozier is number 190 in the video), Dozier shows a wide skill set, including the ability to stick with botched possessions, space opposing defenses with perimeter shooting and defend the interior. At Fishburne Military School in Waynesboro, Virginia, where Dozier was prior to joining the Bobcats, he averaged 11 points, seven rebounds, a steal and two blocks per game.
Granted, MAC defenses are more difficult than the one shown in the Youtube video above, but it may give some insight into how Phillips may utilize the tweener.
“I love coaching kids like Ellis, who is all business on the court and in the classroom,” Phillips said previously.
Barring any major injuries, Ohio has most of its starting lineup intact.
That’s OK for Dozier — who has yet to play a single game for Phillips — as he still has four more years to refine his skillset.
He still has plenty of time to make an impact, even if he doesn’t make one immediately.
