As Taison Chatman progresses, Dale Bonner showcases offensive game in Ohio State win
The most complete game of Dale Bonner’s nascent Ohio State career was in the books. The Buckeyes improved to 3-1 with a 16-point win against Western Michigan on Sunday evening that wasn’t nearly as close as the final margin might suggest, and Bonner’s impact was all over it.
The final line: 11 points on 3 of 5 shooting from 3-point range along with two assists and a steal in 21:05 off the bench. For the first time through four games, Bonner looked comfortable and confident for long stretches.
So was this the kind of stat line Bonner thinks fans should expect from him as his fifth and final season of college basketball gets underway?
“No,” he said after the 73-56 win. “I’m going to come in with high energy and do whatever I need to do for this team, whether that’s come in and guard the best player on the other team, come in and rebound, or like I did today, I hit some shots. I’m going to come in and be aggressive every time I touch the floor.”
Sunday, at least, he looked more capable of playing with that aggression while living up to the billing that made Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann excited to land the 6-1, 175-pound Ohio native in the transfer portal. After two seasons at Division II school Fairmont State, Bonner transferred to Baylor, where he averaged 3.9 points, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals while playing 18.3 minutes per game in 60 games during the last two seasons.
When Bonner signed with Ohio State for his last year of college basketball, Holtmann praised him for his quickness and pace, calling him the fastest guard he’d ever coached. Plus, Holtmann said, Bonner had shot the ball at a consistently high level during the summer and preseason.
But after going 26 for 95 (27.4%) from 3 with the Bears, Bonner opened the year 1 for 5 from deep in his first three games with a few misses that weren’t particularly close. He missed his first one against Western Michigan before connecting on two in the span of 64 seconds to help power a momentum-sealing, 21-3 run.
“I liked his pace today,” Holtmann said after the game. “His speed’s terrific. I liked his shot prep and shot readiness today off of some of their gaps. It’s a highly gapped-up defense. He punched some gaps and also had some great shot prep and playing off penetration. Dale’s a much better shooter than what he’d shown early.”
The need for Bonner to be impactful, or at least serviceable, has been heightened as freshman guard Taison Chatman has been sidelined. Chatman, a top-40 member of the 2023 class according to 247Sports.com, was projected to be a rotation player but missed much of the preseason after undergoing a surgery to address a meniscus issue that sidelined him for more than a month.
Chatman is progressing in practice and could be full-go within the week, but his absence has put more on Bonner’s shoulders. The veteran is the only other proven ball handler in the lineup behind sophomores Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle.
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“I think until Taison gets fully healthy and we see how he’s coming along, (Bonner’s growth) is critical,” Holtmann said. “He’s important for us. He knows that. He’s got to keep developing.”
Holtmann discussed some defensive responsibilities for Bonner, saying he needs to be disciplined on the ball and aggressive in passing lanes while adjusting to a different system than the one utilized at Baylor. There’s still room for growth and consistency, but Bonner said he’s confident he’s getting there.
Western Michigan was a step in that direction.
“I don’t think anything was different,” he said. “Just continue to play with confidence. Play hard every time I step on the floor. Today I hit shots, so it was a good day.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Baylor transfer Dale Bonner hits 3s, helps Ohio State to blowout win
