OSU point guards have lots in common

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

The top freshmen basketball scorers in the nation both play for Ohio State — just on different teams.

Kelsey Mitchell and D’Angelo Russell are fast friends who have gotten off to fast starts for the Buckeyes.

“She’s probably one of my best friends,” said Russell, a 6-foot-5 point guard averaging 19.1 points, 5.5 assists and 5.8 rebounds a game to leap into the conversation for men’s national player of the year. “It’s just crazy to know that the same thing that I’m doing, she’s doing.”

Mitchell, a left-hander (just like Russell) who is averaging 24.9 points, 4.1 assists and 4.2 rebounds a game for Ohio State’s women, said the two point guards come to each other’s games and trade texts in between.

“It’s weird, the relationship,” she said, smiling. “I can’t even describe it. We don’t even talk about accolades, points, what I did or what he did. It’s ‘I need to work on this.’ It’s always stuff like that.”

Mitchell grew up in Cincinnati, Russell in Louisville, Kentucky. They’ve known each other for quite a while and have grown closer since both decided to come to Ohio State.

Both have led flawed teams to potential NCAA tournament bids. The Ohio State men (19-7), lacking a presence in the post, play at Michigan today. The women (18-9), with just eight scholarship players, host No. 13 Iowa today.

Looming over both Russell and Mitchell is the fact that their friendship may rely on long-distance communication very soon.

Russell is considered a top-five pick by many NBA experts and mock-draft gurus. Some have him going as high as No. 1 overall.

“Personally, I feel like it’s scary for my opponents because I feel like I get better every game,” said Russell, who unlike many freshmen prefers to slow the pace and ponder his next move. “In every practice and every game I learn something that I didn’t know.”

It’s difficult to pick out his best game so far. Maybe 33 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists at Northwestern? His 27 points and 14 rebounds at Iowa? Or the 23-11-11 he put up for the first Big Ten triple-double by a Buckeye, against Rutgers?

The 5-8 Mitchell loves to run the floor and never seems to slow down. She’s scored 20 or more points in 20 of Ohio State’s 27 games this year.