Men's basketball | Power rankings: Danny Hummer
![Upper Arlington graduate Danny Hummer is "a leader on and off the floor," sophomore guard Luther Muhammad said. [Joshua A. Bickel]](https://www.gannett-cdn.com/authoring/2019/10/19/NBUX/ghows-OH-9531fbe3-f421-7a65-e053-0100007fb55b-ac23f820.jpeg?width=660&height=496&fit=crop&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
Ohio State will open its 2019-20 men's basketball season by hosting Cincinnati for the first time in nearly 98 years. The Buckeyes and Bearcats will meet Nov. 6 in Value City Arena, marking only the 12th time the in-state programs have met and the second time in as many years that they’ve played each other within state lines after having not done so since 1921. In preparation for the start of the season, The Dispatch is counting down with power rankings for each member of the Ohio State roster.
These rankings are an educated guess at which players will have the most significant on-court impact during the course of the season.
No. 14: Danny Hummer
Position: Guard
Class: Senior
Height/weight: 6 feet / 175 pounds
Jersey number: 40
Background: A local product, Hummer graduated as Upper Arlington’s career leader in assists despite having torn labrums in both of his hips due to a condition that required two arthroscopic surgeries during the end of his junior year. He enrolled at the Air Force Academy and played two seasons before transferring to Ohio State, sitting out a season and then seeing action as a fourth-year junior last year.
2018-19 stats: In his first season on the active roster for Ohio State, Hummer made nine appearances and scored two points. He also had two steals and one rebound in 21 minutes of playing time.
Need to know: His first collegiate minutes came as a freshman at the Air Force when he made two free throws in a 74-50 Ohio State win at Value City Arena on Dec. 9, 2015. “It was nice to get him back (here),” Air Force coach Dave Pilipovich said afterward. “The last time he played here he lost a state championship game, so it was good to bring him home.”
2018-19 recap: Hummer made his Ohio State debut in the second game of the season and the first home game, playing five minutes and picking up a steal and an assist in the win against Purdue Fort Wayne. “Obviously we added him when we were really low on bodies last year and just needed a guy that could come in and understand what his role would be,” Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said during the year. “He’s really been tremendous for us. I can’t say enough about how much we’ve enjoyed having him in the program. Obviously he’s an Ohio kid, a local boy, but he’s just been tremendous for us.”
2019-20 outlook: He’s not as outspoken as some of the walk-ons who have gone before him, but on a youthful team that will need to mature in a hurry Hummer will be a help in the locker room and elsewhere away from the court. "He’s a leader on and off the floor," sophomore guard Luther Muhammad said of Hummer. "He definitely leads by example. He doesn’t yell too much. He’ll mostly talk to you. He’s very encouraging. He’s hard working. He’s definitely going to push you on offense and defense. He’s a competitor as well. He’s just an all-around leader."
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