It’s amazing what a difference 20 pounds can make.

Ohio State’s two centers from the 2022-23 season entered the offseason with divergent goals. For Zed Key, whose third year ended prematurely with season-ending shoulder surgery, the focus was on getting back to full strength while working to improve his athleticism by slimming down and getting in better shape. For Felix Okpara, who laid claim to the starting spot in Key’s absence with his raw athleticism and slender, 6-11 frame, the goal was simply to get stronger and put on weight.

Wednesday marks the first day of practice for the 2023-24 Buckeyes. It will mark the first of many battles between the two big men who both achieved their offseason goals.

Key dropped roughly 20 pounds, reporting in at 235 pounds after weighing in at 255 a year ago. The difference is noticeable for the 6-8 Key, but the same is true for a bulked-up Okpara, who after listing himself at 207 pounds as a freshman is now also at 235 pounds.

One guy has lost 20 pounds. The other has put them on. Both are vying for minutes at the same position.

“I would say Zed is in great shape,” Okpara said Monday at Ohio State’s media day. “He worked on his body in the offseason. Competing against each other in practice, go hard and we’ll get better. Whoever takes the position, takes the spot, the guy deserves it.”

Both players present different bodies of work and styles of play. Despite battling a left shoulder injury that would eventually force him to undergo surgery before season’s end, Key finished with an offensive rebounding percentage of 14.7 and a defensive rebounding rate of 20.5. According to KenPom.com, those numbers ranked him 26th and 201st nationally, respectively. Despite playing through the injury for 11 games and wearing a restrictive brace that limited his movement, Key finished third on the team at 10.8 points per game and first in rebounding average at 7.5.

Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy

His physicality led the way. Now, he’s hoping to continue that style of play but at a lighter weight that should help him stay on the court longer.

“It has definitely helped me for the better,” Key said. “I still feel strong. I didn’t lose muscle; I moved it around. I moved the fat around and put it to muscle. Quicker, explosive. It helps me a lot.”

With Key sidelined, Okpara put together a strong close to the season and is being counted upon to make the customary sophomore jump in production. One of only five players to see action in all 35 games, Okpara averaged 4.0 points and 3.6 rebounds but led the team with 44 blocked shots, the sixth-most for a freshman in program history.

But in those nine games after Key was shut down for the season, Okpara averaged 5.8 points and 4.5 rebounds while in the starting lineup. Those numbers don’t paint the full picture of a player who simply looked to be coming into his own at a point in the season where the Buckeyes were playing their best basketball.

Asked how his game could look different this year, Okpara said, “I would say more physicality in the post and also this year I’m going to try to stretch out a little bit and come out to the 3-point line. Also, handle the ball a little bit outside.”

Zed Key: Is Ohio State basketball star Zed Key 'the most interesting man in college basketball?'

Key, too, is hoping to show off a more well-rounded game and try to stretch opposing defenses with more of a mid-range game.

“I’ve been emphasizing that a lot this summer, playing in the short post,” he said. “I’m not worried about the post. I’m still down there, still strong, that’s still my bread and butter. I’m still going to be battling in the trenches.”

Playing Key and Okpara together is something coach Chris Holtmann referenced at times throughout the last year. While playing two big men together is a rarity in the current era of college basketball, as doing so would present reasonable questions about defending quicker, smaller players on the perimeter, the coach didn’t rule out the possibility on the eve of the preseason.

“It’s certainly something we’re going to look at these next 4-6 weeks and have a package where we play bigger, perhaps,” Holtmann said. “(Zed’s) mobility is good. He’s got to keep it at a certain level. He’s been able to throw around 245 pounds as a really strong presence. We don’t want him to lose that, but his mobility has been good and we certainly will look at a big package, for sure.”

It’s one of the more intriguing position battles for Ohio State this preseason. Both will play significant roles on this year’s team, and Key will begin the preseason without restrictions on his surgically repaired shoulder.

And to be clear: he’s not backing down from the younger center when they square off in the paint.

“He’s strong,” Key said of Okpara. “He’s bulked up and took that seriously in the weight room. I definitely feel that he’s a little stronger, but I still don’t get pushed around by Felix. Felix ain’t pushing me around. Absolutely not. Still love, though.”

ajardy@dispatch.com

@AdamJardy

Get more Ohio State basketball news by listening to our podcasts

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Reshaped Zed Key, Felix Okpara ready for center battle for Ohio State