Basketball Opponent Pregame Glimpse: Ohio State Buckeyes

Ohio State Buckeyes 14-7 (4-6 in Big Ten)

Last Result: Ohio State Buckeyes 68, Indiana Hoosiers 59

In the first game since the Buckeyes, third leading scorer and second leading assist man, freshman guard D.J. Carton announced that he was stepping away from the program to focus on his mental health, the other Buckeyes stepped up, allowing them to win their second game in a row for the first time since December 21st. Ohio State started the season 11-1 with wins over three top 10 teams in the country and was ranked as high as No. 3 in the AP poll before dropping six out of their next seven games. Saturday, though, the Buckeyes finally got back on track, winning a game against a team with a winning record for the first time since December 21st.

After a CJ Walker three pointer made the score 9-7 with 16:48 left in the first half, Ohio State never trailed the rest of the contest. The Buckeyes were led by their center Kaleb Wesson who accounted for 15 points and 11 rebounds, and their point guard CJ Walker, who had 14 points, four assists and three steals in the game. Andre Wesson, Kaleb’s older brother, hit three shots from three point range in the contest, making it the sixth time this season he has hit at least three shots from long distance in a game. For the second straight game Justin Ahrens scored double digit points off the bench and hit at least three shots from deep. The sophomore had not reached double digits in points all season until these last two Buckeye games.

Ohio State led at halftime 31-22, despite the fact that they were just 3-for-13 from long range. In the second half the Buckeyes started to knock down their shots from deep, as they made seven threes in the second half. The Buckeyes average shooting 38.1% from three, which ranks the best in the Big Ten. Indiana had a solid shooting night from long range, as they went 7-for-12 from deep in the game, which is way better than their average 31.4% from three, ranking 3rd worst in the Big Ten.

Although Indiana shot the ball well from deep, they still didn’t have a good offensive game. The Buckeyes held the Hoosiers to under 60 points, with only two Indiana players able to crack double digits in points. The Ohio State defense has been really good all season, ranking 2nd in the Big Ten and 15th in the country in points allowed per game at 61.3 and 4th best in the country in opponents field goal percentage inside the arc at 41.3%.

The Buckeyes were able to win both the turnover battle 13 to 10 and the rebounding battle 31 to 24, which allowed them to steal a few extra possessions, which they took advantage of by shooting 14 more shots than the Hoosiers. This physicality allowed the Buckeyes to control the game most of the way.

Ohio State’s Last Matchup Against Michigan:

January 29, 2019: Michigan Wolverines 65, Ohio State Buckeyes 49

The last time Michigan faced off against Ohio State, it was the Zavier Simpson show. The Wolverines point guard accounted for his first career triple-double with 11 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds. Simpson even had a game changing play in which he chased down Kaleb Wesson on a fast break to block the Buckeye center, who is nine inches taller than him. That play sparked a Wolverine 7-0 run, which made the score 54-38, putting the game out of reach. Simpson also didn’t account for a single turnover in his 36 minutes of action.

The No. 5 ranked Wolverines shut down the Buckeyes offense in a convincing win in Ann Arbor. Ohio State struggled from the field shooting just 19-for-52, 36.5%, including 5-for-21, 23.8%, from three point range. The Buckeyes also didn’t help themselves by turning the ball over 19 times in the game. Ohio State only had two players in double digit scoring as Kaleb Wesson led the Buckeyes with 12 points, and C.J. Jackson had 11 points in the game.

The first half was very tightly contested, as the largest lead of the half was six, which was the 32-26 halftime lead the Wolverines had. Michigan was able to take over in the second half and got the lead up to as many as 20 points, despite a mediocre shooting night at 40.7% from the field. However, the Wolverines were helped by the 10 three pointers they made in the game.

Three Wolverines joined Simpson in double digit points in the contest as, Jordan Poole had 15 points, Ignas Brazdeikis accounted for 14 points and Isaiah Livers had 12 points coming off the bench.

Players to Watch:

Kaleb Wesson, Junior, Center

For the second straight season, Kaleb Wesson leads the Buckeyes in points and rebounds per contest. The 6-9 270 pound center is averaging 13.9 points and 9.7 rebounds per game this season. In 19 out of the last 20 games, Wesson has accounted for double-digit points and has 10 double-doubles on the season. The Ohio State big is also a very capable outside shooter, as he is shooting 41.2% from three, while averaging over a three point make a game. Wesson’s ability to shoot will make the matchup even more difficult for Jon Teske, as the Buckeye center is also a very solid post up player. Wesson has been in foul trouble throughout the season, as he has had at least four fouls in 11 games. The Ohio State big man will have to win a lot of his one on one battles with Teske down low, while staying out of foul trouble, if the Buckeyes want to win in Crisler Center for the first time in three years.

CJ Walker, Junior, Guard

The 6-1 lefty point guard controls the Buckeye offense, as he leads the team in assists. Walker is also a pesky defender, which has allowed him to lead the team in steals. Now with D.J. Carton out more will be asked of Walker in the scoring department. The junior guard responded very well with 14 points in the first game without Carton, and Walker is a very capable scorer, as he is shooting 45.5% from the field and 36.4% from beyond the arc. Walker will have the tough assignment of trying to guard and be effective on offense against one of the toughest players in the Big Ten in Zavier Simpson. Walker’s play in his matchup against Simpson could go a long way in determining how today’s game plays out. 

What does Michigan need to do to win tonight? Which Buckeye is going to be the toughest to handle? Comment below!!!