Ohio State Basketball

Another Top Five men's college basketball team fell once again as No. 5 Ohio State lost to unranked Wisconsin 61-57 in Columbus' Value City Arena on Friday evening. 

Nate Reuvers led Wisconsin with 17 points and nine rebounds. He scored seven of Wisconsin's final 11 points in the last 3:20 to turn a 51-50 deficit into a 61-57 victory.

Kobe King added 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting for the Badgers.

Kaleb Wesson dropped 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 13 rebounds for the Buckeyes, who shot just 12-of-37 otherwise. Duane Washington Jr. added 18 points for OSU.

OSU, which lost to No. 22 West Virginia on Sunday, has dropped two straight.

Ohio State looked like it may cruise to victory after holding Wisconsin scoreless for the first six minutes of the game, but the Buckeyes couldn't get much going offensively themselves en route to scoring only seven points during that span.

Wisconsin eventually ended the first half on a 14-6 run to take a 29-25 lead.

The second half started out similarly, with OSU clamping down on defense and extending its lead to seven points. A Kaleb Wesson layup capped a 13-2 run in a three-minute stretch after halftime.

But Wisconsin slowly clawed its way back en route to tying the game at 47 thanks to a King steal and layup.

Kobe King looks like a free safety taking an interception to the house on this one! @BadgerMBB pic.twitter.com/kxFI13v6uP

— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) January 4, 2020

The two teams traded buckets and points before an 8-0 Wisconsin run gave it a 55-51 lead. A Brevin Pritzl three-pointer capped the stretch:

Brevin Pritzl 3 points here helps @BadgerMBB get the upset and their first signature win of the season. pic.twitter.com/EbV3t1o2Lh

— Wisconsin On BTN (@WisconsinOnBTN) January 4, 2020

Ohio State's offense struggled for the second straight game after losing 67-59 to West Virginia on Sunday. Kaleb Wesson, Andre Wesson and Washington combined to score all but eight of OSU's points.

As for Wisconsin, the Badgers won as a +285 money line underdog, per B/R Betting.

ESPN Stats & Info also put the 10th Top Five upset of the season into context:

Wisconsin defeated 5th-ranked Ohio State tonight. This marks the 10th time this season an unranked team has beaten an AP Top 5 opponent.

Through this date last season, there hadn't been a single win by an unranked team over an AP Top 5 opponent. pic.twitter.com/7JOKxxelVz

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) January 4, 2020

Ohio State will visit No. 15 Maryland on Tuesday at 7 p.m. ET. Wisconsin will host Illinois on Wednesday at 9 p.m.

Freshman guard Miles McBride scored a career-high 21 points off the bench as No. 22 West Virginia upset No. 2 Ohio State 67-59 on Sunday at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse in Cleveland.

The upset comes one day after No. 3 Louisville lost to No. 19 Kentucky in overtime, continuing a chaotic men's college hoops season where upsets of Top Five teams regularly occur.

OSU led 54-53 after an Andre Wesson three-pointer with 4:43 remaining, but the Buckeyes then failed to score for nearly four minutes.

WVU took advantage of OSU's shooting slump with an 8-0 run, which included a nifty McBride 20-footer that floated into the hoop.

A Kaleb Wesson triple with 50.7 seconds left finally ended the slump. OSU had a chance to cut the lead to one after a CJ Walker steal, but the Buckeyes came up empty on their possession. 

WVU then scored four straight off two free throws and a steal-and-score to effectively put the game away.

OSU shot 30.6 percent from the field and scored 22 second-half points. The Buckeyes also committed 22 turnovers.

Kaleb Wesson led the Buckeyes with 17 points. Duane Washington Jr. had 12, while two other Buckeyes scored 10.

The game served as a coming-out party for McBride, who entered the game having averaged 12.5 points in his last two contests.

McBride continued his hot stretch against an Ohio State team that KenPom.com ranked first in overall efficiency and fourth in adjusted defensive efficiency pregame.

The first-year Mountaineer shot 6-of-12 from the field, 3-of-4 from three-point range and 6-of-8 from the free-throw line in leading a WVU offense where no other player scored more than 10 points.

McBride was the catalyst of a 7-0 early second-half run when WVU turned a 40-34 deficit into a 41-40 lead. This mid-range jumper capped the stretch:

Miles McBride is on 🔥🔥🔥

He takes back the lead for @WVUhoops pic.twitter.com/H7tCrefNOw

— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) December 29, 2019

WVU never trailed by more than two points from that moment onward thanks to some tenacious defense and McBride magic. The freshman notably pulled off the famous Michael Jordan shrug after hitting his late 20-footer as well.

Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports also gave credit where it was due.

Miles McBride. You should have bought stock a long time ago.

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 29, 2019

The 11-1 Mountaineers have a chance to upset another Top Five team when they visit No. 5 Kansas on Saturday.

The 11-2 Buckeyes will host Wisconsin on Friday at 7 p.m. ET.

Fifth-ranked Ohio State earned its third win over a Top 25 opponent, beating No. 6 Kentucky 71-65 on Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Defense has been the Buckeyes' calling card all season. Entering Saturday, opposing teams had shot just 34.6 percent against OSU, the second-lowest percentage in Division I. Villanova and North Carolina scored 51 and 49 points, respectively, when matched up with Ohio State earlier in the year.

That suffocating defense claimed another victim, as Kentucky shot 42.4 percent from the floor but went 7-of-23 from beyond the arc.

Ohio State was unable to pull away despite its excellent defensive effort. CJ Walker finally iced the game with a three-pointer as the shot clock expired with 26.6 seconds remaining.

DAGGER!@OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/Gy37xAYez1

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) December 22, 2019

           

Notable Performers

• Kaleb Wesson, F, Ohio State: 12 points, eight rebounds, two assists, one block
• Kyle Young, F, Ohio State: 10 points, six rebounds, one assist, one steal, one block
• Nate Sestina, F, Kentucky: 17 points, four rebounds, one assist
• Tyrese Maxey, G, Kentucky: 15 points, six rebounds, three assists, one steal
• Ashton Hagans, G, Kentucky: 14 points, one rebound, nine assists, three steals

           

Ohio State Outmuscles Kentucky with Physical Approach

Ohio State hit 19 combined three-pointers in those aforementioned wins over Villanova and North Carolina. The Buckeyes entered Saturday having connected on 41.6 percent of their long-range attempts.

They struggled to find their shooting stroke from three-point range against Kentucky and instead adopted a more direct route to the basket. Ohio State attacked Kentucky inside, which often resulted in either a made basket or a trip to the charity stripe.

D.J. Carton is doing it all here early on for the Buckeyes.@DJCarton | @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/K5jyofCy4m

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) December 21, 2019

The Buckeyes scored 26 points in the paint and got another 21 points at the foul line.

Their success in the paint went beyond scoring, too. They out-rebounded the Wildcats 33-26 and had seven blocks as a team. D.J. Carton and Andre Wesson each had an emphatic chase-down block in the second half. Taking four points off the board was important in a game as tightly contested as this one.

GET. THAT. STUFF. OUTTA. HERE. D.J. Carton with the big time rejection, a la @KingJames.@OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/XnQ18Y6Ilv

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) December 22, 2019

"What a great effort! SENSATIONAL!"@OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/sNETtelbyZ

— CBS Sports College Basketball 🏀 (@CBSSportsCBB) December 22, 2019

Kentucky didn't have much answer for Ohio State's starting frontcourt trio of the Wesson brothers and Kyle Young.

Ohio State's front line has taken Kentucky's to school today. Total mismatch.

— Justin Rowland (@RowlandRIVALS) December 22, 2019

Kaleb Wesson fouled out with 3:30 left in the game and Ohio State ahead 62-56. The Wildcats couldn't take advantage of his absence and close the gap.

       

Sestina's Big Day Not Enough for Kentucky

Wildcats graduate transfer Nate Sestina had some experience playing against Ohio State. He was part of a Bucknell squad that lost to the Buckeyes last season. That might have provided the senior forward with a slight advantage as he came off the bench to provide a much-needed offensive spark for Kentucky.

Sestina was the only real perimeter threat for John Calipari on Saturday.

That first-half Nate Sestina performance is what Kentucky was hoping for when it landed him as a grad transfer. A big who can stretch the floor, make perimeter shots.

Wildcats made a total of 11 3s as a team in the three games Sestina missed.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) December 21, 2019

Why leave Sestina on the pick and pop? No one else on this team has made a three.

— Seth Davis (@SethDavisHoops) December 22, 2019

Whitney doesn’t get that basket without the spacing Sestina gives UK when he’s out there.

— Eric Crawford (@ericcrawford) December 22, 2019

In addition to its poor shooting, Kentucky's foul trouble doomed it to a defeat. Sestina and Nick Richards finished with four fouls, while Tyrese Maxey fouled out.

Sestina, Maxey, Richards all with four fouls. That's 23 fouls on Kentucky. OSU bricked two free throws, though, and it's five-point deficit for the Cats, 2-plus to play.

— Kyle Tucker (@KyleTucker_ATH) December 22, 2019

That not only allowed Ohio State to have a decided edge in foul shooting but also hamstrung the Wildcats in terms of attempting to match the Buckeyes' physicality inside.

            

What's Next?

The Buckeyes play No. 25 West Virginia on Dec. 29 in Cleveland before their focus shifts to conference play. The Wildcats face off with in-state rival Louisville, who sit third in the AP Top 25 poll, on Dec. 28 in Lexington.

Point guard DJ Carton announced Saturday that he has committed to play college basketball at Ohio State.

He made it official with the following tweet:

https://twitter.com/DJCarton/status/1018211848330588160

According to 247Sports, Carton is a 5-star recruit who ranks as the No. 21 overall prospect and No. 2 point guard in the 2019 class.

Michigan and Indiana were among the high-profile schools in the hunt for Carton before he chose OSU.

Carton is a standout at Bettendorf High School in Bettendorf, Iowa, and is rated as the No. 1 player in the state.

He is on the small side at 6'1" and 189 pounds, but he is an explosive offensive force and a quality playmaker.

According to James Grega of Eleven Warriors, Michigan was considered the favorite to land Carton until he made his official visit to Ohio State this week.

With the addition of Carton, the Buckeyes are building a strong group that already included small forward Alonzo Gaffney, who 247Sports rates as No. 30 in the class.

After missing the NCAA tournament in 2015-16 and 2016-17, Ohio State is on the rise.

In their first season under head coach Chris Holtmann in 2017-18, the Buckeyes went 25-9 and reached the second round of the NCAA tournament, where they lost to Gonzaga.

OSU has a strong class for 2018-19, and if the Buckeyes can retain some of them for 2019-20 while adding Carton, they'll have the makings of a Big Ten power.

Ohio's top recruit in the class of 2019 will stay in the Buckeye State.

On Tuesday, Garfield Heights High School star Alonzo Gaffney announced his commitment to play college basketball at Ohio State:

https://twitter.com/alonzo_gaffney/status/983713163744022528

247Sports rates the Cleveland product as a 5-star prospect and the No. 18 recruit in his class. He picked the Buckeyes over North Carolina, Michigan State, Georgetown and more.

Landing the 6'9", 190-pound power forward is an early win for Ohio State's 2019 class, which 247Sports ranks No. 6.

It's another sign head coach Chris Holtmann has the program in good shape less than one year after he replaced longtime coach Thad Matta. Ohio State went 25-9 in Holtmann's first season—ranking as high as eighth in the AP poll—and made it to the 2018 NCAA tournament's second round before losing a hard-fought game to the Gonzaga Bulldogs.

In another possible recruiting enticement, junior forward Keita Bates-Diop proved playing in Columbus can lead to individual recognition, as he was named the Big Ten Player of the Year.

There was a time in which Matta landed star recruits such as Greg Oden, Mike Conley and Jared Sullinger. But as Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch notes, it had been a few years since the Buckeyes corralled a top prospect:

Alonzo Gaffney is the highest-rated recruit in Chris Holtmann's career and the highest-rated Ohio State recruit since D'Angelo Russell. #Buckeyes

— Adam Jardy (@AdamJardy) April 10, 2018

Gaffney made a lot of people in his home state happy with his commitment. It won't be long before he has a chance to help the program win its first title since 1960.

Former Ohio State head men's basketball coach Thad Matta said Wednesday that he will not accept the vacant head-coaching position at Georgia, according to ESPN's Jeff Goodman.

Per Goodman, Matta released the following statement on his decision: "It was the most difficult decision because Georgia is a tremendous opportunity for a coach to build a great program. Unfortunately, I just don't feel that I am completely ready at this point to give [athletic director] Greg McGarity and Georgia what they deserve."

Jon Rothstein of FanRag Sports reported Tuesday that Georgia had offered Matta the vacant job.

Georgia parted ways with previous head coach Mark Fox on Saturday on the heels of an 18-15 season.

In nine seasons at Georgia, Fox compiled a 163-133 record and made two NCAA tournament appearances. The Bulldogs lost in the first round each time.

According to Goodman, Matta met with Ole Miss regarding its vacancy at head coach nearly two weeks ago.

Matta didn't coach in 2017-18 after spending the previous 13 seasons as Ohio State's head coach.

During Matta's tenure, the Buckeyes went 337-123, reached the NCAA tournament nine times, won five Big Ten regular-season championships and won four Big Ten tournament titles.

The three-time Big Ten Coach of the Year brought Ohio State to the Sweet 16 or better five times, including two Final Four appearances, and a loss in the National Championship Game in 2007.

Ohio State also won an NIT title under Matta.

With Matta out of the running, Georgia could turn its attention to Tom Crean, who has reportedly expressed interest in the job, per Mike DeCourcy of Sporting News.

Crean boasts a career record of 356-231 between stints with Marquette and Indiana. He spent the 2017-18 season as an ESPN analyst.

Luther Muhammad, a shooting guard who's established himself as one of the fiercest defenders in the 2018 recruiting class, announced Friday he's planning to play college basketball at Ohio State. 

The Wait Is Over. @The_Unguarded pic.twitter.com/4w9SEJIc0x

— GoBuckLu (@LutherMuhammad) September 23, 2017

Following the announcement, ESPN.com's Jeff Borzello noted the Buckeyes have been making waves in recruiting circles of late: 

Three commitments this week for Ohio State, with ESPN 100 Luther Muhammad following ESPN 100 Jaedon LeDee and guard Duane Washington.

— Jeff Borzello (@jeffborzello) September 23, 2017

Muhammad is a 4-star prospect who's graded as the No. 71 overall recruit and No. 14 shooting guard in the 2018 class, according to 247Sports' composite rankings.

There is no shortage of players with seemingly limitless offensive potential on an annual basis. Finding high schoolers with an advanced defensive skill set like the Hudson Catholic Regional High School star is far more rare, which adds substantial value to his addition.

Muhammad is a dogged worker on defense with the length, athleticism and quickness to guard anyone from point guards to small forwards.

Tom Noie of the South Bend Tribune passed along comments from the 6'4", 185-pound guard about his overall mindset when on the floor.

"There will be games where you can't pile up buckets, so you've got to figure out what else you can do to impact the game," Muhammad said. "If you're going to talk trash, you've got to play defense."

He's continued to work on his consistency on the offensive end, but it's a work in progress. He does feature three-point range and has improved his distribution over the past few years, though.

All told, Muhammad possesses a high floor because of his defensive contributions, which makes this a safe, yet still intriguing, pickup for head coach Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes. 

The long-term question is exactly how good the shooting guard can become offensively. He could end up developing into one of the best players in college basketball if he turns into a more well-rounded scorer and passer during his time at Ohio State. 

Jaedon LeDee verbally committed to play college basketball at Ohio State on Tuesday.

Per Scout.com's Evan Daniels, LeDee said the following regarding his decision to join the Buckeyes:

"I'm headed to Ohio State and I picked them because they have everything I wanted in a school. When I took my visit everyone was down to earth. My mom really enjoyed it. At first she wasn't fond of me going away, but after the visit she said that would be one of the places she would be comfortable with me going."

LeDee is the 115th overall player and No. 31 small forward in the 2018 recruiting class, according to Scout. The Houston native is also the fifth-best small forward in the Midland region.

LeDee chose Ohio State over a pair of other schools he visited in UCLA and Texas A&M.

After his commitment, LeDee said he hopes to be an instant contributor at OSU, per Daniels: "I want to come in and have an immediate impact. The guys they have there are great guys and they can play. I want to come into what they are already doing and making them better, use my versatility and do whatever I need to do win."

Anthony Davis famously played guard in high school before growing seven inches in one year and establishing himself as one of the best centers in the country. An unintended benefit of Davis' growth spurt was that he was a good ball-handler for a frontcourt player.

To a lesser extent, the same thing has happened to LeDee. During an interview with Bear Territory's Ryan Gorcey, Herb LeDee said he was having his son practice to become a point guard before he essentially grew out of the position:

"He's been extremely blessed with having some really big growth spurts. When I started training him to play basketball, the best point guard at the time was Jason Kidd, so I actually started working him to be a better-shooting Jason Kidd. By the end of eighth grade, he was already 6'5", so that let us know that we were going to have to start putting him in another position. He played point guard, and he was 6'7" by the end of his freshman year, and started at point guard, and his sophomore year, he moved to the 3, and now, he's right at 6'9", and he's a really well-built kid, so now he's a prototypical stretch 4."

LeDee can look like a guard in a forward's body at times. He's capable of consistently knocking down three-point jumpers, and TigerBlitz.com's Billy Embody praised his passing after watching him during the summer:

Really impressed with #LSU wing target Jaedon LeDee's passing so far. Top 100 target has been dropping dimes in transition. #adidasGauntlet

— Billy Embody (@BillyEmbody) July 13, 2017

That comes with benefits and drawbacks. 

He can hurt an opposing team in a variety of ways, and his impressive shooting means that a defense will have to account for his whereabouts even when he doesn't have the ball.

At the opposite end, LeDee is still facing a learning curve on defense. He'll need work on the nuances that come with defending the 3 and 4. His post game is a bit of a work in progress as well.

LeDee should make an immediate impact for Ohio State, and he has the potential to become one of the biggest stars in the Big Ten if he turns down any NBA overtures and stays with the Buckeyes for a few years.     

Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Chris Holtmann suspended forward Derek Funderburk on Thursday for failure to meet team expectations, according to a statement relayed by CBS Sports' Matt Norlander. 

Funderburk, who was a 4-star recruit during his senior year at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Virginia, redshirted for the Buckeyes last season. 

Holtmann levied the disciplinary action against Funderburk six days after he was announced as the program's new head coach. 

Specifics regarding the suspension weren't made available, but Holtmann's decision sends a clear message that he'll run a tight ship as the Buckeyes eye their first NCAA tournament appearance since 2015. 

      

Recruit information courtesy of Scout.com. 

Former Butler Bulldogs boss Chris Holtmann agreed to an eight-year contract with Ohio State, filling the Buckeyes' vacant head coaching position, the program announced on June 9. Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch first reported the news.

On Tuesday, Eric Seger of Eleven Warriors reported Holtmann's incentive-laden contract includes a $850,000 base salary, $825,000 in Nike apparel and shoe equipment, $1.315 million from media promotions and PR, and $10,000 for appearances for Coca-Cola.

"Chris is focused on academics, is a high-integrity person, a relentless recruiter with Midwestern ties and a proven winner," Ohio State athletic director Gene Smith said in the release.

Holtmann later tweeted out a statement on the move to Ohio State:

pic.twitter.com/XyQmhJPzcE

— Chris Holtmann (@ChrisHoltmann) June 9, 2017

ESPN.com's Goodman and Jeff Borzello first reported on June 8 that Holtmann had emerged as the leading candidate to take over at Ohio State after Thad Matta and the Buckeyes parted ways on June 5. 

Holtmann spent four seasons at Butler, including the last three as head coach. During that stretch, the Bulldogs went 70-31 and made three straight NCAA tournament appearances. 

However, it wasn't until this past spring that Holtmann and the Bulldogs were able to advance to the second weekend of the Big Dance thanks to a Round of 64 win against the Winthrop Eagles and Round of 32 triumph over the Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders. 

Those victories set up a Sweet 16 date against the North Carolina Tar Heels, who went on to win the national championship after dispatching Butler 92-80 in regional semifinal action. 

Holtmann will now head to a Buckeyes program that's seeking a return to the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2015. 

Needless to say, the 45-year-old will have his work cut out for him. 

Not only will Holtmann be tasked with implementing a new culture and scheme following Matta's departure, but he'll also have to do so after missing out on a 2017 recruiting cycle that wasn't kind to the Buckeyes. 

According to Scout.com, Ohio State's top 2017 recruit ranks 80th overall among players in his class. 

Fighting against time, Holtmann will be hard-pressed to build the Buckeyes into a legitimate Big Ten contender for the 2017-18 season.

But if his track record at Butler was any indication, it shouldn't be long before wins start to pile up in concert with a move up the conference pecking order.