Ohio State Basketball

Once Buckeye Nation finally wakes up from their national championship hangover, they are going to be sorely disappointed in the basketball team thus far. 

Sure, Ohio State is a respectable 14-5 overall, but you would be hard-pressed to find a quality win on that resume. What’s more, it already has two head-to-head losses to Iowa and is sitting at .500 in the conference before it has even played the likes of Wisconsin, Michigan State and Maryland.

That is reason for concern.

There are also specific concerns outside of the overall larger picture of reaching the NCAA tournament without a quality win. Here are a few of them.

Slow Starts

Locker-room speeches made by coaches before big games are overrated and work better in movies as dramatic moments than anything else, but Thad Matta may want to try one next time. His Buckeyes aren’t exactly coming out of the locker room ready to hit the court.

Ohio State was trailing Louisville by 17 at halftime and North Carolina by 12 at halftime in its two biggest nonconference tests and eventually lost both. It also fell behind 17-5 in the first matchup with Iowa before the first TV timeout.

The Buckeyes even trailed at the half in their 16-point win against Illinois, fell behind by double digits in the first half against Indiana and found themselves down 9-0 in the first two minutes in Saturday’s loss to Iowa.

Constantly playing from behind for an entire game can be physically exhausting, which is why teams so often go on spurts to get back into it and eventually fall short at the end. Sure, basketball is a game of runs, but it would be nice if the Buckeyes made the first one in a marquee game.

Middle of the Conference

Coming into the season, the concern was Wisconsin on the top of the Big Ten. That’s not the case anymore.

While it is far too early to count the Buckeyes out of the conference title race (just look at the football team’s response to the early Virginia Tech loss), it is hard to be optimistic with a dominant Wisconsin squad, a resurgent Maryland squad and an Iowa team that has the tiebreaker over Ohio State all sitting there with only one loss.

Perhaps the Buckeyes need to be more concerned with the middle of the conference for NCAA tournament purposes, because you don’t want to be too far down the Big Ten pecking order on Selection Sunday. 

Ohio State is behind Indiana, Michigan, Michigan State and Purdue and tied with Illinois and Nebraska in the loss column. That is a lot of teams, and the Buckeyes need to be ahead of the majority of them on Selection Sunday to feel good about their NCAA tournament chances.

Shot Selection

Statistically, the Ohio State offense is rolling at third in the nation in field-goal percentage. However, that is largely the result of dominating performances against nonconference cupcakes and doesn’t necessarily reflect an offense that has been stagnant against quality competition.

Look no further than the three-point percentages for proof that shot selection is a concern.

Marc Loving and D’Angelo Russell are the only two regulars who are shooting better than 40 percent from deep, yet Shannon Scott and Sam Thompson have combined to chuck up 92 shots from distance. That is far too many considering Scott is hitting a measly 26.7 percent and Thompson is connecting on 21.3 percent.

Chris Lauderback of Eleven Warriors commented on Thompson’s propensity to shoot from downtown without the results to show for it during Saturday’s loss to Iowa:

Sam Thompson is shooting 21% from 3-pt land this year yet he's taken at least one in every game and at least two in 14 of 19 games. 4+ in 5.

— Chris Lauderback (@Chris11W) January 17, 2015

Sam Thompson should take a seat on the bench after he tries a three. He's shooting 22% from beyond arc this year. Know your role.

— Chris Lauderback (@Chris11W) January 17, 2015

This team needs to pick better shots against high-quality competition if it wants to build a tournament resume.

Lack of Consistency

There may be nothing more maddening for a coach than a lack of consistency because you can see the light right in front of you during some games (see the Michigan win or the second half against Illinois). However, the Buckeyes have been anything but consistent, which has left the fans and coaches scratching their heads because talent is not the issue on paper.

From defensive-scheme switches throughout the year to hot-and-cold shooting from long range, few things have been constant with this squad.

Even the energy level varies from game to game, which is something Thompson addressed before the Michigan win, via Ryan Cooper of The Lantern:

I can’t put a finger on it. I don’t exactly know why. Outside the first four minutes, we didn’t have the same energy, the same intensity that Indiana had, and consequently they got the win.

If we knew (what the problem was), we’d fix it. But that’s something we will have fixed. I assure you it won’t be an issue tomorrow, and it’s just something we have to take one game at a time, one day at a time.

The problem is, the wins and energy level are also changing one game at a time. The .500 record in conference play is the very definition of inconsistent production, especially since Ohio State has yet to play the top two teams in the league. 

The only way to win in March is with consistency, but it’s also the only way the Buckeyes are going to get there too.

Backcourt Turnovers

Russell has been excellent at times this season, but he and Scott need to protect the ball better for the Ohio State offense to reach its ceiling.

Russell is averaging 3.1 turnovers per game, while Scott is coughing it up 2.4 times per game. It is difficult to establish any type of rhythm in the offense when the guards turn the ball over nearly six times every night, especially for a group that has struggled with consistency in Big Ten play. 

In fact, five different players on the roster are averaging more than one turnover a game, which is a testament to a lack of ball control and simple carelessness. Carelessness doesn’t get a team into the Big Dance.

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If you know any Ohio State fans in your life, now would be a good time to ask them how they feel.

Good luck finding a more euphoric group of people than Buckeye Nation after their football team won the national championship in blowout fashion against Oregon and their basketball team destroyed archrival Michigan the very next day.

Head coach Thad Matta’s bunch cruised to a 71-52 victory Tuesday in a game that wasn’t even as close as the final scored indicated. D’Angelo Russell led the way with 21 points, six assists and four steals, but it was a complete team effort.

Here is a look at some of the biggest takeaways from that contest.

Full-Court Press May Be Here to Stay

Ohio State used a full-court press in the final four minutes against Indiana and almost came back from a double-digit-point deficit.

Matta must have liked what he saw because he used it for most of the game against Michigan.

Matta discussed the defense he used on Tuesday with The Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com). "Even when we had stretches where we weren't scoring we defended well,” he said.

Ohio State tallied 11 steals, including a ridiculous five from Sam Thompson and four from Russell, and created enough havoc to make Michigan’s guards uncomfortable for the duration of the game. That alone was key because the backcourt is the strength of this season’s Wolverines team, at least on paper.

Zak Irvin turned it over four times, Caris LeVert coughed it up three times and Derrick Walton Jr. finished an abysmal 1-of-7 from the field.

In fact, Michigan turned the ball over on 13 of its 65 possessions (20 percent) and allowed 19 points off those turnovers. That is not the formula for a Big Ten win, especially on the road.

An Energized Amir Williams Is a Good Amir Williams

Nobody is the target of more criticism from Ohio State basketball fans than Amir Williams, and much of it has to do with his energy level and overall hustle. There was no room to complain on Tuesday evening, though.

Williams finished with 10 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, five rebounds and three blocks.

The Buckeyes are never going to ask Williams to be Shaquille O’Neal, and he did exactly what he was supposed to do against Michigan by protecting the rim, contributing on the glass and converting his easy looks at the basket.

He also played with plenty of emotion and energy, and visibly fired himself and the crowd up on a handful of occasions.

Perhaps the rivalry brought the best out of him, but that version of Williams would help the Buckeyes compete in the Big Ten.

It would also quiet the criticism.

Michigan Won’t Make the NCAA Tournament

This may be music to Ohio State fans’ ears, but if something doesn’t drastically change between now and March, the Wolverines will be watching the Big Dance at home.

Michigan fell victim to lazy and lackadaisical passes against the press, shot 33.9 percent from the field and turned the ball over on at least 20 percent of its possessions for the fourth time already this season.

The Wolverines looked more like a cupcake opponent that visits Ohio State in November than a Big Ten rival.

The Buckeyes were up by as many as 28 points in the second half. Had it not been for a mini-spurt from Michigan after Ohio State took its foot off the gas, this could have been a 35-point game.

Don’t take it from me, though. This is what Rod Beard of The Detroit News had to say before the Wolverines lost to the Buckeyes—and after they lost to Purdue—in an article that called Michigan mentally weak right in the title:

After an abysmal shooting performance in the second half of the 64-51 loss at Purdue on Saturday, the Wolverines (8-6, 1-1 Big Ten) are starting to more closely resemble an NIT team than an NCAA Tournament team.

Their 7-5 start in the nonconference season — which featured horrific losses to New Jersey Institute of Technology and Eastern Michigan — didn't leave them much margin for error in the conference slate. The Wolverines eked out an overtime win over Illinois last week but looked disheartened after shooting 18 percent (4-of-22) in the second half against Purdue.

That 7-5 nonconference start is a major reason why the Wolverines’ tournament hopes are in serious jeopardy.

Sure, losses to Villanova, Arizona and even SMU are explainable, but home losses to the New Jersey Institute of Technology—shoutout to the Ohio State fan with an NJIT shirt in the crowd Tuesday—and Eastern Michigan certainly aren’t.

It also doesn’t help Michigan’s chances that both Ohio State and Michigan State have looked average at best for large stretches of the year. The opportunity for quality wins in the Big Ten outside of Wisconsin and Maryland is shrinking, and the Wolverines are simply not a good basketball team—at least not yet.

Don’t Schedule Home Games for Ohio State After the National Championship

Basketball is always going to take a backseat to football in Columbus, but that was glaringly clear Tuesday.

The late-arriving crowd seemed to be experiencing what can only be called a championship hangover from the football game the night before. The stands never quite filled all the way in, and the energy level was lacking for most of the game.

Given the crowd split in the national championship that heavily favored Ohio State over Oregon, most of Buckeye Nation was probably still partying in Dallas.

And rightfully so.

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Ohio State coach Thad Matta was asked on Monday's Big Ten conference call the difference between superstar freshman guard D'Angelo Russell when he's scoring and when he's not.

"This is going to sound as simple as simple can be, but the ball going in the basket helps a lot," Matta said.

That's the answer of a coach who has a weapon who controls his own destiny.

Halfway into the season, Russell is putting up numbers that put him in a company of players who fit in the "otherworldly" talent category.

The hard numbers are impressive enough. He is averaging 17.9 points, 4.9 assists, shooting 44.6 percent from deep and leads all freshmen with 45 three-pointers. But it's the advanced numbers that really show how special he's been.

Russell has an offensive rating of 114.5—that's a number used to quantify points generated per 100 possessions—and he's using 29 percent of Ohio State's possessions when he's on the floor, per kenpom.com (subscription required).

In the last 10 years, there have been two freshman perimeter players with an offensive rating that high who have used at least 28 percent of their team's possessions: Stephen Curry and James Harden. 

	Off. rating	Rank (min. 28% usage rate)
Steph Curry, Davidson	116.9	4th
James Harden, Arizona State	115.7	11th
D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State	114.5	9th

"Anybody who has followed D'Angelo is not surprised by how he's playing," Indiana coach Tom Crean said on Monday's conference call. "He takes the game very, very serious. And he's got so many dimensions to his game. The bottom line is you can never lose him. And I know that sounds simple, but it's easier said than done."

The Hoosiers became one of the few teams who can puff their chest knowing that they at least contained Russell. They held him to 13 points on 15 shots in Saturday's three-point win in Bloomington. 

What Indiana did, as Crean said, was stay connected to Russell. If you give him space, he has as quick a trigger as there is in the country. There's no wasted motion when he shoots. He needs no time to catch and gather. It's simply catch, and he's right into his shot. 

Russell also has a really quick trigger off the dribble, and his ability to create his own offense is why he's been so effective as a primary scorer. 

Russell has been assisted on only 47.6 percent of his buckets, according to Hoop-Math.com (subscription required). He's been assisted on 61.4 percent of his threes, which illustrates his ability to go get his own shot. As a comparison, Michigan's Zak Irvin, who is second in the Big Ten in three-pointers made, is assisted on 97.6 percent of his threes. 

The Buckeyes set Russell up with a lot of ball screens, and he's extremely advanced in his ability to read a screen. Try to cheat by overplaying, and he's off to the basket. When the screener's man soft hedges—meaning he temporarily switches but sags back—Russell is automatic in unloading a three. 

"Ohio State takes a backseat to nobody on the way they screen and get people open," Crean said. "Not only do you have to be aware of it, but you have to navigate so many things and be locked into what you're trying to do." 

The other way Russell gets a lot of his baskets is in transition. Point guard Shannon Scott is always looking for him, and transition opportunities are typically when the defense has a hard time keeping track of Russell. 

On Jan. 6, he scored 25 of his 27 points in the first half against Minnesota, and 11 of those points came in transition.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7ai5CHnJko

"You can never lose him," Crean said. "You've got to make sure that you're not giving him very much space. And you've got to understand that he can hurt you from so many different places."

The final part of the Russell equation that makes him so tough to play against is his ability to pass the ball. When he's been double-teamed, he's found open teammates. He often leads the break and is looking for teammates in transition as often as he's hunting his own shots.

	Assist rate
Steph Curry	18.8
James Harden	24.7
D'Angelo Russell	28.0

Russell has played some point guard. But he's mostly played shooting guard, and his assist rate (28 percent) is extremely high for that position. Just look at how it compares to Curry and Harden as freshmen, two very gifted passers who also played shooting guard as freshmen.

But just like those two great talents, Russell is most valuable to the Buckeyes when he's scoring the ball, and they need him to make shots to win games. See how his shooting numbers in wins compared to losses.

	2pt FG%	3pt FG%	eFG%
Wins	52.2	55.6	65.8
Losses	30.8	17.2	47.0

"There's been some games where he's struggled to hit some shots," Matta said. "We obviously need him to play well for us."

As for how far Russell can take the Buckeyes this season, they're currently 13-4 and 2-2 in the Big Ten with Michigan coming to town on Tuesday. They're fortunate that they play the two highest-ranked teams in the Big Ten (Wisconsin and Maryland) only once and both games are at home.

Ohio State's defense has not been as stingy as typical Matta teams, but this group is currently adapting to a switch from zone to man-to-man. The defense will likely return to typical Matta form. 

So it comes down to how far the Buckeyes can ride Russell. As a freshman, Curry helped Davidson get to the NCAA tourney for the first time in four years before losing in the opening round to Maryland. He took the Wildcats to an Elite Eight as a sophomore. Harden got his team to the NIT as a freshman and then the NCAA tournament as a sophomore. 

Russell obviously has better parts around him than those two, but the Buckeyes' ceiling is probably a Sweet 16 or Elite Eight with the right breaks. They lack the interior presence that Matta's best teams have had.

But if Russell gets hot, who knows? He's going to find a way to get his shots. It's all about whether those shots are going through the basket or not. 

It's that simple.

C.J. Moore covers college basketball for Bleacher Report. You can follow him on Twitter @CJMooreBR.

It’s a good thing Urban Meyer is in Columbus to hold the sky up. Otherwise, it would be falling given the Ohio State basketball team’s inconsistent play early in the Big Ten season (and the season in general).

You would be forgiven if you didn’t have a lot of confidence in the Buckeyes heading into the conference portion of the schedule given losses to Louisville and North Carolina in the only two nonconference games of note.

Thad Matta’s bunch did nothing to change that perception when it lost to Iowa at home in the Big Ten opener and fell behind in the first half against Illinois in the next game. Fortunately for the Buckeyes, they were able to complete the second-half comeback against the Fighting Illini and prevent a crippling 0-2 start to conference play. 

Things may actually be looking up after the victory. Here are some early takeaways from Big Ten play.

Man-to-Man is the Way to Go

Illinois grabbed a 34-26 lead in the first half and had already made eight three-pointers when Matta finally decided he had seen enough from the zone defense and switched to man-to-man.

It wasn’t just one game, though. The zone was completely exposed against Louisville, North Carolina and especially Iowa and consistently allowed wide-open three-pointers from the corner and far too many offensive rebounds (a combined 36 in the two nonconference losses). It also put too much responsibility on Amir Williams’ shoulders to cover plenty of space, which is not exactly a reliable formula for success.

After the defensive switch, the Buckeyes (not coincidentally) held the Fighting Illini to 1-of-10 from deep and used a 21-2 run to secure the easy victory.

It was clear to anyone watching that the players had more energy in the man-to-man sets as they hounded the ball-handlers and actually took the time to box out on the defensive side. For a half at least, the Buckeyes appeared to be a team that could very well challenge for a top-two or top-three spot in the Big Ten standings.

The same could not be said about Ohio State before the change.

The zone just couldn’t keep up against teams with solid guards. The ball always moves faster than the defenders, and the Iowa, North Carolina and Louisville backcourts rotated the ball from one side of the zone to the other until something opened up. That something was often along the baseline because Williams wasn’t aware of forwards sneaking in behind him (especially against North Carolina). 

The Buckeyes have the athletes to play man-to-man defense and have also gone as many as 10-deep this season. The question now is whether Matta trusts his entire team to play in man-to-man sets, especially with so many youngsters as part of the regular rotation.

The Rotation Is Going to Get Shorter

Bob Baptist of The Columbus Dispatch had some intriguing updates after the victory over Illinois:

https://twitter.com/BBaptistHoops/status/551528153504817152

https://twitter.com/BBaptistHoops/status/551528647581270018

It is hard to argue with Baptist’s assertion there. Matta may not trust some of the youngsters to play man-to-man defense because he has been so spoiled over the course of his career with players like Aaron Craft, Shannon Scott, David Lighty, Mike Conley Jr. and even Lenzelle Smith Jr. (who was a better defender than he got credit for).

The only way the young Buckeyes are going to learn the fundamentals of man-to-man defense is with experience. Plus, it’s not as if Ohio State doesn’t have some defensive weapons already in place. Scott and Sam Thompson in particular stand out as players who have spearheaded pressure defenses in the past and can lead by example for Jae’Sean Tate, Keita Bates-Diop and Kam Williams.

Matta has been known to shrink his rotation to as little as six guys, but there is far too much talent on this season’s squad to do that.

There will be some growing pains if the Buckeyes do transition to the man-to-man, but they won’t be nearly as painful as watching Illinois drill three-pointer after three-pointer or North Carolina’s guards slice through the zone and set up numerous layups along the baseline for the bigs. 

Don’t expect the minutes to be distributed evenly, but it will be difficult to survive the grueling Big Ten schedule if Scott, D’Angelo Russell, Thompson and Marc Loving are asked to play the entire second half of every important game.

Marc Loving Is Quietly Becoming an Offensive Weapon

Loving was an X-factor heading into the season, but he has answered almost every question in the early going.

Yes, he was something of a disappointment as a freshman given his Mr. Basketball in Ohio status that only led to 4.4 points and 1.7 rebounds a night. However, he has emerged as the team’s second scorer behind Russell, which is critical in its own right so there is someone to pick up the offensive load when opponents focus in on Russell.

Loving has also been Ohio State’s best perimeter shooter without question. He is shooting 52 percent from the field and a blistering 55.6 percent from three-point range while also hitting 86.3 percent of his free throws. He scored in double figures in both Big Ten games (and 12 of 15 games in total) and also grabbed a combined 14 rebounds.

Those rebounding numbers are critical from the forward spot given Ohio State’s lackluster play from the center position at times this season.

Loving can run the floor, slash to the hoop and spot up from deep, but we saw a different angle to his offensive arsenal against Illinois. The Buckeyes posted Loving up on multiple occasions in the second half, which let him go to work closer to the basket.

Considering his shooting touch around the rim and his ability to hit open teammates if the lane gets congested, don’t be surprised if Loving finds himself in the post more often. 

Whether it is beyond the three-point line or on the block, Loving needs to get the ball. He is far too dangerous of a weapon not to be used, especially when the Buckeyes need a second scorer behind Russell.

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Remember those Big Ten championship hopes that were in place for the Ohio State basketball team before the 2014-15 season? It’s time to dial those expectations back. 

In fact, it may be time to dial them way back.

The Buckeyes destroyed the cupcakes on their nonconference schedule, but they also looked completely outmatched in their three games of note against Louisville, North Carolina and Iowa. The result is a 0-1 record in the league and a resume that is not NCAA tournament-worthy as of now.

The zone defense is incredibly vulnerable, the rebounding has been nightmarish and the offensive inconsistency has been maddening at times.

The good news is that the vast majority of Big Ten play is still ahead of this team. There are a number of opportunities for Ohio State to make a statement and climb back into the discussion for a solid seed in the NCAA tournament. The only question is whether the Buckeyes will take advantage of them.

Here is a look at the five biggest opportunities ahead of Thad Matta’s club.

Jan. 3 vs. Illinois

Illinois may not be the best team on Ohio State’s schedule, but this is as close to a must-win game as you can ask for in the first week of January.

The Buckeyes are fresh off a home loss to Iowa to start conference play, which doesn’t do anything for their confidence after losing to both Louisville and North Carolina. A 0-2 start at home in the Big Ten would be disastrous for Ohio State’s conference title hopes, especially with a number of daunting road games still on the schedule.

That’s why the Buckeyes have to beat the Fighting Illini in Columbus. A loss would virtually eliminate them from realistic contention in the conference title race already.

Jan. 13 vs. Michigan

This should need no introduction, especially to fans in Columbus and Ann Arbor.

The Buckeyes suffered not one but two rare losses to the hated Michigan Wolverines last season and will be on the search for revenge this year. Even with the two losses in 2013-14, Matta is still a dominating 17-6 against Michigan in his Ohio State career. 

This is about more than just the rivalry, though. The Wolverines and Buckeyes could be in for a battle for positioning in the middle of the Big Ten standings, especially after both disappointed in nonconference play. A head-to-head victory could prove critical in March, especially since Ohio State still has to go to Ann Arbor.

Jan. 29 vs. Maryland

The Big Ten may have invited Rutgers and Maryland to the league to reach the New York and Washington, D.C. markets during football season, but it got itself an impressive basketball team in the process.

The Terrapins have been more impressive than anyone else in the Big Ten this side of Wisconsin in the early going and appear to be a real threat to at least finish in second place in the league. Dez Wells is a bona fide star, and the rest of the team stepped up in his absence when he was hurt and are better off for it in the long term. 

Maryland already beat Iowa State, Arizona State, Michigan State and Oklahoma State and has a forgivable and understandable loss against Virginia without Wells. If the Buckeyes want to be seen as the top challenger to Wisconsin (which is certainly not what they look like so far), they are going to have to get past Maryland first.

Feb. 14 at Michigan State

Ohio State fans may be disappointed with the way their season has gone thus far, but Michigan State has even more reason to be upset.

The Spartans lost one of the most inexplicable games of the year to Texas Southern, which just so happens to be 3-10. Tom Izzo’s squad also lost to Notre Dame, Duke, Kansas and Maryland and doesn’t look nearly as formidable as it does almost every season.

The good news for both Michigan State and Ohio State is that there is plenty of time remaining in the season. Both squads often play their best basketball in March under Izzo and Matta, so there is at least some reason for optimism still. 

This is the only matchup between the two teams this season, so a head-to-head win would be critical if one is going to make a charge up the standings and polls before the NCAA tournament.

March 8 vs. Wisconsin

Ohio State only gets one shot at the presumed kings of the Big Ten this season, and it comes at home.

The Badgers brought almost everyone back from last year’s Final Four team and only have one loss this season to the dominant Duke Blue Devils. If there is one team in the Big Ten that could make a run at the national championship, it is Bo Ryan’s Wisconsin squad.

If the Buckeyes have any hope at making some type of dramatic turnaround and winning the conference, they are going to have to beat the Badgers in Columbus. Ohio State beat Wisconsin in the daunting Kohl Center last season, so it is not an impossible task, but there is little reason for optimism given how it played against Louisville, North Carolina and Iowa this season. 

It is up to Matta and the Buckeyes to prove the doubters wrong.

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Frustrated Ohio State basketball fans will tell you that there was one lesson learned during nonconference play—this team cannot compete with the nation’s elite.

Of course, a two-game sample size is far too small to jump to any lasting conclusions, but it is understandable that some within Buckeye Nation have questioned this group after two convincing losses to Louisville and North Carolina.

That is especially the case because the wins have all come against lackluster competition.

The good news is, the team gets a blank slate once Big Ten play begins Tuesday against Iowa. There will be plenty more opportunities against nationally ranked competition within the conference that the Buckeyes need to take advantage of before Selection Sunday.

Before the team digs into Big Ten play, though, let’s take a look back at some of the most important lessons learned in the nonconference portion of the schedule.

Tempo is a Good Thing

Throw out the slow and prodding Big Ten stereotypes when the Buckeyes take the floor this season.

Ohio State is 34th in adjusted tempo in Ken Pomeroy's rankings and has experienced success pushing the pace against some of the weaker opponents on the schedule.

Shannon Scott has been the main catalyst behind the faster pace, and his 7.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game demonstrate his effectiveness on both sides of the ball.

What’s more, the Buckeyes have the athletes on the wing in D’Angelo Russell, Sam Thompson, Kam Williams and Marc Loving, among others, to get out in transition and score at will when the shots are falling. After all, there is a reason Ohio State is seventh in the nation in points per game.

Tempo also opens up looks from behind the three-point line, which is why the Buckeyes are shooting 42 percent as a team from deep. Loving is hitting at a blistering 57.8 percent clip as well, largely because defenses run straight back toward the basket when retreating in transition, which opens up looks for the trailers.

The Buckeyes also go 10-deep this season, which is why they are able to push the tempo without worrying as much about fatigue.

D’Angelo Russell Won’t be in Columbus Long

Russell will be the first to tell you that he fell short of expectations in the two national spotlight games against Louisville and North Carolina, but he is still a unique talent who will be lacing it up in the NBA sooner rather than later.

Yes, he shot a combined 10-of-37 with six turnovers against the Cardinals and Tar Heels, but he has done enough in the other games to prove himself to Buckeyes fans and scouts.

He even took control of the offense in the second half against Louisville and almost directed an impressive comeback in the final minutes.

Russell can shoot from three-point range (46.7 percent), score at will (17.7 points per game and double figures in every contest but one), set up his teammates (5.3 assists per game) and attack the basket off the dribble.

He is also 6’5” and versatile enough to play either guard position. 

There is a lot to like in terms of NBA potential in Russell’s game, and there is little chance he will be in Columbus for four seasons. In fact, two seasons may even be asking for too much when it comes to the dynamic guard.

This Team Still has a Ways to Go to Compete for a Big Ten Title

There is no dancing around the main issue with the Ohio State basketball team through nonconference play: The 11-2 record is hollow until it beats an opponent of note—and Marquette does not count.

Some of the areas for improvement immediately jump out when watching the film from the Louisville and North Carolina games, such as the fact that the Buckeyes allowed a combined 36 offensive rebounds in those two contests.

That simply cannot happen in the physically bruising Big Ten if Ohio State hopes to walk away with a conference crown.

As a whole, the Buckeyes are 65th in the nation in total rebounding, but that number should be higher considering some of the competition they have played.

The zone defense has also proven porous against teams with formidable ball-handlers and passers who can navigate the initial pressure and swing the ball from one side of the court to the other.

Crisp passes are always going to move faster than the defender, which is why Louisville and North Carolina were able to create so many open looks against the Buckeyes defense.

The impressive and deep offense that is there against weak competition simply faded away in the losses to Louisville and North Carolina as well, and CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein noted that perhaps that starts at the individual level:

Ohio State's Shannon Scott had 7 points, 12 assists, and 7 steals vs. NC A & T. But can he produce this way against high-level competition?

— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) December 18, 2014

There is room for improvement on this relatively young basketball team, and that is ultimately the way it should be at this point. The only way head coach Thad Matta will prove his mettle this season is if the Buckeyes are a better squad in March than they are in December anyway.

Perhaps then fans can witness a marquee win or two.

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The Ohio State basketball team is 11-2, nationally ranked and fresh off a dominating 100-55 victory in its last nonconference game of the season. There’s really nothing to worry about heading into Big Ten play, right?

Wrong.

The Buckeyes have looked impressive against weak competition all season but struggled against the likes of North Carolina and Louisville. There is plenty of reason for concern before conference play begins, and it goes beyond just the fact that Wisconsin looks like a potential Final Four participant.

Here is a look at the biggest reasons for worry before the Big Ten schedule starts.

Struggles Against Elite Competition

There is no other way to put this: Ohio State has struggled against elite competition.

The Buckeyes are a perfect 11-0 against overmatched opponents, and not a single game was even close. They beat Marquette by 11 points, but every other win came by at least 17.

It was easy to get excited about some of those performances when watching the team run up and down the floor, D’Angelo Russell drain threes, Sam Thompson throw down dunks in transition and Shannon Scott dish out assists left and right.

There have been games where Marc Loving had the hot hand, Kam Williams had the hot hand or even Amir Williams impressed. The Buckeyes have more depth than in past years, as well, and are fourth in field-goal percentage, eighth in points per game and eighth in assists per game.

Still, the two times Ohio State had a chance to make a statement against elite competition, it fell flat on its face.

The Buckeyes fell behind by double digits very early to both Louisville and North Carolina and never completed either comeback. There were times when the youngsters looked uncomfortable, especially against Louisville’s suffocating pressure defense.

Even Russell went a combined 10-of-37 in the Louisville and North Carolina games.

The Big Ten schedule will certainly feature a number of marquee games, including contests against Wisconsin, Maryland and the perennially tough Michigan State. The Buckeyes are going to need to find a way to beat solid competition if they hope to compete for the conference crown.

Wins over High Point and Campbell aren’t going to count in the Big Ten standings.

Disappearance of the Big Men 

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Williams needs to perform at a consistent level down low if the Buckeyes hope to win a Big Ten title.

Williams and Trey McDonald have both impressed at times this season, including Williams' 21-point and seven-rebound performance against Wright State the last time out, but neither has shown up against actual competition.

Against North Carolina, Williams and McDonald combined for a whopping four points on 1-of-5 shooting, five rebounds and six fouls while the Tar Heels' Kennedy Meeks and Brice Johnson had their way down low. Williams was a bit better against Louisville with six points and five rebounds, but McDonald was invisible with zero points, zero rebounds and zero blocks in eight minutes of action.

What’s more, both North Carolina and Louisville tallied 18 offensive rebounds against the Buckeyes, which set the stage for the two losses.

This season, Ohio State is 66th in the country in total rebounding, which is not exactly encouraging considering the weak schedule it has played.

Head coach Thad Matta was hoping Williams' last game was a source of encouragement for the big guy, via Jeff Rapp of WTVN:

Thad Matta said Amir Williams practiced well leading up to the game. "It was good to see him get the success and finish around the basket."

— Jeff Rapp (@RappUp) December 28, 2014

Considering the Big Ten is loaded with solid teams and daunting road venues, the big guys are going to need to play better than they did against North Carolina and Louisville.

Zone Defense

I have harped on this in the past, but it is worth mentioning again.

Ohio State’s zone defense was exposed against the Tar Heels and Cardinals, and there is little reason to expect anything different against Wisconsin down the stretch.

Any team with formidable ball-handlers who can move past the initial three-quarter-court pressure can set up two-on-one situations along the baseline against the matchup zone. That means the corner three should be open anytime the opponent wants it, which is one of the shots that can destroy any zone.

That wasn’t the only concern against North Carolina either.

The Tar Heels were repeatedly able to sneak a big guy behind Williams or McDonald in the zone along the baseline for easy looks right at the rim. Williams and McDonald simply weren’t athletic enough to cover the amount of space they have to in order to make the zone effective.

Perhaps the biggest concern with the zone defense comes on the boards.

As mentioned, both North Carolina and Louisville controlled the rebounding game against the Buckeyes, which was a major reason why the team fell short on the national stage.

In the zone, boxing out becomes an issue because the defender is not directly next to a man. In the time the shot goes up, the Ohio State defenders have to locate a man to box out, actually box him out and grab the loose ball.

It is no wonder the Buckeyes are struggling to control the boards.

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Columbus, we have a problem.

The Ohio State basketball team is 0-2 against NCAA tournament-quality competition and 9-0 against cupcakes. There will be far fewer cupcakes during conference play (regardless of how many losses to NJIT, Texas Southern and Eastern Michigan the Big Ten suffers), so something had better change.

That something needs to be the defense.

To be fair, Ohio State’s offensive effort was nothing to write home about in Saturday’s 82-74 loss to North Carolina. D’Angelo Russell, who is the Buckeyes’ most talented player on the roster, finished 4-for-17 from the field and forced the issue far too often. What’s more, big guys Amir Williams and Trey McDonald combined for a whopping four points and six fouls.

However, the defense was the biggest problem in the game and the most concerning thing moving forward because there will be some nights when the shots just don’t fall. The defense is more of a fundamental issue that could rear its ugly head throughout the season.

The zone defense was not just vulnerable against North Carolina, it was downright incompetent.

It seemed like the only time the Tar Heels didn’t get a wide-open shot or layup was when they made an unforced error like simply dropping a pass out of bounds. North Carolina also missed 12 of its 33 free throws and a number of layups, otherwise Ohio State’s performance would have looked even worse.

The zone appeared much better against the Campbells and High Points of the world than the North Carolinas or Louisvilles. The Tar Heels had formidable ball-handlers who were easily able to move the ball through the initial three-quarter-court pressure, be it through quick crossover dribbles or rapid ball movement. Anytime Marcus Paige pushed the tempo, Ohio State couldn’t even get the zone set up.

There were a number of occasions when North Carolina’s offense even beat the Buckeyes downcourt after a made basket, which is inexcusable.

Any team like North Carolina with a solid backcourt that can move the ball from one side of the court to the other with crisp passes will be able to get any open shot it wants against this zone if there is no improvement on Ohio State’s end. The corner three is open on almost every possession, but that wasn’t even the biggest problem for Ohio State Saturday.

Rather, the Tar Heels simply snuck somebody behind Williams or McDonald on the baseline for easy five-footers on plenty of possessions. The fact that North Carolina was able to do that multiple times is a testament to the lack of defensive awareness and athleticism among Williams and McDonald, which continues to be a source of frustration for Ohio State fans.

A lack of skill is one thing, but a lack of effort from Williams is another, as Dave Biddle of Bucknuts.com noted during the game:

If you don't want to get mad, don't rewind that last miss and watch Amir not fight for the rebound. Keep your blood pressure in check.

— Dave Biddle (@davebiddle) December 20, 2014

Speaking of issues down low, Ohio State’s problems on the defensive boards are a natural byproduct of the zone.

North Carolina ended up with a monumental 18 offensive rebounds, which helped set the tone for the outcome from the opening minutes. The Buckeyes also gave up 18 offensive rebounds to Louisville in their first loss, so this is not a new problem against quality competition.

When Ohio State plays a zone instead of man-to-man, there are guys simply roaming around when the shot goes up instead of actually boxing out. That makes defensive rebounding a game of luck where everyone hopes the ball bounces their way instead of toward the opponent.

One has to wonder why Anthony Lee hasn’t gotten more playing time considering the struggles fans saw from Williams and McDonald on the boards and on defense in general during the losses to Louisville and North Carolina. Lee was a walking double-double at Temple, and the Buckeyes aren’t exactly bringing Tim Duncan and David Robinson to the table down low.

It is easy to get caught up in the 9-2 record and national ranking for Ohio State, but that is more a result of the ridiculously easy schedule the Buckeyes have played thus far.

The Buckeyes are going to overwhelm most of the cupcakes they play from an athletic standpoint alone, but the defense was exposed in their two games of note. Ohio State was down by double digits before some fans even reached their seats in both losses and it took scramble efforts to make the final scores respectable.

With effective guards who can either gradually or quickly advance the ball past the initial pressure, opponents are only a well-timed pass or two away from a two-on-one situation along the baseline against Ohio State’s zone defense. That leads to either a wide open look from the corner for three or a fairly simple look from mid-range or closer.

Perhaps Thad Matta is afraid to play man-to-man without Aaron Craft spearheading the efforts up top or the freshmen aren’t ready for it yet, but the zone fans saw Saturday is not nearly effective enough to challenge Wisconsin in the Big Ten. It must improve if a conference title is still in the cards this season.

Ohio State’s saving grace may be the fact that the rest of the conference outside of Wisconsin, Maryland and perhaps Illinois looks overrated at this point. That is especially the case for the two teams in Michigan.

It takes a program like Syracuse years to establish an effective and swarming zone defense. Matta and the Buckeyes think they can change defenses on a year-to-year basis and learn the zone on the fly against a Charmin-soft (hat-tip to Kobe Bryant) nonconference schedule. 

The lack of experience shows against formidable opponents.

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Though no doubt a terrific talent out of Montverde Academy, there were some questions prior to the season regarding freshman D'Angelo Russell's outlook as an NBA prospect. But those questions have become less pressing after a month at Ohio State, as they've been overshadowed by the upside his versatility and potent attack ultimately fuel. 

Russell has looked like an offensive tornado through nine games, averaging 17.7 points, 5.6 assists and 4.7 rebounds on 47.5 percent shooting. 

And there's just something convincing about his early-season production and strong first impression, even if he has had a few hiccups along the way. 

Russell operates with a ton of confidence, which plays to his believability. But his sales pitch to the pros revolves around his unique blend of strengths—the size and scoring arsenal of a 2 to match the floor game of a lead guard.

With Shannon Scott running the point on a more exclusive basis, Russell has spent a good amount of time off the ball so far this season. And he's been effective in that role, thanks to a refined perimeter game and what's been a lethal outside stroke.

He's averaging 2.2 three-point makes at a scorching 43.5 percent clip. Russell doesn't get much elevation, but at 6'5", he's got a quick release and the ability to connect with defenders in his face.

The fact that he's 6'5" and can shoot speaks to the safety he offers as a prospect, but it's the firepower he's capable of unloading off the dribble that really drives his potential.

Russell is a scoring playmaker. He reminds me of a mix between Goran Dragic and Monta Ellis—guys who could go out and get their own, on or off the ball, as well as set the table for teammates as their facilitator.

He certainly proved he can get his own against Sacred Heart, when he went for 32 points in just his third career game. "I just told myself whoever was guarding me I was gonna destroy them," Russell told Cleveland.com's Bill Landis. 

From pull-ups off two feet and floaters off one to hard drives and finishes on the break, he's flashed the ability to generate offense in a variety of different ways. 

As a point guard, Russell tends to get a little reckless, but his passing instincts look legitimate. 

He's got excellent vision on the move, whether he's driving off a screen or pushing the ball off a defensive rebound. 

Scouts gushing over OSU's freshman D'Angelo Russell. Had 33 points in scrimmage at WVU. "Vision and delivery of passes impressive" one says.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) November 3, 2014

Russell displays a tremendous command of the ball in terms of his ability to get to his spots on the floor. And with point guards nowadays almost required to shoot and score, you get the impression that could be the position where Russell's future lies in the pros.

I was one of the few that liked D'Angelo Russell on the ball. Terrific passer with vision. He will be a PG in the league.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDaniels) December 3, 2014

Given his physical tools and quickness, Russell could offer some serious mismatch potential at the point. 

Right now, he's turning the ball over a little too much (3.2 times per game), although feel free to place some blame on his monster 32.08 percent usage rate, an incredibly high number for an 18-year-old freshman on a top-15 team.

But that's the level of trust and responsibility Ohio State's coaching staff has given to Russell, who has the ability to impact a game in more ways than anyone else on the squad. Even in Russell's worst outing of the year (6-of-20 from the floor, as his jumper just wouldn't fall) against a tough Louisville defense, he still managed to put up 17 points, seven assists, six boards and two steals. 

Russell won't blow anyone away with above-the-rim hops or explosiveness, but he's no stiff out there, while his feel for the game and skill level are both far ahead of the curve. 

Looking down the list of eligible guards for the 2015 draft—well, there just aren't many exciting ones outside of Emmanuel Mudiay, who's finishing up in China, and Mario Hezonja, who plays for Barcelona in Euroleague and the Spanish ACB. 

Top College Guard Prospects	Projected Draft Range
Caris LeVert, Michigan	Late Lottery to Mid-First Round
R.J. Hunter, Georgia State	Mid-First to Late First Round
Norman Powell, UCLA	Mid-First to Late First Round
Delon Wright, Utah	Mid-First to Second Round
Tyus Jones, Duke	Late First to Second Round
Ron Baker, Wichita State	Late First to Second Round
Andrew Harrison, Kentucky	Late First to Second Round
Rashad Vaughn, UNLV	Late First to Second Round
Jerian Grant, Notre Dame	Late First to Second Round
Buddy Hield, Oklahoma	Late First to Second Round
Terry Rozier, Louisvlle	Mid-First to Second Round

This year's projected field appears to be heavily populated by 4s and 5s, while I'd consider guys like Arizona's Stanley Johnson and Duke's Justise Winslow more as small forwards or wings. 

In what looks like a weak class of guards, Russell has quickly made the case for being the most promising of those playing at the Division I level. 

And it's a little unexpected, given the traditional fear tied to combos. But Russell is one of the rare ones—a guy with the physical tools to play either position along with a balanced offensive repertoire built to score, create and orchestrate. 

He's immediately entered the 2015 lottery conversation, where I'd imagine he'll stay until June 25.

Anyone with even a third-grade understanding of nutrition knows you cannot eat only cupcakes your entire life and be healthy. After all, mom always pushed the vegetables, not the sweets.

Unfortunately for the Ohio State basketball team, all it has eaten in the 2014-15 season is cupcakes, and it doesn’t have a healthy resume as a result.

The Buckeyes have beaten up on the likes of Sacred Heart, Campbell, Colgate, High Point and others and missed their one opportunity to make a statement in a loss to Louisville. All is not lost, though, because there are plenty of opportunities for Ohio State to add some meat and potatoes to that cupcake diet.

It just has to take advantage of those chances.

With that in mind, here is a look at the five most important games remaining on the Buckeyes’ schedule.

Dec. 20 vs. North Carolina (in Chicago)

Unless the Buckeyes simply blow away the rest of the Big Ten, the selection committee is going to look back on their nonconference schedule in March and use it as important grading criteria when handing out those favorable seeds.

A win over a mediocre-at-best Marquette squad is not going to cut it, either. Since Ohio State lost to Louisville, the Dec. 20 showdown with North Carolina on a neutral floor is its only remaining opportunity to make a statement before Big Ten play. 

Marcus Paige will be a handful for Shannon Scott and D’Angelo Russell, but the Tar Heels already lost to fellow Big Ten member Iowa at home. If the Buckeyes follow the Hawkeyes’ blueprint and bring a physical and relentless style of defense to the table for 40 minutes, they can pick up a marquee nonconference win that resonates all year.

Jan. 13 vs. Michigan

The importance of an Ohio State and Michigan showdown does not need to be explained in detail, whether it is in football or competitive eating.

The Buckeyes lost twice last season to Michigan, including a game in the Big Ten tournament, and would undoubtedly like some revenge. Considering Thad Matta is a sparkling 17-6 in his Ohio State career against the hated Wolverines, order needs to be restored in Columbus, and the only way to do that is with a win at home over John Beilein’s squad. 

If the Wolverines don’t turn it around soon, the Buckeyes should be able to handle them. Losses to NJIT and Eastern Michigan stain an early resume that is far short of NCAA tournament standards at the moment.

Feb. 14 at Michigan State

Even when Michigan State is in rebuilding mode, Tom Izzo has the Spartans in contention for a Big Ten crown. Expect nothing different this season, even if they did lose a few early nonconference games to Duke, Notre Dame and Kansas.

Ohio State plays the Spartans only one time all season, and it is in East Lansing. That is a rough break for the Buckeyes, although the Big Ten scheduling gods returned the favor by slating Ohio State’s one game against league-favorite Wisconsin in Columbus.

If we are to work under the assumption that the Badgers are going to win the Big Ten, which is solely an assumption at this point, then Michigan State and Ohio State will likely battle it out for the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament.

Second place in the Big Ten would be good enough for an impressive seed come March Madness as well, regardless of what actually happened in the conference tournament.

March 4 at Penn State

This game against Penn State may seem strange embedded in between marquee showdowns against some of the best teams in the Big Ten, but there is a very specific reason it is on here.

The Buckeyes inexplicably lost to the Nittany Lions twice last season, and those defeats seemed to do something to the team’s overall confidence level. After all, Matta’s bunch climbed as high as No. 3 in the country at one point last season but eventually tumbled all the way to a No. 6 seed in the NCAA tournament.

This game against Penn State is the second-to-last one on the regular-season schedule and comes right before the crucial tilt with Wisconsin. If the Buckeyes somehow lose again to the lowly Nittany Lions, it is difficult to envision them turning right around in the next game and knocking off the Badgers. 

That would mean a losing streak heading into the postseason, which would be particularly difficult on this still rather young group's psyche.

March 8 vs. Wisconsin

If Ohio State has dreams of a Big Ten championship, which is certainly still realistic at this point, it has to beat Wisconsin.

This is the only crack that the Buckeyes have against the Badgers, and they are fortunate enough to get it in Columbus. That means this one game will serve as a tiebreaker if these two teams end up tied at the end of the year and represents a golden opportunity for the Buckeyes to make a loud statement on a national level right before Selection Sunday. 

Wisconsin went to the Final Four and brought the vast majority of its contributors back from a season ago. It is the team to beat in the Big Ten, so the Buckeyes need to do just that March 8.

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