COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio State was at rock bottom two days ago.
It was a performance where all Chris Holtmann could do was shake his head in disbelief: the lack of connectedness offensively, the lack of aggression defensively. It seemed like a season-defining performance, one that had the head coach questioning what was next and if he had enough time to turn things around.
Something clicked Thursday night, and it clicked fast.
Malaki Branham started things off, draining a 3 in the first 30 seconds, something that was not a given two days ago.
It turned into a lead Ohio State didn’t lose, exploding to a 13-point lead in the first three minutes, It was a lead Ohio State kept when Michigan State came crawling back, cutting it to one halfway through the first half before Branham, Joey Brunk and Jamari Wheeler used a 9-0 run to keep the Spartans at an arm’s length, never coming into single digits for the rest of the game.
Forty eight hours after Ohio State’s season looked like it was complete, the Buckeyes (19-9, 12-7 Big Ten) stormed back into the national conversation, beating Michigan State (19-11, 10-9 Big Ten), 80-69, at home Thursday night.
Four of Ohio State’s five starters scored more than 14 points against the Spartans: Branham (22), E.J. Liddell (19), Jamari Wheeler (16) and Joey Brunk, recording a season-high 18 points in 33 minutes.
Hot start defines offensive performance
Malaki Branham started the charge Thursday night for a team that desperately needed a spark.
The Ohio State freshman pulled up on the first possession, draining a 3, one game after the Buckeyes hit seven of its 24 attempts from 3 against Nebraska.
Branham showed that the 3-point shot was open for Ohio State against Michigan State. Liddell followed suit twice, giving Ohio State a 13-0 run to start the game, forcing Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo to burn a timeout early.
The Nebraska game seemed to be an anomaly. Ohio State is no longer the offense that lives or dies by the 3-point shot, averaging 21.7 attempts per game and making 35.5%, each fifth-best in Big Ten play.
Branham’s make fed into Liddell, making three-of-four 3-point attempts in the first half, which fed into Jamari Wheeler: the redshirt senior point guard, who made four of his five tries from deep after making four 3s in his last five games.
Michigan State came back, using a 23-11 run in the first half to come back to within two in the middle of the first half, but it was never because Ohio State’s offense was ice cold, not recording a spell of more than two misses in a row until midway through the second half.
Even then, Michigan State could not keep up, keeping up its offensive momentum even when the Buckeyes lost their 3-point shot in the final 20 minutes.
But Ohio State’s offense did enough, just like its defense did enough, holding Michigan State to 69 points, shooting 45.3% from the field despite shooting 50% from 3.
Capped off with back-breaking dunks from Branham and Brunk, this was an offense that responded, that looked like the efficient offense the Buckeyes were used to. It was a team that responded, even when the 3-point shot wasn't falling.
This is the kind of offense Ohio State must rely on if it's going to make a run of any kind in tournament play.
Brunk provides depth where Ohio State needed it most
Joey Brunk came in with two starts to his name this season, playing in 24 games, but averaging 5.3 minutes per appearance.
A start for Brunk doesn’t necessarily mean big minutes, starting against Seton Hall in the Fort Myers TIp Off and playing seven minutes, generating two fouls and a rebound.
But there was something different against the Spartans Thursday night. In a game where head coach Chris Holtmann needed someone in the middle not named Liddell, who did his fair share of work down low, to pick up the hole in the middle left by sophomore Zed Key and redshirt senior Kyle Young: both unavailable against Michigan State.
Brunk took the initiative. He played with more intensity than he has all season, unafraid, taking the ball, backing up into defenders and using a turnaround floater like he had been playing 20 minutes per night all season.
In a game where Ohio State was searching for a presence down low, Brunk provided just that with 18 points, making seven of his 10 attempts from the field in 33 minutes.
He got the crowd on board too, hitting a floater just to the right of the basket and transitioning back to defense to a chorus of “Joey, Joey, Joey.”
He seemingly ended Michigan State’s evening with a dunk with less than two minutes to go, igniting a a deafening roar and a standing ovation when he checked out.
Will it continue? Probably not at THIS level.
All I know is coming in with 34 total points in his first 24 appearances of the season, Brunk’s X points Thursday night may have been the most important X points Ohio State has had this season.
News and notes
Ohio State sophomore forward Zed Key missed his second-straight game with an ankle injury, while redshirt senior forward Kyle Young, after playing only eight minutes against Nebraska Tuesday, was unavailable with an illness. Young was not on the bench for Thursday’s game.
What it means
This is what Ohio State needed, a boost to a season that looked like it was over.
That Nebraska game showed that things needed to change for the Buckeyes, a late wake-up call for a program. But while on life support, the Buckeyes found life again, bringing back that team that looked like the contender that was vying for a double-bye a week after beating Illinois.
It’s something that will be tested Sunday.
What’s next
No. 23 Ohio State will host Michigan in the final game of the 2021-22 regular season Sunday.
It was a performance where all Chris Holtmann could do was shake his head in disbelief: the lack of connectedness offensively, the lack of aggression defensively. It seemed like a season-defining performance, one that had the head coach questioning what was next and if he had enough time to turn things around.
Something clicked Thursday night, and it clicked fast.
Malaki Branham started things off, draining a 3 in the first 30 seconds, something that was not a given two days ago.
It turned into a lead Ohio State didn’t lose, exploding to a 13-point lead in the first three minutes, It was a lead Ohio State kept when Michigan State came crawling back, cutting it to one halfway through the first half before Branham, Joey Brunk and Jamari Wheeler used a 9-0 run to keep the Spartans at an arm’s length, never coming into single digits for the rest of the game.
Forty eight hours after Ohio State’s season looked like it was complete, the Buckeyes (19-9, 12-7 Big Ten) stormed back into the national conversation, beating Michigan State (19-11, 10-9 Big Ten), 80-69, at home Thursday night.
Four of Ohio State’s five starters scored more than 14 points against the Spartans: Branham (22), E.J. Liddell (19), Jamari Wheeler (16) and Joey Brunk, recording a season-high 18 points in 33 minutes.
Hot start defines offensive performance
Malaki Branham started the charge Thursday night for a team that desperately needed a spark.
The Ohio State freshman pulled up on the first possession, draining a 3, one game after the Buckeyes hit seven of its 24 attempts from 3 against Nebraska.
Branham showed that the 3-point shot was open for Ohio State against Michigan State. Liddell followed suit twice, giving Ohio State a 13-0 run to start the game, forcing Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo to burn a timeout early.
The Nebraska game seemed to be an anomaly. Ohio State is no longer the offense that lives or dies by the 3-point shot, averaging 21.7 attempts per game and making 35.5%, each fifth-best in Big Ten play.
Branham’s make fed into Liddell, making three-of-four 3-point attempts in the first half, which fed into Jamari Wheeler: the redshirt senior point guard, who made four of his five tries from deep after making four 3s in his last five games.
Michigan State came back, using a 23-11 run in the first half to come back to within two in the middle of the first half, but it was never because Ohio State’s offense was ice cold, not recording a spell of more than two misses in a row until midway through the second half.
Even then, Michigan State could not keep up, keeping up its offensive momentum even when the Buckeyes lost their 3-point shot in the final 20 minutes.
But Ohio State’s offense did enough, just like its defense did enough, holding Michigan State to 69 points, shooting 45.3% from the field despite shooting 50% from 3.
Capped off with back-breaking dunks from Branham and Brunk, this was an offense that responded, that looked like the efficient offense the Buckeyes were used to. It was a team that responded, even when the 3-point shot wasn't falling.
This is the kind of offense Ohio State must rely on if it's going to make a run of any kind in tournament play.
Brunk provides depth where Ohio State needed it most
Joey Brunk came in with two starts to his name this season, playing in 24 games, but averaging 5.3 minutes per appearance.
A start for Brunk doesn’t necessarily mean big minutes, starting against Seton Hall in the Fort Myers TIp Off and playing seven minutes, generating two fouls and a rebound.
But there was something different against the Spartans Thursday night. In a game where head coach Chris Holtmann needed someone in the middle not named Liddell, who did his fair share of work down low, to pick up the hole in the middle left by sophomore Zed Key and redshirt senior Kyle Young: both unavailable against Michigan State.
Brunk took the initiative. He played with more intensity than he has all season, unafraid, taking the ball, backing up into defenders and using a turnaround floater like he had been playing 20 minutes per night all season.
In a game where Ohio State was searching for a presence down low, Brunk provided just that with 18 points, making seven of his 10 attempts from the field in 33 minutes.
He got the crowd on board too, hitting a floater just to the right of the basket and transitioning back to defense to a chorus of “Joey, Joey, Joey.”
He seemingly ended Michigan State’s evening with a dunk with less than two minutes to go, igniting a a deafening roar and a standing ovation when he checked out.
Will it continue? Probably not at THIS level.
All I know is coming in with 34 total points in his first 24 appearances of the season, Brunk’s X points Thursday night may have been the most important X points Ohio State has had this season.
News and notes
Ohio State sophomore forward Zed Key missed his second-straight game with an ankle injury, while redshirt senior forward Kyle Young, after playing only eight minutes against Nebraska Tuesday, was unavailable with an illness. Young was not on the bench for Thursday’s game.
What it means
This is what Ohio State needed, a boost to a season that looked like it was over.
That Nebraska game showed that things needed to change for the Buckeyes, a late wake-up call for a program. But while on life support, the Buckeyes found life again, bringing back that team that looked like the contender that was vying for a double-bye a week after beating Illinois.
It’s something that will be tested Sunday.
What’s next
No. 23 Ohio State will host Michigan in the final game of the 2021-22 regular season Sunday.
Last edited:
