Ohio State shined against Wisconsin Saturday afternoon.
Here's what we learned.
E.J. Liddell makes a statement
Where E.J. Liddell goes, Ohio State follows. It’s really as simple as that.
The same struggles plagued that junior forward in the first half, recording two turnovers eraly, seemingly rattled by the trap and the attention he was getting by the Wisconsin defense. But he still controlled the game: 14 points on six-of-seven shooting, four rebounds, a steal.
Prototypical Liddell.
Liddell added 14 points in the second half too on a less efficient, but still clean five-of-nine, adding five rebounds and two blocks. The key stat? Zero turnovers and four assists.
Liddell looked like a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate against Wisconsin, setting the tone for what was a dominant second half of Ohio State basketball, both offensively and defensively.
Liddell sets the tone. And if it’s something he can continue to do without losing the ball after being too aggressive, watch out. He’s going to need more space in his trophy case.
Ohio State steps up defensively in second half
Ohio State seemed to be in the way of everything Wisconsin tried in the second half.
Ohio State was physical, aggressive, getting in the way of every Wisconsin shooter, shooting 29.4% and making two of their 13 attempts from the field.
It was momentum the Buckeyes fed off of offensively, leading to fast-break scores and emphatic dunks. It was a game that seemingly showed, at this point, how much room there was between the No. 21 and No. 22 teams in the country.
For an Ohio State team that really emphasized defense coming into the season, the Buckeyes really stepped up.
While it wasn’t in the form of forcing turnovers — with the Buckeyes scoring nine points off eight turnovers — the Buckeyes defense remained aggressive and in the face of seemingly every Wisconsin player, forcing uncomfortable shots: shooting 33.8% from the field.
Ohio State improves its turnover troubles
Wisconsin roared to an early eight-point lead against Ohio State because of the Buckeyes’ inability to hold onto the basketball.
In a span of 2:42 in the middle of the first half, Ohio State allowed a 14-2 run in which it recorded four turnovers on four consecutive possessions: two by junior forward E.J. Liddell and two by freshman guard Malaki Branham.
For Liddell, this was nothing new. This is something the junior forward has been struggling with over this stretch of games, coming in with 19 turnovers in his past four games combined.
For a Wisconsin team that forces 12.9 turnovers per game coming in, the Badgers forced 10 in the first 20 minutes, scoring nine points off Ohio State’s miscues.
In the second half, Ohio State showed vast improvement.
The Buckeyes recorded four turnovers. There were moments where it seemed Ohio State was about to lose possession — whether it was Johnson navigating the frontcourt, nearly losing possession twice before setting up a lob and layup by Key.
But it was enough to keep the offense moving, doing enough to beat a defense Holtmann called “elite” in the days leading up to the game.
Cedric Russell helps out in first half
Cedric Russell seems to find a way to impact some of the biggest games of Ohio State’s season.
In Ohio State’s win over No. 1 Duke, the redshirt senior guard transfer from Louisiana, scored 12 points, making all three of his attempts from 3, to ignite the offense late.
In Ohio State’s next ranked matchup against No. 22 Wisconsin, Russell added seven first-half points, making all three of his attempts from the field, including a 3 off a slick assist by freshman guard Meechie Johnson Jr..
He cooled off in the second half, missing all three of his attempts from the field and both tries from deep.
It’s not a huge sample size, but the sheer ability of Russell and what he brings to the table seems like it's setting up for what could be a prominent role in tournament play when Ohio State may need that big basket.
Ohio State forward Justin Ahrens could play that role too, with Key calling him one of the best shooters in the Big Ten and even the country from 3. But there’s something to be said about being a spark off the bench, a scoring threat, who can take over a game in a three-of-four-minute span.
It’s the reason why Ohio State wanted a player like Russell.
What this means
This is a big win for Ohio State.
Not only did the Buckeyes take advantage of high-percentage shots in the first half, eliminating the impact that their 10 first-half turnovers made, but it had one of the best defensive performances of the season.
It was a complete game for a complete team, allowing Liddell to say post game that if Ohio State runs its game, it’s up there with the best in the country.
There’s going to need to be some consistency in that, which will be important come Big Ten play, but the Buckeyes did show something different Saturday afternoon.
What’s next
Ohio State will take on Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic Dec. 18.
Here's what we learned.
E.J. Liddell makes a statement
Where E.J. Liddell goes, Ohio State follows. It’s really as simple as that.
The same struggles plagued that junior forward in the first half, recording two turnovers eraly, seemingly rattled by the trap and the attention he was getting by the Wisconsin defense. But he still controlled the game: 14 points on six-of-seven shooting, four rebounds, a steal.
Prototypical Liddell.
Liddell added 14 points in the second half too on a less efficient, but still clean five-of-nine, adding five rebounds and two blocks. The key stat? Zero turnovers and four assists.
Liddell looked like a Big Ten Player of the Year candidate against Wisconsin, setting the tone for what was a dominant second half of Ohio State basketball, both offensively and defensively.
Liddell sets the tone. And if it’s something he can continue to do without losing the ball after being too aggressive, watch out. He’s going to need more space in his trophy case.
Ohio State steps up defensively in second half
Ohio State seemed to be in the way of everything Wisconsin tried in the second half.
Ohio State was physical, aggressive, getting in the way of every Wisconsin shooter, shooting 29.4% and making two of their 13 attempts from the field.
It was momentum the Buckeyes fed off of offensively, leading to fast-break scores and emphatic dunks. It was a game that seemingly showed, at this point, how much room there was between the No. 21 and No. 22 teams in the country.
For an Ohio State team that really emphasized defense coming into the season, the Buckeyes really stepped up.
While it wasn’t in the form of forcing turnovers — with the Buckeyes scoring nine points off eight turnovers — the Buckeyes defense remained aggressive and in the face of seemingly every Wisconsin player, forcing uncomfortable shots: shooting 33.8% from the field.
Ohio State improves its turnover troubles
Wisconsin roared to an early eight-point lead against Ohio State because of the Buckeyes’ inability to hold onto the basketball.
In a span of 2:42 in the middle of the first half, Ohio State allowed a 14-2 run in which it recorded four turnovers on four consecutive possessions: two by junior forward E.J. Liddell and two by freshman guard Malaki Branham.
For Liddell, this was nothing new. This is something the junior forward has been struggling with over this stretch of games, coming in with 19 turnovers in his past four games combined.
For a Wisconsin team that forces 12.9 turnovers per game coming in, the Badgers forced 10 in the first 20 minutes, scoring nine points off Ohio State’s miscues.
In the second half, Ohio State showed vast improvement.
The Buckeyes recorded four turnovers. There were moments where it seemed Ohio State was about to lose possession — whether it was Johnson navigating the frontcourt, nearly losing possession twice before setting up a lob and layup by Key.
But it was enough to keep the offense moving, doing enough to beat a defense Holtmann called “elite” in the days leading up to the game.
Cedric Russell helps out in first half
Cedric Russell seems to find a way to impact some of the biggest games of Ohio State’s season.
In Ohio State’s win over No. 1 Duke, the redshirt senior guard transfer from Louisiana, scored 12 points, making all three of his attempts from 3, to ignite the offense late.
In Ohio State’s next ranked matchup against No. 22 Wisconsin, Russell added seven first-half points, making all three of his attempts from the field, including a 3 off a slick assist by freshman guard Meechie Johnson Jr..
He cooled off in the second half, missing all three of his attempts from the field and both tries from deep.
It’s not a huge sample size, but the sheer ability of Russell and what he brings to the table seems like it's setting up for what could be a prominent role in tournament play when Ohio State may need that big basket.
Ohio State forward Justin Ahrens could play that role too, with Key calling him one of the best shooters in the Big Ten and even the country from 3. But there’s something to be said about being a spark off the bench, a scoring threat, who can take over a game in a three-of-four-minute span.
It’s the reason why Ohio State wanted a player like Russell.
What this means
This is a big win for Ohio State.
Not only did the Buckeyes take advantage of high-percentage shots in the first half, eliminating the impact that their 10 first-half turnovers made, but it had one of the best defensive performances of the season.
It was a complete game for a complete team, allowing Liddell to say post game that if Ohio State runs its game, it’s up there with the best in the country.
There’s going to need to be some consistency in that, which will be important come Big Ten play, but the Buckeyes did show something different Saturday afternoon.
What’s next
Ohio State will take on Kentucky in the CBS Sports Classic Dec. 18.
