Ohio State Basketball: A ‘big’ task for Buckeyes to get back on track
The Ohio State basketball team lost to Michigan State on Saturday and travels to Rutgers hoping to get back on a winning track.
The Ohio State basketball team will try to get back on track against Rutgers following the loss to Michigan State on Saturday and it could be a ‘big’ task. Not because the Scarlet Knights, 7-6 and 0-3 in the Big Ten, are setting the world on fire but they will have a definite size advantage.
Rutgers has six players on the roster listed at 6-9 or taller, five see playing time and four are averaging at least 10 minutes per game. Ohio State only has two 6-9 players with Kaleb Wesson the only one playing significant minutes. Jaedon LeDee has only been on the floor an average of 6.4 minutes per game.
The Scarlet Knights’ bigs aren’t filling up the stat sheet on offense as they are only scoring at about a 17.5 points per game clip between them, and Wesson is averaging 17.1 ppg himself. However, they are pulling down nearly 19 rebounds per game.
Just the fact Rutgers can rotate players in to guard Wesson should make him have to work for his points.
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But it’s not unusual for Ohio State to be the smaller team on the court, especially in Big Ten play. The Buckeyes will once again try to nullify that disadvantage by playing strong defense and hopefully slow down the two Scarlet Knights averaging double figures, forward Eugene Omoruyi and (15.7 ppg) and guard Geo Baker (13.1 ppg).
Of course they will try to be balanced once again on offense as has been the case most of the season. Seven Ohio State players are averaging 7.6 points per game with C.J. Jackson (13.4 ppg) and Wesson the only two averaging double figures.
This should be a good challenge for the Buckeyes even though on paper they are the better team. The young Ohio State squad will have to respond after the loss to Michigan State, and no win during the Big Ten schedule is a given.
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If the Buckeyes can go on the road and pull out a victory following the tough loss, and improve to 3-1 in the conference, that will have to give them plenty of confidence going forward.