Ohio State Basketball: What Buckeyes must do to defeat Cougars
It will be a big challenge for the Ohio State Buckeyes to defeat the Houston Cougars, but it could happen if they do certain things.
The Ohio State Buckeyes pulled off a hard-fought victory over the Iowa State Cyclones in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. If they do the things necessary they can upset the Houston Cougars as well.
It will be a challenge to do so but it could happen.
Now that the young Buckeyes have had a taste of NCAA Tournament play they should know the most important to do when facing a talented team. Have a high percentage of good possessions.
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Anybody who has watched ‘March Madness’ for a long time understands this is often the difference between a win or a loss in a close game, which I think this could be. A number of lost possessions will almost always come back to haunt you in tournament play.
In the first half of the Iowa State game Ohio State players often made lazy passes or ones to teammates from bad angles. They can’t do that against the No. 3 seed in the region.
One way the Buckeyes can improve their chances of having a high percentage of good possessions is to push the ball up the floor. Even when they don’t have fast break opportunities it makes it difficult for the opposing team to get set on defense and the offense flows.
Another thing Ohio State must do is limit Houston’s second chance opportunities. The Cougars are an excellent rebounding team (averaging 41.2 boards per game) so the Buckeyes must box them out.
Last but certainly not least, Ohio State must contest shots on the perimeter. Houston is shooting 36.4 percent from behind the arc and guards Corey Davis Jr. (16.9 ppg) and Armoni Brooks (13.3 ppg) are especially dangerous.
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Defeating the Cougars won’t be an easy task, but if the Buckeyes can just play sound, fundamental basketball there is a chance they could pull off the upset.