Ohio State Basketball: Big challenge but Buckeyes could pull off road win

It won’t be easy for the Ohio State basketball team to pull off a road win at Iowa City. Here are keys for the Buckeyes to pull off the upset.

After a poor start in the Big Ten the Ohio State basketball team has won five of six games, but it will be a huge challenge staying on a roll playing Iowa on the road. The Hawkeyes are 7-1 at home in Big Ten play and have one of the best players in the country in Luka Garza.

The 6-11 center is averaging 23.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks this season. He is also hitting 38.8 percent from behind the arc to go along with long distance sharpshooters Joe Weiscamp (37.7 percent) and C.J. Fredrick (46.7).

So how can Ohio State pull off the win? For the most part it’s doing the things that has turned the team around along with changing one situation that has been a problem at times. I’ll look at that situation first.

Kaleb Wesson must stay out of early foul trouble and has to match Garza’s minutes. Kyle Young and Andre Wesson are excellent defenders but give up too much size to the Iowa center.

Now for things the Buckeyes must continue to do to pull off the win..

They must play pressure defense on perimeter players which they have done successfully of late. This will make it more difficult to feed the ball to Garza where he wants it and hopefully will limit wide open shots from behind the arc.

K. Wesson should take a few more shots from three-point land where he is hitting 42.9 percent of his shots. This will draw Garza out more often which will open up other opportunities.

Lately, other players have done a nice job of creating their own shots, or breaking down the defense and kicking the ball to an open man. Not having the Iowa center roaming the paint would certainly help.

As is usually the case I think Justin Ahrens needs to get off more shots off. The sophomore is hitting 44 percent of his shots from behind the arc this season and is 12-18 the last six games.

Last but not least the Buckeyes must compete on the boards, even if they don’t win the battle. If the Hawkeyes have a 10 rebound advantage I doubt the game will be very close.

It will be a big challenge for the Ohio State basketball team to pull out a win in Iowa City. However, if the Buckeyes can continue to do the things they have the last six games, and K. Wesson can stay on the floor, it could be a very good contest. And Ohio State may come out of it with an 8-7 record in the Big Ten.