Ohio State Basketball: What’s the magnitude from win vs Nebraska

The Ohio State basketball team was able to sneak out of Lincoln last with an overtime win against Nebraska. It was evident that there was a lot of rust from the Buckeyes after not playing a game in over three weeks. But from what we saw last night, it could’ve been the most important game moving forward.

First and foremost, I think the Buckeyes found their very much-needed second go-to scoring option. If Malaki Branham doesn’t have a scoring outburst going for 35 points I think the Buckeyes’ chance of winning would’ve been very slim.

Branham’s performance was very helpful for the Buckeyes as E.J. Liddell was almost nonexistent.  Liddell finished the game with 10 points but was 2-14 from the field, a very poor 14%.

It was only going to be a matter of time until some team would disrupt Liddell’s offensive game and force someone else to step up and become that second guy. Branham filled that role nicely against the Cornhuskers.

A second thing I noticed was Zed Key dominating the boards all night long.  With Kyle Young out Zed brought the toughness on both ends of the floor which helped fuel the Buckeyes to victory. Zed finished with 7 points and 14 rebounds. With Zed being able to fill a much-needed dominate inside presence for this Buckeyes team it will allow them to make a run in the Big Ten.

Branham’s outstanding display of scoring wasn’t the only ray of sunshine when the Buckeye’s were on offense against Nebraska. Jamari Wheeler, who is mostly known for his defense, made some clutch shots late including a three to cut the lead to two with 29 seconds left in regulation. Wheeler finished with 16 points and was 4-5 from beyond the arc which was a huge spark in the win.

Last night was a big night for the “role” players and gaining confidence in themselves. I think everyone in Buckeye Nation has a lot of confidence in Malaki Branham now, as well as himself. Jamari Wheeler has proven to be a consistent shooter which should give him some confidence. Also, Coach Holtmann gave a lot of praise to Eugene Brown III for his game-saving block at the end of regulation to force overtime.

This was a confidence-boosting game and everyone’s confidence should be off the charts moving forward. If everyone can contribute in a big way, especially when things are difficult for Liddell, it will make this team even more dangerous.

The Ohio State basketball team will be back in action Thursday, January 6th in Assembly Hall to take on the Indiana Hoosiers. This will be a big game for the Big Ten and winning a game in Assembly Hall will not be easy. If the confidence from the Nebraska game rolls over into Thursday night, the Buckeyes will be making it easier on themselves against the Hoosiers.