Ohio State Basketball: Should defense be a concern for the future?

The Ohio State basketball team is riding a huge scoring outburst in their win against Northwestern this past Sunday. Their offense was on full display against the Wildcats, but their defense was relatively poor just like it was against the Hoosiers in the Buckeyes loss to Indiana this past Thursday. For how sluggish the defense has looked, it could be problematic in the future.

Don’t get me wrong, the name of the game of basketball is being able to put the ball in the bucket. However, there are times where getting stops on the defensive end becomes very important in a close game. When the offense isn’t working then getting stops becomes even more important before the game gets out of hand.

Ohio State did not get stops against Indiana, and they let Trayce Jackson-Davis do whatever he wanted to do. They didn’t need to get stops against Northwestern, but they didn’t stop the Wildcats from scoring either. The Buckeyes gave up a whopping 87 points to a mediocre Northwestern team. The poor defensive effort is a heavy concern moving forward as the Buckeyes schedule doesn’t get any easier.

It’s awesome having a tough defender like Jamari Wheeler on the team, but he can only defend the guards. The Big Ten is loaded with elite centers like Kofi Cockburn, Trevion Williams, and Jackson-Davis.

Jackson-Davis isn’t even the best one of the group and he went for 27 points, 12 rebounds, 5 blocks, and shot 65% from the field against the Bucks. If he’s putting up those numbers then what is Cockburn, Williams, Edey, or even Dickinson going to do against the Buckeyes interior defense?

The defense against opposing stars needs to improve. What other teams are doing to Liddell is what the Buckeyes need to implement into their defensive game plan when preparing for some of the best players in the conference.

Another improvement that needs to be made is perfecting their defensive rotations. If the Buckeyes are going to double in the post they can’t allow so many wide-open threes when the ball gets kicked back out and swung around the perimeter. Good shooting teams are going to capitalize on those opportunities and the Bucks will be put in a hole that’s tough to dig out.

Coach Holtmann and the Buckeyes have a tough defensive game to plan for as they prepare to take on Johnny Davis and the Wisconsin Badgers for a rematch in Madison. Johnny Davis has been one of the best players in the country as of late and he will definitely make the Buckeyes defense work. The game is Thursday night at 7:00 on ESPN.

The Ohio State basketball team ranks 62nd in defensive efficiency, which is not good. If the Bucks want to make a run at a Big Ten title or a run in March, that ranking needs to improve big time. The Big Ten schedule for Ohio State doesn’t get any easier. If they are going to make any changes on the defensive end of the floor they need to do it fast.