Ohio State basketball: Rebounding is the focus against Illinois

The Ohio State basketball team is hitting the road for their next test against Illinois. If the Buckeyes are going to want to win, one of their biggest weaknesses is going to have to shine.

Poor rebounding efforts have been a reoccurring theme each game for the Buckeyes this season. They struggle with collecting the first defensive rebound of a possession and getting that definite stop. Rebounding is what cost Ohio State the game against Iowa as they gave up 20 offensive rebounds in the loss.

The main reason for the lack of rebounding is their size. Zed Key is only 6-8, Kyle Young is 6-8, E.J. Liddell is 6-7. Joey Brunk has the size at 6-11 but he rarely sees the floor or plays any meaningful minutes. Joey Brunk is going to need an increased number of minutes against Illinois to bang with Kofi Cockburn on the inside.

I’m not scared of Kofi Cockburn for his offensive skill set in the post, but his presence on the floor there does. Cockburn is extremely aggressive on the glass as he averages 11.2 rebounds per game for the Illini, which is 6th in the country. Cockburn is arguably the best player in all of college basketball and will definitely provide a tough matchup for the Buckeyes.

The Buckeyes are going to need to muster up some strength and try and clear out Cockburn the best they can and prevent him from getting any second chance opportunities for Illinois. I think it wouldn’t be a horrible idea if try to block him out with two defenders. The Ohio State basketball team is going to need all five guys on the floor crashing the boards if they are going to win the game.

Illinois is a team that thrives off turnovers and second-chance points. It’s how they get the crowd involved, and the Illinois crowd is one of the loudest in the country. If the Buckeyes can keep the crowd out of it by rebounding and not turning it over, then they’ll have a great chance at coming out of Champaign with a W.