The Ohio State basketball team is at a crossroads. It got out of the gate quickly, knocking off the likes of Kentucky and Villanova, but have now hit some major speed bumps as the calendar flips.
The Buckeyes came into the contest against Maryland having lost two-in a row and three of their last five. It didn’t get any better against a long and physical Maryland team either. Ohio State didn’t shoot the ball well, and struggled to match the physicality and defensive pressure of the Terrapins on the road.
As we do always, here’s three things we learned after a third-straight loss, this time to the tune of 67-55.
Next … Confidence shaken
Ohio State is suddenly unsure of itself
You know how you judge how confident a team is? Look at the body language, turnovers, and shooting. It’s all begun to go south for Ohio State since the Kentucky game in all of those categories. And now guys are pressing, trying to do too much instead of trusting the system and those around them.
The result is a team that’s had far too many turnovers, and is hesitant and reluctant to take charge of the situation. Things sure were rosy early on in the year, but it’s now going to take some guys looking at themselves in the mirror to take control of what’s going on and play their way out of this funk.
Next … D.J. Carton’s role
D.J. Carton has to be one of Ohio State’s scorers
Yes he’s just a freshman, but Carton has to be more than what he’s been so far for the Buckeyes. He has shown flashes of confidence and ability, but he’s still finding his role and finding his game consistently.
More often than not, he’s going to be the most explosive athlete on the court, and I would bet that Holtmann and staff are encouraging him to be more assertive behind the scenes. He has the fast-twitch ability you can’t teach, and if he can begin to look to score more and be a little more selfish, I think this team gets a lot better going forward.
Someone has to step up on a consistent basis besides Kaleb Wesson, and Carton has more ability than any other player to do it.
Next … The value of they older Wesson
Andre Wesson does a little of everything well
There’s no doubt the team misses forward Kyle Young. His absence creates a big hole in the lineup because of all that he does. But the guy that probably doesn’t get enough credit for the same type of impact is Andre Wesson. He too is a glue guy that keeps everything together.
He was outstanding tonight. He can score a little from both all spots on the floor, plays great defense with his length, and has a great all-around floor game.
You can play hi at multiple positions as well, and when you’re looking for a guy that gives you a bunch of options and a bunch of value on and off the court, Wesson is it.
