If you thought the game on the road against Minnesota was a come back to Earth moment for the Ohio State basketball team, you were sadly mistaken.
Instead of the cracks in the dam resulting in a rush of issues cascading down, instead the Buckeyes have dug in and continued to show everyone they are for real this year. The latest is a tough win against a top ten Kentucky team in Las Vegas that will continue to turn some heads across the country.
Ohio State played Kentucky to a near stalemate through the first twenty minutes, but took care of the basketball and made big plays in the second half to take control and get a fairly sound win against an impressive opponent 71-65.
Here’s three things we learned.
Next … Freshman phenom finding his way
D.J. Carton might be figuring it out
I’ve been calling for freshman point guard D.J. Carton to be more assertive and aggressive so far this season early and often. He’s likely to be the most talented and explosive athlete on the court in almost every game he plays.
But so far, he’s been a little tentative with his desire to get his own shot, so much so that he has pulled back and turned the ball over a little more than you’d like. But something clicked in the second half against Kentucky.
Carton began looking for his shot, driving to the lane, and shooting from the outside with more confidence. His game is one where he has to be going towards the hoop and making things happen, not sitting back and second-guessing his role on the team.
I told someone during the game that if he he ever figures out his place, and that he’s the best player on the court, things are really going to take off for him. Maybe we’re starting to see it. Hopefully he builds on this performance.
Next … Not just Kaleb Wesson anymore
This team is much more than Kaleb Wesson
Remember last year when this team scoring without Kaleb Wesson on the floor was like a snail getting a root canal? What a difference a year makes.
Not only does this team have a ton more talent, there’s a lot more depth too. It has everything to do with three newcomers that contribute a slew of minutes, but the guys that are returners don’t have to try and do too much either.
Kaleb Wesson had a solid game in this one, but it wasn’t one that many thought he had to have in order for Ohio State to win against an athletically gifted team. This team has a bunch of weapons that can score from multiple spots on the floor.
Next … Ohio State is for real
This Ohio State team is a contender for big things
One fluky win against a top ten team is one thing, continuing to show out against top level talent is a statement of what Ohio State is. The Buckeyes have now beaten a Villanova squad that just knocked off No. 1 Kansas, blew out North Carolina in Chapel Hill, won its first game of the season against a gritty Cincinnati squad, and now this.
It’s no stretch to say that this team should contend for the Big Ten title and more. If things break right and this team continues to develop, finding its way to Atlanta for the Final Four shouldn’t be out of the question either.
The talent, depth, basketball IQ, and coaching of this year’s Ohio State team is good enough to cut down some nets multiple times in 2019-2020.
