In the end, it was too much Michigan State and not enough poise from the Buckeyes. The Spartans ran away in the second half and held on for a 77-70 victory. They’ll move on to the semifinals while Ohio State will wait for its NCAA Tournament fate Sunday.
Here’s three things we learned.
Next … Beating the dead turnover horse
Ohio State can’t cut down on the frustrating turnovers
I’m not sure what you do at this point, but this Ohio State team isn’t good enough to overcome the bushel of turnovers it has in some games, especially against the elite teams.
OSU struggles to score anyway, especially when Kaleb Wesson is saddled with foul trouble. Giving away possessions only further puts the team in a hole that’s hard to climb out of.
This team is probably headed to the NCAA Tournament, but without cutting down on the careless nature of taking care of the ball, it may not get out of the first round. It’s the biggest stat for this team when it comes to winning and losing. It had fifteen turnovers today. As a result, it took a considerable loss on the chin.
Next … Woods is no longer a flash in the pan
Keyshawn Woods continues to impress
Senior graduate transfer guard Keyshawn Woods has been wildly inconsistent this year, but he seems to be putting it together at the right time. He led Ohio State with eighteen points yesterday and chipped in sixteen more today even though he was limited in the first half with foul trouble.
What we’re seeing from Woods is exactly what the coaching staff hoped when they convinced him to come to Columbus as a graduate transfer, it’s just been a slower burn than anyone anticipated.
If Ohio State has designs of getting out of the first round in the NCAA Tournament, it’ll need similar contributions from him on the perimeter. He’s a soothing presence when all chaos is breaking loose, and you can expect chaos to abound at some point in the opening weekend.
Next … They are in
Ohio State has to be into the NCAA Tournament now, no?
I know Michigan State outclassed Ohio State in this one, but with the win over Indiana and the ability to close out this game with a run, the Buckeyes have to be in. It was on the bubble for the last month, and still kind of is, but the Indiana win is most likely going to be enough to keep the bubble from bursting.
OSU will probably be somewhere around a No. 11 seed and we’ll have to see if it goes to Dayton for the first four, or gets one of those last opening-round byes and gets goes straight into a matchup with a No. 6 seed or so.
Look, no matter how you look at it, making the NCAA Tournament is still a measuring stick, and many had the Buckeyes on the outside looking in this year. So yeah, there’s that to puff your chest out about Ohio State.
