COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Last season the Ohio State basketball team faced an opponent who's offense relied solely on the efforts of an undersized, volume shooting combo guard.
In games against Purdue, the Buckeyes saw Carsen Edwards average 26 points on 47 percent shooting from both the field and three-point range. Edwards finished that season ninth in scoring at 24.3 points per game on 39.4 percent shooting. He's supposed to put up numbers, that isn't why Ohio State was 0-2 against the Boilermakers last season. It's one thing for a star player to play well, it's another thing when the guys around him perform as well. That's what led to a 79-67 loss in their first meeting.
"What hurt us in that particular game is he got rolling, but all his teammates got rolling," head coach Chris Holtmann said during a Tuesday press conference before the game. "They had so many weapons."
Fast forward a year, and once again, Ohio State is facing an opponent who's offense relied solely on the efforts of an undersized, volume shooting combo guard.
This time it was prepared for that type of opponent, leading to a 74-49 road win. It's why the Buckeyes are 8-0 with two wins over top 10 teams this season. That started with making sure that everything North Carolina's leading scorer and best player Cole Anthony did was mad difficult. He finished with 15 points as the only Tar Heel in double figures but shot just 4 of 15 from the field.
"Against any great player, it can't be easy for him," Holtmann said. "It just can't be easy for him. If it's easy for him, that's on us. They just can't get walk-in threes. They can't get to the foul line because we're fouling too much — any great player you've just have to try and make him earn it.
Anthony had his moments, highlighted by two straight pulled up threes to make it a 39-36 game five minutes into the second half. But one player — even one who's a future NBA lottery pick — wouldn't be enough to overcome a 30 percent shooting night. This win would be the eighth straight opponent to fail to shoot at least 40 percent against the Buckeyes.
You're not going to keep players like Anthony and Edwards from scoring, but you can make sure they're not doing it efficiently. The balance is figuring out if you're willing to live with them being a team's only option or forcing those around them to play at a higher level while taking them out of the game. That choice, at times, comes down to what position he is, his style of play, and the personnel around him. North Carolina had success against both strategies coming into the ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
"They've won both ways," Holtmann said. "That's what makes a good team a good team. But clearly, the defenses game plan is highlighted with him and trying to make him work for whatever he gets."
Last season the Buckeyes didn't execute that game plan, and it allowed Edwards to have a solid night while his teammates thrived as well. In a second meeting, Edwards found success again in a blow out win.
This year Ohio State was presented with a similar opportunity and ended with a more favorable result. Anthony scored, but not efficiently, and his teammates were nowhere to be found.
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMingFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jbGV2ZWxhbmQuY29tL29zdS8yMDE5LzEyL2hvdy10d28tbG9zc2VzLXRvLWNhcnNlbi1lZHdhcmRzLWxhc3Qtc2Vhc29uLXByZXBhcmVkLW9oaW8tc3RhdGUtYmFza2V0YmFsbC10by1mYWNlLWNvbGUtYW50aG9ueS1hbmQtbm9ydGgtY2Fyb2xpbmEuaHRtbNIBrQFodHRwczovL3d3dy5jbGV2ZWxhbmQuY29tL29zdS8yMDE5LzEyL2hvdy10d28tbG9zc2VzLXRvLWNhcnNlbi1lZHdhcmRzLWxhc3Qtc2Vhc29uLXByZXBhcmVkLW9oaW8tc3RhdGUtYmFza2V0YmFsbC10by1mYWNlLWNvbGUtYW50aG9ueS1hbmQtbm9ydGgtY2Fyb2xpbmEuaHRtbD9vdXRwdXRUeXBlPWFtcA?oc=5
2019-12-05 11:00:00Z
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