When adversity arises in the game, Ohio State learns to respond together

There are plenty of numbers that point to why Ohio State lost to No. 18 Michigan State on Friday night. There’s the latest in a growing series of challenging 3-point shooting performances, the number of days the Buckeyes have actually been able to practice as a cohesive unit, the unusually high turnover rate and another frustrating night from the free throw line.

Both contributed to the Buckeyes’ 69-62 loss, but they are merely symptoms of the root cause that soured Ohio State’s chances of success earlier this season.

When adversity arose, particularly in the first half, the Buckeyes addressed the problems individually rather than collectively. Less ball movement. Less cutting. Rely on yourself more than the group to break down Michigan State’s defense.

It was the same problem that coach Jake Diebler had specifically pointed out after the Dec. 14 loss to No. 2 Auburn in Atlanta, the 38-point loss in which the Buckeyes trailed by as many as 44 points, and the coach said Ohio State is working to prepare to play at Minnesota on Monday night.

“We’ve stalled a little bit,” Diebler told The Dispatch on Sunday evening. “The ball wasn’t flying from man to man as quickly as before. Sure, Michigan State had something to do with it, but there were also some self-inflicted things involved. We needed better and faster ball movement, and part of ball movement is getting your body in the right position for the ball to move. I thought we didn’t do that either.”

The game was one of Ohio State’s lowest-rated offensive performances of the season. According to KenPom.com, Ohio State averaged 89.8 points per 100 possessions, numbers only exceeded by the loss to Auburn (81.1) and the 24-point loss to Maryland (79.2).

Between Auburn and Michigan State, the Buckeyes had been better at moving the ball, moving themselves and producing better offense. The wins against Indiana State (130.7 points per 100 possessions), Valparaiso (126.9) and No. 4 Kentucky (125.9) were the third, fourth and fifth best performances of the season, respectively, and each featured a backfield player with new responsibilities.

Ohio State has now played four games without fifth-year guard Meechie Johnson Jr. Freshman John Mobley Jr. has taken over his vacated starting spot, and over the last three games, sixth-year transfer guard Ques Glover has taken on a major role in his return from an ankle injury.

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“It’s not just the backcourt, but for us, the restlessness or the inconsistency in our lineups may have stunted our chemistry and our growth on the court,” Diebler said. “The good thing for me is that we are not dealing with any selfishness. We’re just dealing with people who haven’t played together before.”

Johnson remains on leave from the team due to a personal situation. Although classes were canceled due to winter weather, Monday marks the start of the spring semester at Ohio State. Diebler said that while there is no timetable yet for Johnson’s possible return, the start of classes will have no impact on his standing with the team.

Although his absence has now entered a fourth week, Diebler said a return is still possible, although he was unable to publicly provide any updates on his status.

“We have received no indication that this door is completely closed,” the coach said. “If I say no update, then from a negative point of view, no update. It was just very mundane, I spend a lot of time with the family over the holidays.”

It didn’t help that junior guard Bruce Thornton missed part of the first half after suffering a groin injury when he went to dunk after a breakaway but put the ball in instead. He left the game shortly after, and Diebler described it as a “change that slowed him down a little bit.” After scoring 30 and 33 points in his last two games, Thornton finished the game with 10 on 3-of-9 shooting and missed all five 3-point attempts in 35:40.

Fifth-year winger Micah Parrish also spent some time in the locker room due to an injury.

“We tend to have everyone available (for Minnesota),” Diebler said. “We haven’t had everyone available in training since the game, but we’re leaning toward that.”

Tweak or not, Diebler said the team’s stagnant offensive momentum also falls on Thornton’s shoulders.

“He has to do it faster sometimes,” said the coach. “Sometimes he has to make quicker decisions. Sometimes he needs to be a better mover off the ball. Part of it is being able to adapt to the demands of the game. He also does a lot for us.

“The last game obviously annoyed him and he showed a lot of perseverance in so many minutes where he certainly wasn’t 100%.”

The most important thing, Diebler said, is that, in his eyes, the team’s individual response to adversity brought on by situations like Michigan State’s defensive pressure was not based on selfishness. Over time, these are areas where Ohio State should show improvement, especially when – or if – they start to achieve some consistency in the lineup in practice.

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When adversity arises in the game, Ohio State learns to respond together

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