March Madness: Ohio State's guide to the B1G Tournament

Ohio State wanders into the B1G Tournament as that most dangerous of March teams– one that could be a quick out or make a deep run at the whole enchilada, either in Indianapolis or in the NCAA Tournament.

At 19-10, the Buckeyes have had moments to remember — a November upset of Duke, a thrashing of Wisconsin at home, and a road win at Illinois jump to mind. There are also some moments to forget — a 16-point loss at Indiana, a loss to Rutgers, and a home loss to Nebraska.

How can they clean it up in Indy? Here are 5 thoughts:

Hook up the 3-point game

Ohio State entered Sunday 5th in the B1G in 3-point percentage, but it hasn’t always been a consistent matter for the Buckeyes. When OSU shoots below 30% from three-point range, the Buckeyes are just 3-6 on the season. Even those 3 wins — which included the season-opening escape act against Akron — weren’t very impressive.

When the Buckeyes can connect on the 3 ball, worlds open. Who can help? Malaki Branham and Cedric Russell have both impressed, but the key is probably Justin Ahrens, who is a better shooter than his so-so numbers suggest. When Ahrens connects on more than 2 shots from 3-point land, the Buckeyes are 6-1 this year. They are just 11-7 when he fails to hit multiple treys.

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Keep opponents out of the lane — and off the line

Ohio State fares much better when they can avoid letting ballhandlers crack their defense too severely. One of the best means of proof? Ohio State is awful when it puts the opponent on the foul line. When opponents shoot 18 or more free throws against OSU, the Buckeyes are 5-7, and 2 of those wins came in overtime.

That said, it’s not the fouls, because Ohio State is actually 6-0 in games when they have more than 20 fouls. It’s when the fouls are an indication that Ohio State is not stopping the ball, which means Chris Holtmann’s team needs a good defensive effort outside from the OSU guards.

Feed the big guy

EJ Liddell isn’t a secret. The OSU big man is that rarest of basketball treasures — a skilled post player who consistently delivers. And this is OSU’s strength — there are plenty of killer guards in college basketball, some of them playing at schools you’ve never heard of, or for teams that had horrible regular seasons.

There aren’t many guys like Liddell. In an environment where the easy layups of December turn into hard hacks in March, Liddell isn’t just a game-changer, he’s a champion maker. Nobody has held Liddell under double-figure scoring, and when he tops 20 points, OSU is 9-2. There’s no reason he shouldn’t live there in Indianapolis.

Get Zed some big games

Zed Key could be the hidden key (no pun intended) to Buckeye postseason success. Aside from being another rugged worker down low complementing Liddell, Key brings his own inside contributions which free up shooters and make OSU more functional.

The proof? In OSU’s losses, Key averages 5.2 points and 4.9 rebounds per game, shoots 45% and 52% from the foul line. In the Buckeyes’ wins, Key averages 9.6 points and 5.6 rebounds, shoots 61% and 62% from the foul line. For a team in any many close games as the Buckeyes, that extra couple baskets can be huge– and a big lift for both Liddell and the wing players.

Play fearless basketball

Look, for the Buckeyes, it’s not a question of can they match up. Of the B1G’s Top 3 teams, OSU already beat Wisconsin and Illinois this season, even winning at the latter. Ohio State lost on a last-second 3 to Purdue at Mackey Arena, which certainly demonstrates that the Boilermakers aren’t exactly miles ahead of the Buckeyes either.

Again, the upside of this Ohio State team is very high. Keep Liddell rolling, get Key playing the kind of pivotal complementary basketball that makes him even better. Make sure Ahrens and the shooters keep firing and also keep the opposing ballhandlers from turning the game to a free-throw contest.

Could it lead to a title in Indy? You bet. Could also lead to a deep, deep run in the Big Dance.