Scouting Notes: Ohio State

Indiana basketball goes back on the road after a two-game home stand to face the Ohio State Buckeyes — a team it defeated last month at home.

Ohio State comes in at 13-9 overall and 3-8 in Big Ten play and have lost seven of the last eight games. The Buckeyes rank 40th in the country with an offensive efficiency rating of 116.3. Defensively, they rank 120th overall with an efficiency rating of 104.0. Overall Ohio State is rated 64th in the KenPom ratings.

Here is a deep dive into some of the challenges Ohio State could give the Indiana basketball program.

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Key Players

Ohio State is led by sophomore guard Bruce Thornton. Thornton is a terrific lead guard who can do just about everything. Scoring wise, Thornton’s game starts as a slasher where he uses a terrific frame at 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds. He loves to draw contact any chance he gets — currently averaging 4.9 free throws per game. His ability to get into the paint opens up his perimeter game. After starting off hot from three — shooting 37.3 percent in the first 14 games of the season, he’s shooting just 23.8 percent in the last eight games. Most of his 3s will come off of the dribble but he has the ability to spot up on the wing as well. Thornton is a very good playmaker, leading the nation with a 4.62 assist-to-turnover ratio. He has just seven turnovers in the last eight games. Indiana basketball needs to match Thornton’s physicality and force him to play from the perimeter, despite his streakiness.

Jamison Battle is a big wing who plays as a stretch 4 for Ohio State. Battle is known for his shooting and this year he’s been lights out from three — by far his best overall season in terms of efficiency. Battle is shooting 45 percent with 2.9 made 3s per game. 59.3 percent of his shot attempts this year come from three, while 58 percent of his made shots are 3s. Battle has turned into a much more effective off ball scorer and has a good ability to finish in the mid range. Indiana needs to force him into being a slasher and use some physical play to disrupt his rhythm, as he’s not going to seek out contact.

In the backcourt with Thornton is another sophomore in Roddy Gayle. Gayle is an athletic perimeter player who can be both on and off of the ball. Gayle has great pacing as a secondary ball handler and does a great job at using screens to get into the middle of the defense where he has a variety of moves to create his own shot. Gayle, who started off hot from three, is just 2-of-26 from the perimeter in the last eight games. Gayle another effective slasher who will get to the foul line at a high frequency. Indiana needs to force Gayle into becoming a catch and shoot player and force him to stay around the perimeter. While he averages 3.2 assists per game, he also ranks fourth in the Big Ten in turnovers.

While Zed Key doesn’t start, the 6-foot-8 forward is averaging 7.7 points and 4.6 rebounds in 16.7 minutes a game. Key is a physical front court player who uses his size and strength on both ends of the floor. Offensively, his work is in the paint — as he’s no real threat to play on the perimeter. Key is a terrific rebounder on the offensive glass and ranks in the top 10 in both offensive rebounds and offensive rebound percentage.

Felix Okpara is the starting center and Okpara is best on the defensive end of the floor. The 6-foot-11 big man averages 2.5 blocks per game and is second in the Big Ten and 15th nationally in block percentage. Okpara’s strength is his length, size and athletic ability. While he’s not overly physical, he’s extremely disruptive as an on or off-ball defender. Offensively, Indiana needs to keep Okpara off of the offensive glass. He had five offensive rebounds and 15 total against Indiana last timeout. Ohio State will use Okpara on the block occasionally where he has the ability to face up or use his length to score over defenders. He ranks second in the Big Ten in offensive rebound percentage and seventh in offensive rebounds.

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Key Tendencies

Ohio State has struggled with efficiency during its recent skid and it starts with its inability to connect on 3s. In the last eight games, Ohio State is averaging just 5.4 3s per game — down from 8.5 in the first 14 games. It’s also converting on just 26.9 percent from the perimeter. Despite a little dip, the Buckeyes are still averaging nearly nine offensive rebounds per game and rank 54th nationally in offensive rebound rate. In their struggles, one part that hasn’t been an issue is with turnovers. They have had less than 10 turnovers in six of the last eight games and still rank 21st overall in opponent steal percentage. Ohio State’s biggest issues have just been finding the bottom of the net consistently. They were a good shooting team the first half of the season so Indiana needs to make sure to limit the open space for guys like Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle — two guys who have really struggled during the losing skid.

Defensively, Ohio State has really struggled during its losing streak, allowing opponents to shoot 48 percent from the field and 45.1 percent from three — with 8.6 made 3s per game. That’s where the biggest issue has been. Ohio State ranks last in the Big Ten in conference games allowing opponents to shoot 41.1 percent on 3s, with 31.7 percent of opponents total points coming from the perimeter. Originally, their hedge or help and recover defense was terrific, causing for opponents to struggle from the wing. Now, it’s one of the biggest weaknesses. Players are almost always in scramble mode off of the first drive and kick, with open looks at a premium. This is a result of on ball struggles, but opponents are getting to the foul line at just a 25 percent rate — the second lowest in the league.

Overall, Indiana basketball is going to get open looks, especially with the dominance in the front court. The Hoosiers — who are shooting just 31.3 percent from three since the last Ohio State matchup, need to find a way to punish Ohio State for over help and double-teams. This is likely going to be a grind-it-out game, with Ohio State ranking 309th in adjusted tempo and 306th in possession length offensively. Indiana needs to be ready to match the toughness that Ohio State typically brings to the floor.

Projected Starters

G – Bruce Thornton (Sophomore; 6-2, 215)

Stats: 15.6 ppg, 4.4 apg, 1.4 spg

G – Roddy Gayle Jr (Sophomore; 6-4, 210)

Stats: 14.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.2 apg

F- Evan Mahaffey (Sophomore; 6-6, 200)

Stats: 5.0 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.3 spg

F – Jamison Battle (Senior; 6-7, 220)

Stats: 14.2 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 45% 3pt

F – Felix Okpara (Sophomore; 6-11, 235)

Stats: 6.6 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.5 bpg

Key Notes

• Bruce Thornton leads the nation in assist-to-turnover ratio
• Felix Okpara is one of two players in the country with at least one block in every single game played
• Ohio State has 10+ offensive rebounds in 12 games this year
• The Buckeyes have given up 10+ made 3s in four of the last six games

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