Freshman guard John Mobley Jr. (0) looks to make a pass during Ohio State’s 82-65 victory over Iowa Monday at the Schottenstein Center. Credit: Carly Damon | Asst. Photo Editor
The Buckeyes men’s basketball squad is one of the most polarizing units in the country.
With a largely new supporting cast, including four transfers in their main rotation and a first-year head coach, Ohio State’s roster and playing style have changed significantly from last season. And as the group has adjusted to a higher-paced offense and fresh players, new holes have appeared.
These are three ways the 2024 Ohio State men’s basketball team can unlock its potential in the second half of the season.
Help Bruce Thornton by improving ball movement
Ohio State’s roster showcases an array of different talents, with various scorers, a lights-out shooter, athletic wings and tall, long centers.
What the Buckeyes lack, however, is a true pass-first player.
Thornton is the team’s top scorer, averaging 17 points per game, but he is also the floor general with the most experience on the Buckeyes’ offense.
This means the junior guard is asked to shoulder a large majority of Ohio State’s scoring load on a nightly basis, while also being responsible for initiating the Buckeyes’ offense as a passer — a difficult balance for a team with limited shot creators.
Thornton is averaging just over four assists per game, and the Buckeyes rank No. 172 in Division I with an average of 13.8 per game.
In other words, Thornton is generating nearly a third of Ohio State’s total scoring offense, a huge weight for one player. If the Buckeyes’ offense was to maximize its talent, guards Ques Glover and John Mobley Jr. would need to step up both as ball handlers and conductors of the backcourt.
Mobley is just a freshman, but he has shown flashes of brilliance and been one of the Buckeyes’ best perimeter shooters, averaging 41.3% from 3-point range. Glover, a fifth-year from Knoxville, Tennessee, is a proven veteran, having been one of the focal points of Samford University the past two seasons before he transferred to Ohio State.
Multiple players initiating offense causes the defense to be prepared for a larger variety of set plays. With Glover or Mobley setting up the offense, it gives an opportunity for Thornton, who has shot 42.9% from deep this season, to be featured in more ways, like a spot-up shooter.
Aaron Bradshaw
The sophomore forward/center is the key to unlocking both Ohio State’s offense and defense.
Bradshaw typically plays the five in the Buckeyes’ offense, fulfilling a vital role on both ends of the floor.
In the seven games Bradshaw missed this season, the Buckeyes posted a 3-4 record, with 20-plus-point victories over Campbell, Green Bay and Valparaiso.
However, in its four losses, Ohio State fell by a combined 77 points, including a 38-point bludgeoning from No. 1 Auburn and a disappointing 24-point defeat at the hands of Maryland.
In Bradshaw’s first game back, the Buckeyes dominated then-No. 4 Kentucky by 20 points, fueled by Bradshaw’s 5-for-6 scoring from the field and two steals.
As a 7-foot-1-inch forward, Bradshaw can not only space the floor on offense in head coach Jake Diebler’s pace-and-space-style offense, but also make an impact defensively with his length.
Backup centers Austin Parks and Ivan Njegovan aren’t as experienced and lack Bradshaw’s athleticism, giving Ohio State less advantageous matchup opportunities when the Kentucky transfer is out.
If teams can penetrate the Buckeye defense and get Bradshaw in foul trouble, Ohio State may be forced to play small by moving forward Sean Stewart to the five, or play big with the two bigger-bodied centers, losing speed in the process.
Feature the defense, run in transition
Ohio State already displays a solid defensive unit.
The Buckeyes are holding teams to a field goal percentage of 39.915% per game, the NCAA’s 34th best. However, Ohio State is still allowing 71 points per game from opposing teams, which ties the Buckeyes for No. 170 in the nation.
That said, the unit has the potential to be even better if defense becomes the team’s identity.
Ohio State is young, athletic and likes to run in transition, especially with lob threats in forwards Sean Stewart and Devin Royal.
But how do you get transition opportunities?
Tough defense and forcing turnovers.
The Buckeyes are currently tied for No. 216 in the country with just 11.9 forced turnovers per game, which are mediocre numbers for a team with a high ceiling on defense.
Forcing more turnovers and bad shots will highly increase Ohio State’s chances of getting to run in transition, giving the Buckeyes more easy opportunities to score.
