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Message: [QUOTE="kyleslamb, post: 243910, member: 895"] Some thoughts about Ohio State... 1. They have been very good against the zone this year, though not many teams have played it. I think I read somewhere that Synergy has them as being one of the most efficient teams against zone in the country when teams have played it. While they won't soon be making 14 3-pointers like Wisconsin did last night, they're very good at getting into space and passing the ball around. Cincinnati did them a favor by playing so much zone last night. Of course, Ohio State was already prepping for both teams, but by UC playing the zone, it kind of got Ohio State a running start. Now, let's be clear: Syracuse' zone is more active, longer and it's played higher on the perimeter, but obviously the principles are the same. 2. Ohio State doesn't typically shoot well, although they're good enough to hit 3-pointers in bunches. What's been most impressive about them this season, though, is that they have won a lot of games where the opponents would score 15-24 more points from behind the arc because Ohio State's game is getting the ball inside by pass or penetration and getting second opportunities on the offensive glass. The latter is the most concerning for Syracuse, as obviously offensive rebounding is the Kryptonite to Syracuse. The Buckeyes don't crash the glass on the whole as much as Kansas State, but Thomas and Sullinger are especially prolific offensive rebounders and Ohio State puts the ball in the basket at a much higher rate. 3. Defensively, Ohio State forces a lot of turnovers but it's not always a big part of what they do. Aaron Craft will have the occasional game like he had last night, but Ohio State preaches being in the right spot and keeping teams in front of them. OSU is very tough to penetrate against because they have 2-3 defenders that move their feet exceptionally well and keep guys in front. Even on the rare occasion they get beat (which everyone does), they help off very well. Where Ohio State can be exploited is off the high pick-and-roll. Ohio State's bigs (Thomas and Sullinger) are very weak against this action. They hedge pretty well but don't often get back to their man. Sometimes when Ohio State switches ball screens 1-4, Thomas gets caught on a good shooter and is too afraid of being beat off the dribble so he's prone to giving up open 3-pointers. Evan Ravenel is a pretty good defender off the bench and guards the perimeter much better, but Ohio State will only play him 4-8 minutes unless Sullinger gets in foul troubles. This Ohio State team is legit. Some may consider them overrated, but that's probably a stretch. They haven't played to their potential very often, but they have been a work in progress figuring out their identity and being able to play well together (with consistency). One of the problems I've seen against man defense is that they pass the ball really, really well early in games. There have been times where shots just don't fall and then they start pressing as individuals to step up. That's when the problems have come, as the ball movement has become non-existent. They haven't had these problems against the zone nearly as much. William Buford is kind of a microcosm of that. He's very up or down. There's typically not much in-between. He doesn't get to the rim very effectively, or at least isn't committed to it, so I've seen some great man defenders take him out of a game. On the other hand, against a zone defense, he's often better because he has the luxury of not having anyone chase him around screens and such. Buford is obviously critical for Ohio State tomorrow, as they need him in one of those zones he gets in. When Ohio State is playing well, it's as good as anyone in the country. While Ohio State hasn't been as consistent as Syracuse or Kentucky, they're to be considered near equals. They are a great team when they want to be. I don't think, without Melo, Syracuse has an edge necessarily, which probably explains Ohio State being 2.5-point favorites today. I do think Syracuse has a bevy of weapons, though, and offensively they haven't taken much of a step back without him in the lineup. Defensively is where his presence will be missed tomorrow. This is going to be an excellent game one way or another. I'll be shocked if either team wins by more than 5-7 points tops. [/QUOTE]

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