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LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Auburn: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Auburn: Game preview and prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes will have their hands full in Atlanta as they take on one of the top teams in the country.
After a week off from games, The Ohio State Buckeyes (6-3, 1-1) will head to Atlanta and State Farm Arena for the Holiday Hoopsgiving Event to face the No. 2 Auburn Tigers (8-1).
The other games in the event will be Florida against Arizona State and Grand Canyon against Georgia. The Buckeyes and Tigers kick things off at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Gators and Sun Devils at 3:30. The Grand Canyon Antelopes and Georgia Bulldogs wrap up the college action at 6:00.
Not many teams, if any, have played a tougher schedule than Auburn. The Tigers have played No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 12 North Carolina, No. 9 Duke, and Memphis.
Their only loss thus far was to Duke in Durham, 84-78. The Tigers still have to play No. 11 Purdue next Saturday, a “neutral” site game in Birmingham, Alabama. Auburn’s last game was a 98-54 thumping of Richmond last Saturday.
Ohio State is coming off a solid bounce-back 80-66 win over Rutgers last weekend after getting blown out by Maryland to open up Big Ten play, which puts the Buckeyes’ Big Ten record at an even 1-1 to start the year.
According to KenPom, Auburn is the No. 1 team in the country, No. 1 in offensive efficiency, and No. 22 in defensive efficiency. Ohio State is ranked No. 28 overall, No. 21 in offensive efficiency, and No. 37 in defensive efficiency.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789546/usa_today_24933457.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The No. 2 ranked Auburn Tigers come into this one led by one of the best players in the country, Johni Broome.
Broome leads the Tigers in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks and is averaging 19.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game. He is shooting 56.6 percent from the field and has been one of the most dominant players in the country.
Auburn is a deep team, with seven players averaging at least eight points per game. Chad Baker-Mazara is averaging 13.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Freshman Tahaad Pettiford and Georgia Tech senior transfer Miles Kelly are averaging 11.3 and 11.0 points per game, respectively.
Junior point guard and three-year captain Bruce Thornton leads the Buckeyes into this contest back in his home state. The standout guard is averaging 16.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
He has been incredibly efficient, shooting 56 percent from the field, 53 percent from three-point range, and 82 percent from the free-throw line. Thornton also leads the Buckeyes in minutes as the only player to average over 30 minutes a game at 32.7.
Breakout sophomore forward Devin Royal has had a great first nine games of the season, averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on 62 percent shooting from the field.
Freshman sensation John Mobley Jr. is averaging 12.9 points per game on 55 percent shooting from three-point range. He is only shooting 49 percent from the field, so he has struggled with finishing at the rim, but has been an offensive spark plug off the bench with his shooting of the deep ball.
Senior transfers Micah Parrish and Meechie Johnson are averaging 10.2 and 9.6 points per game, respectively. Johnson has been decent this year, but he is down almost five points per game from last season, even though his three-point shooting numbers are up.
Sophomore transfer center Aaron Bradshaw is back with the team after missing the last five games due to a university investigation, but it is unclear if he will play in this one, as head coach Jake Diebler said this week that Bradshaw still needs to go through a “return to play” process. The 7-foot-1 center would be useful to help clog the paint against Broome and this talented Auburn frontcourt.
The Buckeyes have shot the ball very well this year, shooting 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from the three-point line.
An issue this season has been at the free-throw line, as the Buckeyes are shooting just 67.6 percent from the charity stripe, and only three Buckeyes are shooting over 70 percent from the free-throw line (Thornton, Mobley, Bradshaw).
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25789541/usa_today_24941953.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Richmond at Auburn")
John Reed-Imagn Images
I think the Buckeyes will lose this matchup, but if they can keep it close, it will say a lot about the team.
Simply put, Auburn is one of the best teams in the country and a national title contender, while Ohio State does not look like either of those things thus far. The Buckeyes have had trouble against bigger and more physical teams like Texas A&M and Maryland, and Johni Broome is one of the top players in the country.
I don’t know how the Buckeyes will stop Broome in the paint, even if Aaron Bradshaw plays. If he doesn’t, Broome will likely be able to dictate how this game is played below the basket and have one of his best games of the season.
However, if the Buckeyes can at least keep it close, it will help their confidence moving forward that they can play with a team that has national title hopes.
ESPN BPI: Auburn 77.0%
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Jake Crandall / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes will have their hands full in Atlanta as they take on one of the top teams in the country.
After a week off from games, The Ohio State Buckeyes (6-3, 1-1) will head to Atlanta and State Farm Arena for the Holiday Hoopsgiving Event to face the No. 2 Auburn Tigers (8-1).
The other games in the event will be Florida against Arizona State and Grand Canyon against Georgia. The Buckeyes and Tigers kick things off at 1:00 p.m. ET, followed by the Gators and Sun Devils at 3:30. The Grand Canyon Antelopes and Georgia Bulldogs wrap up the college action at 6:00.
Not many teams, if any, have played a tougher schedule than Auburn. The Tigers have played No. 4 Houston, No. 5 Iowa State, No. 12 North Carolina, No. 9 Duke, and Memphis.
Their only loss thus far was to Duke in Durham, 84-78. The Tigers still have to play No. 11 Purdue next Saturday, a “neutral” site game in Birmingham, Alabama. Auburn’s last game was a 98-54 thumping of Richmond last Saturday.
Ohio State is coming off a solid bounce-back 80-66 win over Rutgers last weekend after getting blown out by Maryland to open up Big Ten play, which puts the Buckeyes’ Big Ten record at an even 1-1 to start the year.
According to KenPom, Auburn is the No. 1 team in the country, No. 1 in offensive efficiency, and No. 22 in defensive efficiency. Ohio State is ranked No. 28 overall, No. 21 in offensive efficiency, and No. 37 in defensive efficiency.
Preview
The No. 2 ranked Auburn Tigers come into this one led by one of the best players in the country, Johni Broome.
Broome leads the Tigers in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks and is averaging 19.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.8 blocks per game. He is shooting 56.6 percent from the field and has been one of the most dominant players in the country.
Auburn is a deep team, with seven players averaging at least eight points per game. Chad Baker-Mazara is averaging 13.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Freshman Tahaad Pettiford and Georgia Tech senior transfer Miles Kelly are averaging 11.3 and 11.0 points per game, respectively.
Junior point guard and three-year captain Bruce Thornton leads the Buckeyes into this contest back in his home state. The standout guard is averaging 16.2 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game.
He has been incredibly efficient, shooting 56 percent from the field, 53 percent from three-point range, and 82 percent from the free-throw line. Thornton also leads the Buckeyes in minutes as the only player to average over 30 minutes a game at 32.7.
Breakout sophomore forward Devin Royal has had a great first nine games of the season, averaging 14.1 points and 7.4 rebounds per game on 62 percent shooting from the field.
Freshman sensation John Mobley Jr. is averaging 12.9 points per game on 55 percent shooting from three-point range. He is only shooting 49 percent from the field, so he has struggled with finishing at the rim, but has been an offensive spark plug off the bench with his shooting of the deep ball.
Senior transfers Micah Parrish and Meechie Johnson are averaging 10.2 and 9.6 points per game, respectively. Johnson has been decent this year, but he is down almost five points per game from last season, even though his three-point shooting numbers are up.
Sophomore transfer center Aaron Bradshaw is back with the team after missing the last five games due to a university investigation, but it is unclear if he will play in this one, as head coach Jake Diebler said this week that Bradshaw still needs to go through a “return to play” process. The 7-foot-1 center would be useful to help clog the paint against Broome and this talented Auburn frontcourt.
The Buckeyes have shot the ball very well this year, shooting 50 percent from the field and 42 percent from the three-point line.
An issue this season has been at the free-throw line, as the Buckeyes are shooting just 67.6 percent from the charity stripe, and only three Buckeyes are shooting over 70 percent from the free-throw line (Thornton, Mobley, Bradshaw).
Prediction
I think the Buckeyes will lose this matchup, but if they can keep it close, it will say a lot about the team.
Simply put, Auburn is one of the best teams in the country and a national title contender, while Ohio State does not look like either of those things thus far. The Buckeyes have had trouble against bigger and more physical teams like Texas A&M and Maryland, and Johni Broome is one of the top players in the country.
I don’t know how the Buckeyes will stop Broome in the paint, even if Aaron Bradshaw plays. If he doesn’t, Broome will likely be able to dictate how this game is played below the basket and have one of his best games of the season.
However, if the Buckeyes can at least keep it close, it will help their confidence moving forward that they can play with a team that has national title hopes.
ESPN BPI: Auburn 77.0%
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN2
LGHL score prediction: Auburn 84, Ohio State 74
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LGHL You’re Nuts: What does Ohio State have to do to beat Auburn?
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You’re Nuts: What does Ohio State have to do to beat Auburn?
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images
The Buckeyes will face their toughest test of the season Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (6-3, 1-1) will face its toughest challenge of the season Saturday afternoon — a statement that could cause some uneasiness among fans who watched the Buckeyes fall behind by 33 points at halftime just last week.
The Buckeyes are set to take on the No. 2 Auburn Tigers Saturday afternoon in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers are led by National Player of the Year frontrunner Johni Broome, who is averaging 19.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game thus far. Auburn’s only loss of the season came at the hands of Duke at Cameron Indoor earlier this month.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated whether Ohio State’s game against Rutgers was a must-win game. With 60% of the vote, Justin won (he said yes).
Connor- 82
The Buckeyes are facing a top-two team in the nation this weekend. Based on the current trends, Ohio State is not likely to face another top-two team for the remainder of the year. Therefore, this is one of the biggest opportunities the team has to add some eye candy to its NCAA Tournament resume.
Here are our thoughts on the game. Specifically, what does Ohio State absolutely have to do to get out of Atlanta with the upset?
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25787906/2186899417.jpg "Maui Invitational")
Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
It might sound counter-productive to foul the other team’s best player over and over, but when that player’s free throw percentage is barely as high as his overall shooting percentage, it could be worth a shot. Johni Broome is shooting 58.3% from the free throw line this season, which is the second-lowest mark of his five-year career. Yet somehow he’s only drawing 4.5 fouls per game, which isn’t even the highest mark on his own team.
Last year against Purdue, Ohio State fouled Zach Edey more than 10 times. Sometimes they fouled him on the shot and sent him to the free throw line, where he finished the game a perfect 8-for-8. More often, however, they fouled Edey on the catch, stopping play before he had a chance to reach up and “drunk” the ball using his vine-like arms.
Yes, the Buckeyes racked up the fouls and yes, Edey wound up having a good — but not great — game. He finished with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and was perfect at the free throw line. He had 13 rebounds and three blocks. Edey took fewer shots against the Buckeyes than he was averaging, because the Buckeyes were getting physical and fouling him before he even had a chance to shoot.
Felix Okpara fouled out. Zed Key picked up four fouls. Jamison Battle picked up four fouls. Even Austin Parks checked in for a few minutes and picked up a foul.
Ohio State won that game, 73-69.
So, while the Buckeyes will need to be strategic with how they deploy their forwards — especially with Aaron Bradshaw’s status up in the air — it would make a lot of sense to use a similar strategy against Broome and the Tigers.
When Auburn tries to feed Broome the ball in the post, rip for the ball. If they blow the whistle, they blow the whistle. When Broome tries to drive to the basket, hack at the ball. If they call a foul, then a 58% free throw shooter heads to the line.
No easy baskets, and no big momentum plays for the team playing much closer to home that will probably own 75% of the fans in the arena. Make Broome beat you at the free throw line, or make him defer to his teammates.
If the National Player of the Year goes 8-for-8 from the line again, tip your cap. Or if you can limit Broome, but everyone else lights it up from three, you tip your cap. But the Buckeyes can’t let Broome get confident or allow him easy looks... and for him, a free throw is not an easy look.
There is one player who has the most experience playing Auburn on this team, and they will need him to have his best game of the season if the Buckeyes want to pull off an upset: South Carolina transfer Meechie Johnson.
The senior guard has been okay so far with the Buckeyes, but he has not been able to catch the wave that he found last year at South Carolina. His three-point shooting is up, but his overall field goal percentage is down, and he is struggling to finish at the basket.
Johnson was All-SEC last season as a Gamecock and had one of his better games against Auburn. He is averaging 9.6 points per game this season, down from 14.1 points per game last season.
Bruce Thornton is one of the top guards in the conference and the country, and many people were excited to see him paired with Johnson. Meechie Johnson’s ability to carry some of the scoring load is a big way to help unlock Thornton and help him reach his full potential.
Johnson has shot the ball well from three-point range, but he can improve his overall scoring ability this season. If the Buckeyes want to upset Auburn, he will have to have an efficient game on offense and make sure the defense cannot key in on Thornton offensively.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by Jack Gorman/Getty Images
The Buckeyes will face their toughest test of the season Saturday afternoon in Atlanta.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (6-3, 1-1) will face its toughest challenge of the season Saturday afternoon — a statement that could cause some uneasiness among fans who watched the Buckeyes fall behind by 33 points at halftime just last week.
The Buckeyes are set to take on the No. 2 Auburn Tigers Saturday afternoon in the Holiday Hoopsgiving event in Atlanta. Bruce Pearl’s Tigers are led by National Player of the Year frontrunner Johni Broome, who is averaging 19.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game thus far. Auburn’s only loss of the season came at the hands of Duke at Cameron Indoor earlier this month.
Last week, Connor and Justin debated whether Ohio State’s game against Rutgers was a must-win game. With 60% of the vote, Justin won (he said yes).
After 182 weeks:
Connor- 82
Justin- 77
Other- 18
(There have been five ties)
The Buckeyes are facing a top-two team in the nation this weekend. Based on the current trends, Ohio State is not likely to face another top-two team for the remainder of the year. Therefore, this is one of the biggest opportunities the team has to add some eye candy to its NCAA Tournament resume.
Here are our thoughts on the game. Specifically, what does Ohio State absolutely have to do to get out of Atlanta with the upset?
This week’s question: What does Ohio State have to do to beat Auburn?
Connor: Foul Johni Broome as much as necessary
It might sound counter-productive to foul the other team’s best player over and over, but when that player’s free throw percentage is barely as high as his overall shooting percentage, it could be worth a shot. Johni Broome is shooting 58.3% from the free throw line this season, which is the second-lowest mark of his five-year career. Yet somehow he’s only drawing 4.5 fouls per game, which isn’t even the highest mark on his own team.
Last year against Purdue, Ohio State fouled Zach Edey more than 10 times. Sometimes they fouled him on the shot and sent him to the free throw line, where he finished the game a perfect 8-for-8. More often, however, they fouled Edey on the catch, stopping play before he had a chance to reach up and “drunk” the ball using his vine-like arms.
Yes, the Buckeyes racked up the fouls and yes, Edey wound up having a good — but not great — game. He finished with 22 points on 7-of-11 shooting, and was perfect at the free throw line. He had 13 rebounds and three blocks. Edey took fewer shots against the Buckeyes than he was averaging, because the Buckeyes were getting physical and fouling him before he even had a chance to shoot.
Felix Okpara fouled out. Zed Key picked up four fouls. Jamison Battle picked up four fouls. Even Austin Parks checked in for a few minutes and picked up a foul.
Ohio State won that game, 73-69.
So, while the Buckeyes will need to be strategic with how they deploy their forwards — especially with Aaron Bradshaw’s status up in the air — it would make a lot of sense to use a similar strategy against Broome and the Tigers.
When Auburn tries to feed Broome the ball in the post, rip for the ball. If they blow the whistle, they blow the whistle. When Broome tries to drive to the basket, hack at the ball. If they call a foul, then a 58% free throw shooter heads to the line.
No easy baskets, and no big momentum plays for the team playing much closer to home that will probably own 75% of the fans in the arena. Make Broome beat you at the free throw line, or make him defer to his teammates.
If the National Player of the Year goes 8-for-8 from the line again, tip your cap. Or if you can limit Broome, but everyone else lights it up from three, you tip your cap. But the Buckeyes can’t let Broome get confident or allow him easy looks... and for him, a free throw is not an easy look.
Justin: Meechie Johnson masterclass
There is one player who has the most experience playing Auburn on this team, and they will need him to have his best game of the season if the Buckeyes want to pull off an upset: South Carolina transfer Meechie Johnson.
The senior guard has been okay so far with the Buckeyes, but he has not been able to catch the wave that he found last year at South Carolina. His three-point shooting is up, but his overall field goal percentage is down, and he is struggling to finish at the basket.
Johnson was All-SEC last season as a Gamecock and had one of his better games against Auburn. He is averaging 9.6 points per game this season, down from 14.1 points per game last season.
Bruce Thornton is one of the top guards in the conference and the country, and many people were excited to see him paired with Johnson. Meechie Johnson’s ability to carry some of the scoring load is a big way to help unlock Thornton and help him reach his full potential.
Johnson has shot the ball well from three-point range, but he can improve his overall scoring ability this season. If the Buckeyes want to upset Auburn, he will have to have an efficient game on offense and make sure the defense cannot key in on Thornton offensively.
Continue reading...