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2021-2022 Ohio State Men's Basketball

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3. Don't be shocked if Justice Sueing isn't back anytime soon for Ohio State. The way Chris Holtmann continues to talk about Sueing's return from injury feels more like weeks instead of days. But Ohio State has proven that they have plenty of depth. EJ Liddell is a bonafide star. Zed Key and Kyle Young excel in their roles. If freshman Malachi Branham can continue to grow, Ohio State will be just fine.

Just sayin': So far Russell isn't filling the scoring void left by Washington. He came through during the Duke game but that was about it. Branham, Johnson, Russell, or another guard needs to step up with some consistent double digit scoring.
 
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Bottom line. The guard play has improved considerably since early in the season. It was inevitable that these four guys, all of them (even Johnson) really new, would take some time to feel comfortable on the team and with what was expected of them. We can also throw in Eugene Brown III, for some added depth. Brown, who’s played in only five of the nine games so far, played ten minutes last night and hit his only shot, a three-pointer. Watching the games, even I can tell that the guards’ switches on defense and their movement and passing on offense have gotten better. The game results bear that out.

The Buckeyes, no doubt, will have trouble with some of the Big Ten’s true giants at center – guys like Michigan’s 7-1 Hunter Dickinson, Illinois’ 7-0 Kofi Cockburn, or Purdue’s 7-4 Zach Edey and 6-10 Trevion Williams – but, otherwise, the front court should be just fine. Liddell is a true star, and Key has made a big leap from his freshman to his sophomore season. Ahrens and Young are solid and can shoot from deep and rebound. It was the backcourt that was very iffy. But, after nine games, it looks as though, it, too, is going to be all right. Wheeler, while he probably won’t be a top scorer, can run the team, and I think that we’ll see the others putting up some points and cutting back on their turnovers. With games against #22 Wisconsin and #10 Kentucky coming up, let’s hope so.
 
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Fifth-year Penn State graduate transfer Jamari Wheeler is second on the team in minutes played at 293:18. First-year freshman Malaki Branham is fourth at 219:26 and second-year freshman Meechie Johnson Jr. is sixth at 203:16.

Of the possible lineup combinations between the three, the pairing of Branham and Wheeler has seen the most playing time and produced the best plus-minus rating. The duo has appeared in 21 different lineups together for a combined 161:07 and scored 301 points while allowing 244 (plus-57). Johnson and Wheeler are next, having played in 18 different lineups together for 83:13 and going plus-19 (158 points scored, 139 allowed).

The two freshmen have appeared in 18 lineups together without Wheeler, and Ohio State is minus-14 (56 points scored, 70 allowed) in 34:58 when that happens. Branham, Johnson and Wheeler have all played together in six lineups totaling 18:10, and the Buckeyes have scored 32 points and allowed 30 (minus-2) while doing so.

The Frontcourt

A prerequisite for Liddell to return for a third year was the chance to prove he could play extensive minutes on the perimeter. That meant a drastic reduction, if not an all-out elimination of, his minutes as an undersized center. With that in mind, three players have emerged as Ohio State’s primary options down low: Liddell, Kyle Young and Zed Key.

Of the possible combinations of the three players, Key and Liddell have logged the most minutes together but Key and Young have done the most damage. The Buckeyes are plus-121 (264 points scored, 243 allowed) in 139:07 when playing Key and Liddell together.

When it’s Key and Young, Ohio State is plus-37 (122 points scored, 85 allowed) in 64:14. Young and Liddell have played together for 99:05, scoring 198 points and allowing 168 (plus-30).

The Buckeyes have gone jumbo for two lineups. Ohio State has played Liddell, Young and Key together for 8:29 and scored 17 points while allowing 15 (plus-2).

Key is second on the team at 10.4 points per game. Young is third at 10.0. Together, the three have scored 52.8% of Ohio State’s points (Liddell has 27.2% himself) and pulled down 51.4% of the rebounds.
 
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Bestbuck36 said:
Isnt that a pisser. Damn, it's a whole week off too. They must've been out partying where they shouldn't have or someone's family at home had it. Bummer
Click to expand...

Hell, this is finals week; they should have been in their dorm/apartment studying.



"We've had to have real conversations about what's happening in both professional and college sports," Holtmann said. "As you know, we have a fully vaccinated program, but there have been breakthrough cases. There've been breakthrough cases among our staff this year as well. So I think you're really aware of it and I think those kinds of conversations and that dialogue is very much a part of what we're doing right now and I'll leave it at that."
 
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