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Ohio State MBB: What A Difference A Year Makes
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(Photo Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)
Last season, Ohio State rolled to a 24-11 record and made it to the 2nd round of the NCAA’s. That was then.. With an experienced lineup and an unworldly talented play (D’Angelo Russell) the Buckeyes sat at 8-1 at this point last season. Now, going into Wednesday’s game against NIU, they are 4-5 and have a very real chance of; a) not winning twenty games and b) not making the NCAA’s. Jess Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports points out that;
In 15 seasons as a head coach at three different schools, Thad Matta has been to the NCAA tournament 13 times and has won at least 20 games every year.
He makes a good point. In his career in a challenging profession, Thad Matta has a sustained level of accomplishment. This season will not be one of those year, in terms of “Wins & Losses”.
So, what is different? For starters, Thad lost a lot of players due to graduation and early NBA draft declarations. Last season’s box score was populated by the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Sam Thompson, Shannon Scott, Amir Williams, Anthony Lee and Trey McDonald. This group represented 70% of OSU’s playing time, 64% of the rebounds, 85% of the assists and 67% of the scoring. That’s a lot of “on court” presence that Thad needed to replace.
The triumvirate of Marc Loving, Jae’Sean Tate and Kieta Bates-Diop accounted for a combined 55 minutes per game, but that number is a bit deceiving. Bates-Diop would spell Sam Thompson in the rotation and Loving/Tate rotated for one another. If you remember, early in the season, Loving started and Tate would replace him. As the season progressed, the situation was reversed. The point is this; rarely were all three of them on the court at the same time. Yes, they had some “game” time, but it was not together.
Let’s look at some numbers comparing the this season to last, because we can:
The “numbers” are a bit deceptive. In OSU’s 4 wins, the average margin has been 80-55. In their 5 losses, the margin has been 66-75. Except for the UConn game, OSU’s losses have been by an average margin of 6 points. That amounts to only 2-3 possessions, but, a loss is a loss.
So, what do we have? The scoring is off a little and the defense isn’t quite as good. I’ll address the defense later. The rebounding is pretty close, so no issues there. Shooting percentages are about the same, except this year’s FT shooting isn’t as good as last year. One thing that strikes me is the Assist/Turnover numbers are reversed. Why? Last season, OSU’s ball handlers were experienced (Scott) or extremely gifted (Russell). This season, Thad’s ball handlers (Lyle and Harris) are talented but inexperienced.
How are the Experienced Buckeyes performing so far this season? Glad that you let me ask.. here’s Marc Loving’s performance comparison last year to this.
Marc’s playing time is up dramatically and his scoring and rebounding are up substantially more than if this were a linear situation. Marc seems to be getting more comfortable in his starting role, and if you’ve watched him, he is much more confident and aggressive in his play this season. Don’t get too worked up over his assist improvement; when working from a minuscule base, any improvement will look good. His 3-point efficiency is not as good as last season’s, but his shooting stroke is too good for that not to improve.
Marc, being generally inscrutable, is a team leader through his offense and rebounding.
Here is Jae’Sean Tate:
Jae’Sean has seen an increase in playing time, with his scoring up “more than commensurate” and his previously good level of rebounding, not quite as much. Last season, Tate made his mark as a grinder, doing the inside “wet work” of offensive rebounding and securing loose balls. Granted, Tate has put in considerable effort to improve his outside shooting, and it has shown in his season-to-date dramatic improvement in his 3-point shooting. Although taking few shots this season (32) his 50% accuracy places him tied (with a host of others) in 56th place in the country. That is an impressive improvement.
However, maybe Jae’sean should have spent more time practicing his free throws. His 50% accuracy from the line is embarrassingly bad. Per CBS Sports, Tate doesn’t even rate a mention in this category. The 498th ranked player is still shooting 70%; I have no idea where Tate would fall. This is especially concerning since Tate shoots the 2nd most FTs on the team. If an opponent wants a Buckeyes to foul in crunch time, we pretty much know who it will be.
However, Jae’sean does bring an intensity and an energy to this team that is a good example to the freshmen.
And, our favorite hyphenated player, Kieta Bates-Diop:
Kieta has tripled his playing time this season, and his scoring and rebounding (somewhat) are up commensurately. As with Marc and Jae’Sean, don’t get too excited about his percentage increase in assists; last year wasn’t anything to write home about. Kieta’s 3-point efficiency is down substantially at this point, but his FT shooting has improved to be impressive. Perhaps Kieta should look more to his inside game going forward.
This is a season where OSU’s youth will benefit from Thad’s teaching.
Offense
Free Throw Shooting
I realize that I’ll sound like an old curmudgeon with this (because I am) but at this point, the free throw shooting is beyond exasperating. Freshmen JaQuan Lyle (57%), A.J.Harris (50%) and Daniel Giddens (28%) are currently pretty poor FT shooters. They just need to take deep breaths and relax.
Defense
If you’ve seen many games, you’ll witness where the defense will have lapses. I have two examples, below, that I noticed from the UConn game where OSU freshmen didn’t make the play that was needed. In no particular order;
These are just two examples where OSU freshmen initially had good, sound defensive positions, then seemingly gave up on the plays, perhaps anticipating weak-side help that never came. The four points given up against UConn weren’t going to determine the outcome of the game, but it does indicate that Thad will have some film-room time lined up for the Buckeyes.
Wrap-up
Jess Eisenberg may actually be onto something. I truly doubt that OSU can get to 20 wins nor get an NCAA invitation. The success of this team needs to be measured in the 1) development of individual players and 2) the meshing of the players into a team.
A few games ago, Joe Dexter and I were conversing about this team, and I likened them to a litter of puppies. They are young, inexperienced, occasionally will make a mess on the floor, are full of potential, are eager to please and enjoyable to watch. They just haven’t figured out how to do it yet. I’m looking forward to watching them grow up this season.
The post Ohio State MBB: What A Difference A Year Makes appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...
Ken via our good friends at Buckeye Battle Cry
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
(Photo Courtesy of Yahoo Sports)
Last season, Ohio State rolled to a 24-11 record and made it to the 2nd round of the NCAA’s. That was then.. With an experienced lineup and an unworldly talented play (D’Angelo Russell) the Buckeyes sat at 8-1 at this point last season. Now, going into Wednesday’s game against NIU, they are 4-5 and have a very real chance of; a) not winning twenty games and b) not making the NCAA’s. Jess Eisenberg of Yahoo Sports points out that;
In 15 seasons as a head coach at three different schools, Thad Matta has been to the NCAA tournament 13 times and has won at least 20 games every year.
He makes a good point. In his career in a challenging profession, Thad Matta has a sustained level of accomplishment. This season will not be one of those year, in terms of “Wins & Losses”.
So, what is different? For starters, Thad lost a lot of players due to graduation and early NBA draft declarations. Last season’s box score was populated by the likes of D’Angelo Russell, Sam Thompson, Shannon Scott, Amir Williams, Anthony Lee and Trey McDonald. This group represented 70% of OSU’s playing time, 64% of the rebounds, 85% of the assists and 67% of the scoring. That’s a lot of “on court” presence that Thad needed to replace.
The triumvirate of Marc Loving, Jae’Sean Tate and Kieta Bates-Diop accounted for a combined 55 minutes per game, but that number is a bit deceiving. Bates-Diop would spell Sam Thompson in the rotation and Loving/Tate rotated for one another. If you remember, early in the season, Loving started and Tate would replace him. As the season progressed, the situation was reversed. The point is this; rarely were all three of them on the court at the same time. Yes, they had some “game” time, but it was not together.
Let’s look at some numbers comparing the this season to last, because we can:
Per Game
2015
2014
Offense
72.4
75.3
Defense
66.2
63
Rebounds
37.1
35.5
Off-Rebs
10.4
11.1
T/O
14.2
11.3
Asst
11.8
15.3
Block
5.8
5.1
FG%
46.8%
48.3%
3PT%
33.7%
37.0%
FT%
65.0%
68.0%
The “numbers” are a bit deceptive. In OSU’s 4 wins, the average margin has been 80-55. In their 5 losses, the margin has been 66-75. Except for the UConn game, OSU’s losses have been by an average margin of 6 points. That amounts to only 2-3 possessions, but, a loss is a loss.
So, what do we have? The scoring is off a little and the defense isn’t quite as good. I’ll address the defense later. The rebounding is pretty close, so no issues there. Shooting percentages are about the same, except this year’s FT shooting isn’t as good as last year. One thing that strikes me is the Assist/Turnover numbers are reversed. Why? Last season, OSU’s ball handlers were experienced (Scott) or extremely gifted (Russell). This season, Thad’s ball handlers (Lyle and Harris) are talented but inexperienced.
How are the Experienced Buckeyes performing so far this season? Glad that you let me ask.. here’s Marc Loving’s performance comparison last year to this.
Loving
Per Game
Per Game
2015
2014
% Change
Minutes
35.0
23.7
47.68%
Points
16.8
9.4
78.72%
Rebounds
6.9
3.6
91.67%
Asst
1.4
0.6
133.33%
FG%
47.3%
45.9%
3.05%
3PT%
36.2%
46.1%
-21.48%
FT%
80.0%
76.8%
4.17%
Marc’s playing time is up dramatically and his scoring and rebounding are up substantially more than if this were a linear situation. Marc seems to be getting more comfortable in his starting role, and if you’ve watched him, he is much more confident and aggressive in his play this season. Don’t get too worked up over his assist improvement; when working from a minuscule base, any improvement will look good. His 3-point efficiency is not as good as last season’s, but his shooting stroke is too good for that not to improve.
Marc, being generally inscrutable, is a team leader through his offense and rebounding.
Here is Jae’Sean Tate:
Tate
Per Game
Per Game
2015
2014
% Change
Minutes
28.0
22.0
27.27%
Points
12.0
8.8
36.36%
Rebounds
6.3
5.0
26.00%
Asst
1.1
0.3
266.67%
FG%
55.3%
58.9%
-6.11%
3PT%
50.0%
15.8%
216.46%
FT%
50.0%
52.0%
-3.85%
Jae’Sean has seen an increase in playing time, with his scoring up “more than commensurate” and his previously good level of rebounding, not quite as much. Last season, Tate made his mark as a grinder, doing the inside “wet work” of offensive rebounding and securing loose balls. Granted, Tate has put in considerable effort to improve his outside shooting, and it has shown in his season-to-date dramatic improvement in his 3-point shooting. Although taking few shots this season (32) his 50% accuracy places him tied (with a host of others) in 56th place in the country. That is an impressive improvement.
However, maybe Jae’sean should have spent more time practicing his free throws. His 50% accuracy from the line is embarrassingly bad. Per CBS Sports, Tate doesn’t even rate a mention in this category. The 498th ranked player is still shooting 70%; I have no idea where Tate would fall. This is especially concerning since Tate shoots the 2nd most FTs on the team. If an opponent wants a Buckeyes to foul in crunch time, we pretty much know who it will be.
However, Jae’sean does bring an intensity and an energy to this team that is a good example to the freshmen.
And, our favorite hyphenated player, Kieta Bates-Diop:
Bates-Diop
Per Game
Per Game
2015
2014
% Change
Minutes
32.0
9.9
223.23%
Points
11.7
3.8
207.89%
Rebounds
5.2
2.1
147.62%
Asst
1.3
0.5
160.00%
FG%
46.2%
47.3%
-2.33%
3PT%
27.3%
46.2%
-40.91%
FT%
92.3%
67.9%
35.94%
Kieta has tripled his playing time this season, and his scoring and rebounding (somewhat) are up commensurately. As with Marc and Jae’Sean, don’t get too excited about his percentage increase in assists; last year wasn’t anything to write home about. Kieta’s 3-point efficiency is down substantially at this point, but his FT shooting has improved to be impressive. Perhaps Kieta should look more to his inside game going forward.
This is a season where OSU’s youth will benefit from Thad’s teaching.
Offense
- Too many turnovers are caused by young players not having a feel of where they should bee, whether as a ‘passer’ or a ‘passee’. You can practice running your offense all you want but there is no substitute for “game speed” for this young team.
- The anemic offensive production of guards JaQuan Lyle and A.J. Harris shows that as good as you may be (and the are good) the transition from high school (and prep school) is a challenge.
- Freshman guard Austin Grandstaff appears to be grooming as the long range threat. Thirty-five of his forty FG attempts have been from beyond the arc. He hasn’t locked in the range yet (34%) but his shooting stroke is too good for it not to “click” soon.
Free Throw Shooting
I realize that I’ll sound like an old curmudgeon with this (because I am) but at this point, the free throw shooting is beyond exasperating. Freshmen JaQuan Lyle (57%), A.J.Harris (50%) and Daniel Giddens (28%) are currently pretty poor FT shooters. They just need to take deep breaths and relax.
Defense
If you’ve seen many games, you’ll witness where the defense will have lapses. I have two examples, below, that I noticed from the UConn game where OSU freshmen didn’t make the play that was needed. In no particular order;
- JaQaun Lyle’s man, from the top of the circle, took Lyle to the left down the lane. JaQuan was with him step for step until halfway to the basket, then JaQuan just stopped. Lyle’s man continued the next step and a half unabated to the hoop for an uncontested layup. Maybe he anticipated backside defensive help. I don’t know what he was thinking.
- Austin Grandstaff’s man was driving baseline, and Austin was with him step for step and maintained very good defensive position. However, at the base of the lane, Austin stopped and his man had an uncontested reverse layup. Similar to Lyle’s situation, maybe Grandstaff was anticipation backside help. It didn’t come.
These are just two examples where OSU freshmen initially had good, sound defensive positions, then seemingly gave up on the plays, perhaps anticipating weak-side help that never came. The four points given up against UConn weren’t going to determine the outcome of the game, but it does indicate that Thad will have some film-room time lined up for the Buckeyes.
Wrap-up
Jess Eisenberg may actually be onto something. I truly doubt that OSU can get to 20 wins nor get an NCAA invitation. The success of this team needs to be measured in the 1) development of individual players and 2) the meshing of the players into a team.
A few games ago, Joe Dexter and I were conversing about this team, and I likened them to a litter of puppies. They are young, inexperienced, occasionally will make a mess on the floor, are full of potential, are eager to please and enjoyable to watch. They just haven’t figured out how to do it yet. I’m looking forward to watching them grow up this season.
The post Ohio State MBB: What A Difference A Year Makes appeared first on The Buckeye Battle Cry: Ohio State News and Commentary.
Continue reading...