1. Yeah, I don't like to lose. However, we played our asses off in a game against a top 10 team where: (a) we were missing Isaiah Livers; (b) Franz Wagner fouled out with over 5 minutes to go and we were down 11; (c) they it 56% from 3, many of them contested and a few ridiculous; (d) and Franz, Chaundee Brown and Mike Smith were 4-27 from the floor, and an unbelievable 0-13 from 2. We had 2 turnovers for the game. 2. OSU had a lot of offensive rebounds early, but had 2 in the last 25 minutes. We came back from the dead. Certainly, we have to smooth out some things which are there without Isaiah, though it is worth noting that we score over 1.1 points per possession despite not being able to throw in the ocean from the beach for much of the game. Nonetheless, I love this team, and today gave me more confidence, not less, about this team going forward.
2. I'm sure people were complaining about the zone at the end of the first half where Towns buried a 3. I wasn't--I was calling for it, so that OSU couldn't get a 2 for 1. It wasn't the strategy, it was the execution--Brandon Johns over helped.
3. Similarly, on the last play of the game, the play was to run screen/roll with our two best offensive players in the game, Smith and Hunter Dickinson. OSU switched and pounded Hunter in the lane with no call. The play is, and has always been that if you get the switch in that situation where the big is guarding Mike, he takes the shot. Again, I didn't fault what we were trying to do--I faulted only the execution in that Mike waited too long to run the play. You wind it down when tied; when you're a point behind, you start the play so you have an option if things go awry and time for an offensive rebound if you miss.
4. Hunter missed some easy shots at the basket, but that was more the Hunter of mid-season than the one we've seen recently. The play with under two minutes to go--the on the floor steal and then finish--was just fantastic.
5. I said this morning that both Brandon and Chaundee had to step up to replace Isaiah. Brandon did--he was extremely active, rebounded well, was assertive in close, had a nifty assist to a cutting Eli Brooks, and even though he didn't get and 1s through heavy contact, made his free throws, and had some good defensive minutes sprinkled in with the bad ones. I was impressed. Chaundee, with the exception of the last shot he took, not so much--he took some terrible shots, got beat a ton on defense, and insisted on going under screens against Dwayne Washington, which is death. You could see Juwan telling him he had to fight through, and it kept happening. He has to play better.
6. Whatever anyone wants to say about the game, to me, it boiled down to this--they were 12-22 from 3 and we were 6-19. I didn't think their shots were better shots. I don't think they're a better shooting team, and even if they are slightly so without Livers, the difference is not that. You can come up with dozens of decisions, plays, substitution patterns, ref calls, anything you want--when 2 teams in the top 10 are playing and one shoots almost 25% better from 3 than the other on shots which weren't more open, you're generally not winning.
7. I thought Mike tried to force things a bit too much on offense today. I know Isaiah was out, and I know he had a fantastic game yesterday, but he was rushed all game, and that's usually not him. We needed this game to get adjusted to playing without Isaiah.
8. Washington is ridiculous against us. Every game.
9. With Isaiah out, Franz has to guard against getting silly fouls. We need him out there. By the way, the thought that there are 5 better defensive players in the Big Ten that Franz Wagner is just absurd.
10. We got out without any additional visible injuries. When Hunter went out 2 minutes into the game, visions of disaster rolled through my head. When Brandon got popped in the face early in the second half, I felt the same way. We're intact, with a week off to rest tired legs and focus on how to function fully in Isaiah's absence. Now, I am ooking forward t the Selection Show tomorrow. Honestly, despite it being OSU, this is the least I have been bothered by a loss in the past several seasons. In the moment, I wanted badly to win. Stepping back, showing character in the comeback, and getting some rest is probably a good thing, given that we already have a Big Ten banner, and have the big prize coming up.
2. I'm sure people were complaining about the zone at the end of the first half where Towns buried a 3. I wasn't--I was calling for it, so that OSU couldn't get a 2 for 1. It wasn't the strategy, it was the execution--Brandon Johns over helped.
3. Similarly, on the last play of the game, the play was to run screen/roll with our two best offensive players in the game, Smith and Hunter Dickinson. OSU switched and pounded Hunter in the lane with no call. The play is, and has always been that if you get the switch in that situation where the big is guarding Mike, he takes the shot. Again, I didn't fault what we were trying to do--I faulted only the execution in that Mike waited too long to run the play. You wind it down when tied; when you're a point behind, you start the play so you have an option if things go awry and time for an offensive rebound if you miss.
4. Hunter missed some easy shots at the basket, but that was more the Hunter of mid-season than the one we've seen recently. The play with under two minutes to go--the on the floor steal and then finish--was just fantastic.
5. I said this morning that both Brandon and Chaundee had to step up to replace Isaiah. Brandon did--he was extremely active, rebounded well, was assertive in close, had a nifty assist to a cutting Eli Brooks, and even though he didn't get and 1s through heavy contact, made his free throws, and had some good defensive minutes sprinkled in with the bad ones. I was impressed. Chaundee, with the exception of the last shot he took, not so much--he took some terrible shots, got beat a ton on defense, and insisted on going under screens against Dwayne Washington, which is death. You could see Juwan telling him he had to fight through, and it kept happening. He has to play better.
6. Whatever anyone wants to say about the game, to me, it boiled down to this--they were 12-22 from 3 and we were 6-19. I didn't think their shots were better shots. I don't think they're a better shooting team, and even if they are slightly so without Livers, the difference is not that. You can come up with dozens of decisions, plays, substitution patterns, ref calls, anything you want--when 2 teams in the top 10 are playing and one shoots almost 25% better from 3 than the other on shots which weren't more open, you're generally not winning.
7. I thought Mike tried to force things a bit too much on offense today. I know Isaiah was out, and I know he had a fantastic game yesterday, but he was rushed all game, and that's usually not him. We needed this game to get adjusted to playing without Isaiah.
8. Washington is ridiculous against us. Every game.
9. With Isaiah out, Franz has to guard against getting silly fouls. We need him out there. By the way, the thought that there are 5 better defensive players in the Big Ten that Franz Wagner is just absurd.
10. We got out without any additional visible injuries. When Hunter went out 2 minutes into the game, visions of disaster rolled through my head. When Brandon got popped in the face early in the second half, I felt the same way. We're intact, with a week off to rest tired legs and focus on how to function fully in Isaiah's absence. Now, I am ooking forward t the Selection Show tomorrow. Honestly, despite it being OSU, this is the least I have been bothered by a loss in the past several seasons. In the moment, I wanted badly to win. Stepping back, showing character in the comeback, and getting some rest is probably a good thing, given that we already have a Big Ten banner, and have the big prize coming up.
