The slide is over as Ohio State stopped their 9-game losing streak, defeating Illinois at home 72-60. The young Buckeye squad showed has shown marked improvement since four freshmen have been inserted into the starting lineup and it finally resulted in a win.
Head coach Chris Holtmann should be able to breathe a big sigh of relief, even though making any postseason tournament most likely isn’t in the future for this team.
There was plenty to like about what Ohio State did today, as I’m sure it felt great to finally get their fourth win in conference play. Here are my thoughts about OSU’s 12th win of the season, against 17 losses.
No more baby Bruce
🗣️🎤 “I’m so glad I’m here at Ohio State. There’s no better place.”
– @Bruce2T_ pic.twitter.com/svCf9qeaCl— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 26, 2023
Why it mattered
Freshman point guard Bruce Thornton is growing up right before our eyes. Against Penn State, the former Gatorade Player of the Year in Georgia scored 19 points and grabbed 4 rebounds. The defense was phenomenal as well and his confidence grew. That carried over to this contest, scoring 20 points and again crashing the glass with 5 rebounds. His assists numbers have dipped a bit due to looking for his shot more, two today, but that’s in exchange for the offensive outburst. We know Thornton isn’t a threat to leave to the next level so his growth is huge for next year and beyond.
What If?
𝐎𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐨𝐫 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐞𝐧𝐝, 𝐰𝐞’𝐥𝐥 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝‼️ pic.twitter.com/qfaNCbHjc6
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 26, 2023
Why it mattered
I’m a huge Marvel fan, so this title was easy for me, and the what if is all about Zed Key. Back in January, I proposed shutting him down for a few weeks and just dealing with him being out. That didn’t happen and the losses compiled. Since his season-ending injury, the team has made adjustments. Purdue was always going to be a challenge due to Zach Edey, but against Penn State, the multiple-guard look worked even if it didn’t result in a win. It did again today and you have to wonder if Holtmann went to this look earlier, what this season would look like now.
The young Bucks finished
DUNK OF THE YEAR pic.twitter.com/2pkAgXfDUG
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 26, 2023
Why it mattered
There was a point in the second half when it felt like the team was going to crumble again. The Illini had cut the lead to one point, 53-52, but today it was different. Justice Sueing made a layup, Brice Sensabaugh had the Buckeye dunk of the year then hit a jumper on the next possession to put the score at 59-52. The visitors would never really make it a game again and the losing steak was finally over. Not only did the team finish, but it didn’t falter, which is a big development for this young team.
Justice was served
Gotta be enjoying this start. 👏@JusticeSueing x @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/psVubNXfDd
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) February 26, 2023
Why it mattered
After the loss to Penn State, I mentioned the need for Sueing, the only non-freshman starter, to step his game up. He did exactly that, scoring 14 points on 50% shooting, and added 11 rebounds for a double-double. Sueing’s lead-by-example game is exactly what he needs to do go going forward. It was great to see him be a different maker today.
The bench was solid
A 3️⃣ for #3️⃣‼️@OhioStateHoops x @eugenebrown3_ pic.twitter.com/WrquBDjvuE
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) February 26, 2023
Why it mattered
There were multiple games during the losing streak where the Buckeye bench didn’t do much. Today was different, as Eugene Brown III and Sean McNeal each chipped in 9 points. Brown III had great energy, making all four of his shots, and grabbing 4 rebounds with 2 steals. McNeil didn’t rely just on outside shooting to be effective. Isaac Likelele struggled but at least the other two made a big difference.
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