Jared Sullinger is the real deal. After putting up just 7 shots in the first 38 minutes, Sullinger powered his way to three point plays on consecutive possessions. There are plenty of superlatives that could be heaped on this Buckeyes squad, but three stand above the rest. (1) Offensive Balance - Sullinger can go for 40, Diebler can drop 9 treys or Lighty can shoot 9-for-11. William Buford has perhaps the best mid-range game in the country. Freshman Deshaun Thomas has already scored 20+ twice. Tonight, Aaron Craft led the way with 19/3/7. No team can stop them all. The synergy built between Sullinger and Craft on Ohio AAU Red team was on full display, it's a shame we only get to enjoy it for one year. (2) Lateral Defense - The Bucks play D the only way to do so well, as a team. Their feet (particularly Craft's on Talor Battle) are always moving. Their arms are up and their hands in the passing lanes. Most strikingly, they recover so quickly on zone rotation than they can virtually double-team everyone. (3) Ball Handling - They had 5 turnovers today and the average fewer than 11 per game.
The one knock on Ohio State is a lack of depth. The bench only goes 7 deep, the same 7 that played today. Through 5 Big Ten games Thomas and Dallas Lauderdale are the only reserves playing more than 4 minutes a night and each averages fewer than 15. Jon Diebler plays 39 minutes per. Compounding the issue is how stagnant the offense becomes when Sullinger gets a blow. Lauderdale is not a threat in the paint and, consequently, the ball tends to simply move around the perimeter until someone jacks a triple. Today that inefficiency led to Penn State fighting back from a 10 point deficit to briefly lead in the last 3 minutes. Luckily, Sullinger is not foul prone and will likely see even more minutes as we head toward March.
OSU is seasoned. Matta starts 3 seniors and a junior around his 280 pound freshman sensation and despite their youth, Sullinger and Craft, do not make rookie mistakes. If this team is to drop a conference game they will have to beat themselves or endure an unlikely combination of injury, foul trouble and an off night.
Welcome to #1 Buckeyes, the reign should be anything but brief.
