Matta waiting to see if success vs. Wisconsin carries over
COLUMBUS, Ohio — After Ohio State pieced together its best performance of the season on Thursday night, knocking off then-No. 16 Wisconsin at home, questions about where that level of play came from and whether it can be sustained promptly began circulating. They are, considering the fickle play observed in the Buckeyes’ 28 games prior, obvious ones to ask.
The answer to the first one, head coach Thad Matta suggested after the game, and then on again Monday afternoon, has to do with unwavering energy, especially in the face of Wisconsin’s second-half spurts. The answer to the second one — whether it be can sustained — won’t arrive until a little after 8:30 p.m. Tuesday night, Matta said, when the Buckeyes play Penn State on the road.
“I think we’ll find out tomorrow night,” Matta said.
Against the Badgers, the Buckeyes (16-13, 6-10) led by nearly double digits for much of the night, shot a season-high 62.5 percent from 3-point territory and put up 83 points against what was then the fourth-ranked defense in the country. It was, to say the least, unexpected. But replicating it won’t be that easy, Matta cautioned.
“It's a completely different style of play,” said Matta. “Matchups are not even close to what they were from Thursday night's game, but hopefully we've got a good way about us going into the game.”
Penn State comes into Tuesday’s game amid a three-game losing skid, with its most recent loss to Minnesota by 10 points on Saturday. The Nittany Lions (14-15, 6-10) sit tied with Ohio State — as well as with Indiana and Nebraska — for 10th place in the Big Ten. It’s the first time this season the two teams have met; they met twice last year, once in the regular season, the other in the conference tournament, and the Buckeyes won both.
The differences between Penn State and Wisconsin are, of course, manifold. The Nittany Lions play a less structured style of basketball, Matta said, with an offense predicated on high-ball screens and attacking the rim. Wisconsin, by contrast, will “run their stuff, run their stuff, with an occasional ball screen,” Matta said.
Penn State has four players with double-digit scoring averages, led by freshman guard Tony Carr’s 13.2 per game average. Carr, who is 6-foot-4, chips in 4.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Another freshman, forward Lamar Stevens, averages 12.5 points and 5.8 rebounds per game. A pair of juniors, guard Shep Garner and forward Payton Banks, contribute 11.9 and 11 points per game, respectively.
While Penn State ranks near the bottom in the Big Ten in many key statistical categories, one thing it has in its favor Tuesday night is it being a home game. The Nittany Lions have used their home-court advantage this year to secure somewhat surprising wins over Michigan State, Minnesota and Maryland. Historically, Matta said it’s been a tough place for the Buckeyes to play.
“I go back to some of the games we've had over there that have just come down to gut-wrenching finishes,” Matta said. “And more than likely we'll see the same thing tomorrow night.”
Another thing which will continue to be seen Tuesday is JaQuan Lyle in the 6th-man role. Sophomore guard C.J. Jackson, who had a career-high 18 points Thursday, has started at point guard the last six games. In that span, Lyle has not fully been 100 percent as he dealt with an ankle injury and family health trouble. On Thursday night, however, Lyle had his best game yet in his new role. He scored 17 points, had four assists and, perhaps most impressively, did not commit a turnover.
Lyle said the opportunity to take in the early parts of games from the bench has actually been beneficial because “in the beginning of games is where I feel I struggle at.”
“You see the way that they're playing, guarding ball screens, guarding the primary ball-handlers,” Lyle said. “And I think I just learned from that.”
Matta said he still thinks Lyle has yet to return to the level of fitness he was at prior to the two setbacks, but the coach was pleased with Lyle’s play against Wisconsin, most notably down the stretch.
“I thought his decision making, especially late in the game with what they were doing defensively, he had an understanding of saying, ‘OK, let this just development and then I've got the mismatch that I want,’" Matta explained. “And he took advantage of it.”
After Tuesday’s game, the Buckeyes will have just one regular-season game remaining, which is scheduled for Saturday afternoon against Indiana, before the conference tournament begins. If Ohio State wins out, it will likely avoid having to play on the tournament’s first day, which will be March 8th, a Wednesday.
If the Buckeyes hope to shake up the tournament, the benefits of not having to play in the opening round are clear. Whether they can do anything in the tournament, though, hinges largely on the answer to the second question.
“Hopefully we can get these two,” Lyle said. “And hopefully everything works in our favor."