No. 17 Ohio State controlled the entire game in its 71-56 win against Indiana at Value City Arena on Tuesday night, and the biggest reason why was its ability to dominate the game in the post.
Ohio State scored 40 of its 71 points inside the paint on Tuesday night – all the while outrebounding Indiana, 39 to 26 – as Kaleb Wesson made all seven of his shots from the floor while Jae’Sean Tate and Keita Bates-Diop, among others, found repeated ways to get to the basket and score.
| Opponent | Points in the Paint |
|---|---|
| WISCONSIN | 36 |
| MICHIGAN | 30 |
| IOWA | 42 |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 30 |
| MARYLAND | 16 |
| RUTGERS | 32 |
| NORTHWESTERN | 30 |
| MINNESOTA | 40 |
| NEBRASKA | 38 |
| PENN STATE | 32 |
| INDIANA | 40 |
Getting buckets inside has been a significant factor in Ohio State’s success all season, as the Buckeyes (19-5, 10-1) have scored at least 30 points in the paint in all but one of their Big Ten games this year. Their ability to do so and willingness to rely on that ability was particularly profound on Tuesday, however, as the Buckeyes scored 12 of their first 14 points in the paint to build an early 14-5 lead from which they never looked back.
Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann said the Buckeyes were intentional about trying to get the ball in the post – particularly in getting the ball to Wesson – and score inside in Tuesday’s game.
"It was important for us to be intentional about looking in the post, and I give (Wesson’s) teammates a lot of credit and I give him a lot of credit," Holtmann said after the game.
That emphasis on scoring in the paint in Tuesday’s game was partially matchup-driven, as Indiana – who lost its starting center, De’Ron Davis, to a torn Achilles tendon earlier this month – did not play a single player larger than 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds in Tuesday’s game. Ohio State recognized that Wesson, at 6-foot-9 and 270 pounds, gave them a size advantage inside, while Holtmann was also concerned about the Hoosiers’ ability to spread the floor.
That’s not to say, however, that the Buckeyes won’t continue to place on scoring in the paint in future games, even when they are facing opponents who have bigger players inside.
"I think it’s sustainable," Holtmann said. "I think obviously, if you’re playing a team that has elite size, I think you’ve got to be more physical and more intentional about where you’re getting guys spots. I think we’ve done a better job getting Kaleb the ball in places where he can turn and finish and go score, and he’s done a better job posting deeper. So if we play a team that maybe has greater size, are we going to away from feeding the post? No, we’ll still be really intentional about that."
The improvement of Wesson, who has now made 11 consecutive shots dating back to the Buckeyes’ last game against Penn State, has been crucial in their ability to rely on their post scoring. In particular, the freshman center from Westerville has learned to establish better positioning inside while making better shot selections.
Wesson says he has spent extra time working on shooting drills after practice and before games, and that extra work has paid off.
"I feel like what I’m doing now, I feel like it’s working," Wesson said. "So I’m going to just work on that and just try to get the best shot for the team."
Holtmann says the Buckeyes "beat the living crap out of him every day in practice," and that Wesson has responded with tougher play as a result.
"It’s been really good to see him finish a little bit better through contact than maybe what he did four, five, six games ago," Holtmann said of Wesson.
“If we play a team that maybe has greater size, are we going to away from feeding the post? No, we’ll still be really intentional about that.”– Chris Holtmann
Wesson, as aforementioned, wasn’t the only Buckeye who found points in the paint on Tuesday. Tate, Bates-Diop, C.J. Jackson, Kam Williams and Micah Potter all scored around the basket at least once in the Buckeyes’ 15-point win. Outside of Jackson, the rest of those players also each had at least six rebounds (while Wesson had five), with Bates-Diop leading the way with 13 and Potter grabbing seven. Those players’ continued ability to score in the paint and grab rebounds will be crucial to Ohio State’s continued success, too.
Indiana coach Archie Miller, however, said Wesson was the player who gave his Hoosiers particular trouble.
"We had no answer for the big fella," Miller said. "I thought Kaleb did a really good job tonight for them."
Although the Hoosiers had 26 points in the paint of their own, Miller said the Buckeyes’ defensive presence in the post also made a big difference in Tuesday’s outcome.
"I thought defensively, in and around the basket, especially in the paint, things were hard," Miller said.
Ohio State has shown the ability to heat up from the perimeter and make big shots from 3-point range in its success this season as well, but getting good looks inside and executing those looks could be the key to the Buckeyes maintaining their success into March.
Tuesday was an indicator of Ohio State’s ability to do that, especially to take advantage when it has a size advantage over its opponent.
Ohio State won’t have that same size advantage in its next game against Illinois (Sunday, noon), which has a 6-foot-10 starting center in Michael Finke, but the Buckeyes should nonetheless look to continue feeding Wesson in the post and scoring inside as much as they can.
