It has been a rough almost three weeks, but Ohio State Basketball finally got back in the win column, defeating Iowa, 93-77, in front of a home crowd at Value City Arena. The win improves the Buckeyes’ record to 11-8 as they try and claw their way back into getting an NCAA Tournament bid.
The team as a whole shot fantastic, 56% from the field, and 50% behind the arc. The offense obviously looked like what we saw prior to hitting Big Ten play, and it was the catalyst this team needed to get back to its winning ways.
There was plenty of good from this contest, find out below what the biggest takeaways were for head coach Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes in their first win since January 1st.
The intensity and focus was finally there
Steal ➡️ bucket @ohiostatehoops is getting it done on both ends of the court 🔥 pic.twitter.com/sNk9gAkm2Z
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 21, 2023
Why it Matters
After this team lost games against lesser opponents during the losing streak, you would have thought that this would have come earlier — but it didn’t. The most recent loss to Nebraska lit a fire under this team that they’ve been missing since before the calendar turned. The fact that it didn’t settle for contested jumpers and late threes with the shot clock running down was very refreshing.
The offense wasn’t stagnant like it had been before. When Iowa fought back, the Buckeyes answered. This is the kind of effort that we have all been wanting to see during the losing streak and you can tell the mentality of the team was different. Kudos to Holtmann for getting his team to play at a high level once again.
Another change with the starters
Starting 5⃣ vs. Iowa today
🔴@roddy_gayle
🔴@Bruce2T_
🔴@iamzedkey
🔴@bricepsensa
🔴@_Issaaac#GoBucks #Team124— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 21, 2023
Why it Matters
After the last game, I wondered what the optimal starting lineup should be. Holtmann sent out the first five that was pretty close to what I thought it should be, with Sean McNeil being questionable due to a dental emergency. It made sense to bring him off the bench. With the issues this team has had breaking the press and getting into an offensive flow, it made plenty of sense to get two ball-handlers into the first five.
Justice Sueing off the bench helped take some pressure off himself, while the energy that Felix Okpara brings is perfect off the bench. It would not surprise me one bit for Holtmann to roll with this five (maybe switching McNeil for Roddy Gayle Jr. even though the freshman was phenomenal today) against the Illinois on Tuesday.
The bench finally showed up
Okpara making the court real icy. 🥶 @Felixokpara24 x @OhioStateHoops
📍 Unleaded 88 pic.twitter.com/0F9R3JkHih
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) January 21, 2023
Why it Matters
This is a product of the starting lineup change but it was still great to see the scoring coming not just from the starters. McNeil was on fire while he was on the court, with Okpara finishing close to the rim also being clutch. Sueing was the biggest bright spot because he just fits so much better coming off the bench. This makes the team much more difficult to guard when subs come in.
The difference really showed in the box score with the Buckeyes scoring over 70 points for the first time in three games. This was the kind of scoring that at one point was rated as the highest efficiency offense in the country this year with the bench playing a big part.
Ice was hot
🥶x🥶 double-double day for @_Issaaac
📈 18 pts | 10 Rebs | 7 Ast #Team124 pic.twitter.com/mQKRX7AjXx
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) January 21, 2023
We had been waiting for Isaac Likelele to make a big impact and we got it today. He had been struggling mightily since returning from a family emergency. What “Ice” did today was exactly what this team needed. The transfer was just a few assists off from a triple-double, scoring 18 points, with 10 rebounds and 7 dimes.
Likelele called a smart timeout with about 90 seconds remaining when the ball couldn’t get inbounded. That’s the experience factor. The hope is that this wasn’t just a one-off, Likelele needs to bring this game every time out on the court.
Brice was nice
The freshman is good. 😎@bricepsensa x @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/VFwP3x6FVj
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) January 21, 2023
Why it Matters
We all know that Brice Sensabaugh is a walking bucket, but recently he hasn’t been overtly efficient, especially early on in games. Today he was, pouring in 27 points on just twelve shots, making ten of them. He made four of his five 3-point attempts, grabbed five rebounds, and showed why he’s trending to be a one-and-done player. The career-high scoring output was just so impressive and refreshing to see. What a performance from the freshman.
Roddy Gayle Jr. didn’t look out of place with the starters
Gayle Jr. with the GROWN MAN finish 😤@OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/g2dtSwoh9c
— FOX College Hoops (@CBBonFOX) January 21, 2023
Why it Matters
Another player who brings tons of energy every time he’s on the court is Gayle Jr. Does it always equate to success with this freshman? Not really, but it sure did today. Gayle Jr. scored nine points on 4-of-7 shooting while playing very good defense. Yes, he got tagged for four fouls, but they were aggressive ones that you can live with.
Gayle Jr. took a big charge late in the game when Iowa was threatening to make a comeback. Let’s not forget about his highlight dunk too, SportCenter Top 10 should be calling. Big first start for the freshman.
Zed Key was off and might be out again
An exclamation on a win indeed‼️@iamzedkey x @OhioStateHoops pic.twitter.com/jVAxRXcS5d
— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) January 21, 2023
Why it Matters
After the last game, it seemed like the Buckeye big man would benefit from taking some time off. That didn’t happen this game, but Key couldn’t turn around his play. Since injuring his shoulder against Purdue, he hasn’t been the same offensively. Key had a good shooting game against Minnesota but just 10 points. Against Rutgers and Nebraska, 11 points on 40% shooting. The positive is that Key is still rebounding at a high level.
He did exactly what he has been doing recently, scoring 11 points with 9 rebounds on 40% shooting. Not sure how to fix his shooting issues aside from giving him a break, but Key is such an integral part of this team. The dunk late might force Holtmann to sit him anyways, it didn’t look good as Key was favoring his left knee after coming down awkwardly. This team needs him so hopefully, he won’t miss much time at all.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Michael Chen on Twitter.
Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today.
