It can sometimes be tough to keep the intensity level where it needs to be the next time out after a massive win. That’s what Ohio State basketball was facing after upsetting a top-ten Purdue squad when it traveled to Happy Valley to take on Penn State, but after a 94-62 blowout win, we say nice job staying the course.
The game was tight very early on, but the Buckeyes took control midway through the first half, then ran away with the Nittany Lions’ lunch money on the way to a game they could not afford to lose.
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After each OSU basketball contest, we like to reflect on what we saw with some observations and points maybe you didn’t think of. If you did, well, at least we are all on the same page. Here are three things we learned from Ohio State basketball’s win over Penn State on the road Wednesday night.
Is Ohio State getting better at the right time?
I don’t know about you, but after the back-to-back losses at Michigan State and Iowa, I kind of felt like that was it for this team. But then, some of the injured players toughed it out and got back on the court against Purdue in an upset, and now this drubbing of Penn State (thank God we didn’t have to hear the Nittany Lion roar too much). I am starting to believe this team just might be figuring things out at the end of the regular season.
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Turn the tape on — okay, fire up the DVR — from a game earlier this year and now, and there is better ball movement, MUCH better defensive effort as a team, better effort, and more sharing of the basketball. Those are all good developments that should bode well for a potential postseason run.
Speaking of which …
The NCAA Tournament is in sight for Ohio State
Don’t come at me yet, because I know, I know — there are still at least two more games to go, but Ohio State is actually looking good when it comes to making the NCAA Tournament now. A loss at Penn State would have put that in peril, but the Buckeyes took care of business. It’s still life on the bubble, but on the much more stable side of it now, if such a thing exists.
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If Ohio State gets a win against Indiana this weekend, it will probably punch its ticket to the NCAA Tournament for the first time in the last four tries, and that would be a big step in the right direction. No, OSU fans, media, and players shouldn’t settle for simply getting to March Madness, but you have to rebuild it before you hire the maid.
Now, lose to Indiana, and there’s still work to do, probably in the Big Ten Tournament, but let’s not think about that right now.
The countdown for Bruce continues
I’m selfish. I wanted Ohio State to win big Wednesday night so I could watch a relatively stress-free game, but I didn’t want that to be because Bruce Thornton went off. He had a great game still by pouring in 18 points, and now, hopefully, he can become the all-time leading scorer in program history in front of the home fans.
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Thornton sits at No. 2 all-time with 2,085 points, just 11 points shy of Dennis Hopson’s 2,096. I like his chances of getting 12 points against the Hoosiers since that’s well below his season average, so let’s get ready to party Saturday. It’s not every day you get to see a guy in the Scarlet and Gray make history, so get ready for appointment television at 5:30 p.m ET.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State basketball vs Penn State: 3 things we learned in victory
