Buckeyes More Athletic, Still Working Out The Kinks Of Consistency

Ohio State showed things Sunday against Butler it didn’t show last season. But they still have much work to do in the details before they get to the games that count.

Columbus, OH – Athletes and shooters.

Ohio State retained and recruited more of them for Jake Diebler’s third season as head coach.

That’s good news for a program that’s been a bit slow-footed and desperately wants to climb into the top tier of the Big Ten.

“We have guys with size who are mobile, which helps, and we have some guards that have some athleticism,” Diebler said after Sunday’s 82-73 exhibition victory over Butler.

Those same athletes and shooters, while providing intrinsic value you either have or don’t, need to increase their extrinsic contributions by communicating better on defense, by executing more consistently on offense and by rebounding much better.

That’s not bad news. Because the Buckeyes were better in all those areas, except for maybe rebounding, than they were in an exhibition loss to Cincinnati almost three weeks ago. And those are areas the Buckeyes can improve on with the season and a difficult schedule a week away.

“Consistency is important for our growth, but I think we’re seeing a lack of that at times,” Diebler said. “I’m not talking specifically about the three kind of games we’ve played. I’m talking about practice and games.”

The Buckeyes have another week of practice to prepare for their season opener a week from Monday in Salt Lake City, Utah, against BYU.

Diebler’s starting five Sunday included returning starters Amare Bynum and John Mobley Jr. They played more than 30 minutes. Bynum scored 23 points, made seven of 10 shots, including two 3-pointers, and made all seven of his free-throw attempts. Mobley Jr. scored 17 points and had three assists. He turned his right ankle late in the game and limped off the floor. After the game, he said the injury isn’t serious.

Bynum’s athletic ability soared above all others as it will in many games this season.

In a transition attack, Bynum filled the lane wide like all coaches teach, took a pass from Mobley Jr. and made a highlight-reel dunk for a two-point lead with 7:36 left in the first half. His takeoff ignited the Buckeyes to a 45-38 halftime lead and led a 23-6 advantage in fast-break points.

“Definitely in transition, if I see an open lane, I’m just going to take it and get a bucket,” Bynum said.

Otherwise in the first half, the Buckeyes got Butler’s defensive attention from the 3-point line, scoring 24 points on 8 of 14 marksmanship.

Six-foot-4 freshman LJ Smith, who missed some practices recently with an injury, came off the bench and played the role of the guy you don’t leave open. He made all four of his attempts for 12 points, showing quick catch-and-release efficiency. On defense, he held his ground when posted up and blocked two shots.

“Just wanted to come off the bench and give my team a spark,” Smith said. “Just had a clear mind and was just staying into the game while I was on the bench.”

Diebler’s other three starters: 6-9 freshman wing Anthony Thompson, 6-4 Cal transfer Justin Pippen and 6-11 Kentucky transfer Andrija Jelavic. All add to the upgraded athleticism. Thompson is expected to be a scorer, especially from 3-point land, but he hasn’t found his rhythm yet. Pippen’s length bolsters the backcourt defense, and he will be one of the options other than Bynum and Mobley Jr. who scores in double figures some nights.

Jelavic, a junior from Croatia, is the biggest athletic upgrade. He runs the floor and is able to create shots in the lane. He finished with seven points and five rebounds in 22 minutes.

Depth, the number of contributors and which ones get the minutes, will be determined by consistent production, defensive reliability and rebounding. In the backcourt, the contenders for double-digit minutes are Smith, Jimmie Williams and Curtis Givens. In the frontcourt, the contenders are Ivan Njegovan, Josh Ojianwuna and newcomer Lee Aaliya, a recent addition.

While the first-half scoring relied on 3-pointers, the Buckeyes attacked the lane more in the second half, playing with more inside-out actions, finished well at the rim and made 18 of 20 free throws to finish the game 21 of 24.

“That’s something we talked about in the locker room,” Mobley Jr. said. “Let’s start getting great shots better than good shots. When we get paint touches, that’s when our offense is its best.”

When the Buckeyes were at their best, the second-half lead grew from 60-55 to 72-55 in a five-minute stretch. Diebler’s push now is to get his team to play more like that for far more of the 40 minutes.

“We relied a little too much on ISO ball at times,” Diebler said. “Our strength still, even with improved athleticism and size, is to keep the ball moving, make quick decisions when the defense is in rotation.”

A third game to break down in the video room will be used by Diebler to show the good ball movement possessions and the bad offensive moments of too much dribbling and too much of the ball sticking in their hands.

“We just got to be consistent,” Mobley Jr. said. “We showed really good consistency the past two days. We just didn’t really translate as well on the court in the first half but did better in the second half.”

The Buckeyes won despite Butler shooting 19 more shots. The Buckeyes made up for it with twice as many free-throw attempts. But the Bulldogs’ 19 offensive rebounds and 18 second-chance points got the Buckeyes’ attention.

“Teams we play like Butler when all five guys are going on the glass, we just need to be more concentrated on the glass,” Jelavic said. “Even if your guy doesn’t go, you need to go rebound. So it’s always five guys defensive rebounding, and it’s just will.”

The defensive mindset is also about will. No doubt talk this week will center on not allowing one or two players to beat you. Butler tried with point guard Jalen Jackson’s 27 points and Treyson Anderson’s 17 points.

“Not very good,” Pippen said of the defensive effort. “We’re not in the season yet, so we just need to get back to the drawing board, get back watching film, just keep working on that.”

At halftime, Ohio State honored former head coach Thad Mata. He was presented with a portrait and the number 502 printed on it, the number of victories he accumulated at Ohio State, Butler and Xavier. He also received a souvenir basketball with his accomplishments listed.

Matta coached at Ohio State from 2004-17 and is the school’s winningest coach with a record of 337-123. He won five Big Ten titles and led the Buckeyes to two Final Fours.

When Matta entered the court, he was hugged by Diebler, who got his coaching start under Matta. When Matta was handed the mic, he began with an “O-H,” and the crowd responded with a loud “I-O.” He called his time at Ohio State 13 of the greatest years of his life.

Diebler speaks often about returning the program to the heights Matta took it to. This year’s team looks to be a move in the right direction, but Diebler didn’t spend all his time Sunday talking about the good things he saw. He focused, as he should, on the improvements that must be made to compete for a Big 10 title.

“Some good, some not so good for us,” he said. “Some areas disappointed – our lack of defensive communication and certainly rebounding. We had been really making strides in those areas, and it didn’t carry over as well as it needed to today.”

As Diebler watches video of the game, the list of details that must improve will grow. And there’s no time to waste. Because the season is less than a week away.