Ohio State Basketball: Biggest Improvements Buckeyes Have Made in 2013-14

Ohio State may be off to a perfect 9-0 start in the 2013-14 season, but it was one of the best teams in the country last year. The Buckeyes took home the Big Ten tournament title and played their way to the Elite Eight before being stunned by Wichita State.

That means improvements won’t come easy throughout the campaign, even if Thad Matta’s squad continues to win. There are some things on the court that the Scarlet and Gray are doing better than last season though.

Let’s dig into a few of them.

Scoring Distribution

Last season Deshaun Thomas led the Big Ten in scoring and was one of the best offensive weapons in the entire country. He could score from behind the three-point line, mid-range and in the low post, and one of the primary concerns for the Buckeyes this season was replacing his production.

Thomas shot nearly 30 percent of Ohio State’s field-goal attempts last season, but instead of one guy replacing his shots and scoring, the Buckeyes have improved dramatically in scoring distribution. Four Buckeyes are scoring in double figures, and Shannon Scott isn’t far behind at nine points a night.

Last year, only Aaron Craft joined Thomas in the double-figures scoring club, and Craft averaged exactly 10 points a game only after a late-season charge.

The best thing about the scoring distribution this year is that Craft, Lenzelle Smith Jr., Scott, Sam Thompson, LaQuinton Ross, Amir Williams and even Marc Loving are…

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