Ohio State Basketball: Should Thad Matta Change Up Buckeyes’ Rotation?

Apparently, the best way to end a four-game losing streak in conference play is by having the fortune of playing a squad that is currently stuck in a six-game losing streak of its own.

Ohio State’s victory over Illinois was an affront to offensive basketball everywhere, as both teams struggled mightily from the field in the first half and combined for 27 turnovers. The Buckeyes were able to win and finally break free from their struggles because they got hot from behind the three-point line in the second half.

However, a seven-point win at home against an Illini team that looks downright awful right now isn’t enough to inspire confidence with road trips to Wisconsin and Iowa looming as two of the next three games.

The glass half-full approach would look at the second half of the Illinois game as a potential turning point, with Lenzelle Smith Jr. and LaQuinton Ross hitting multiple threes and the offense looking functional for the first time in a while. A more realistic approach would suggest that had more to do with Illinois than the team that just lost to Nebraska.

Would a switch to the starting lineup or the regular rotation give the Buckeyes a much-needed spark?

Not that long ago, it would have been absurd to even suggest a change to Thad Matta’s rotation. Ohio State was sitting pretty at 15-0 and was ranked as high as No. 3 in the country. The scarlet and gray looked dominant at Marquette, controlled the entire game against Maryland and shocked…

Continue Reading: Ohio State Basketball: Should Thad Matta Change Up Buckeyes’ Rotation?