COLUMBUS, Ohio – That new zone defense that’s rough around the edges, that opposing big man that’s probably going to be an All-American and a youthful team heading into a tough environment for the first time. Thad Matta had plenty to worry about before Ohio State’s first major test of the season, but he knew one thing for sure – when it was over, his team’s problems would be exposed and he’d have some answers. But after the No. 14 Buckeyes’ 64-55 loss at No. 5 Louisville, Ohio State’s offense, its ability to score, was the problem. You know, the offense that entered the game second overall in the country in shooting percentage at 56.7 percent. The one with the senior point guard in Shannon Scott leading the nation in assists (10.4 per game), a freshman in D’Angelo Russell who scores as naturally as anyone in the country and the bench that goes 10 deep. Yes. That offense. It was the problem. “We just couldn’t make shots,” freshman D’Angelo Russell, a Louisville native, said after the game. “Honestly, if you watch the film, every shot we took, there was never a bad shot. We just couldn’t knock them down. I felt like if we would have knocked them down, we would have won by 20.” We weren’t supposed to hear quotes like that this year. That was so last year, a season during which the Buckeyes’ shooting went cold regularly. But this team wasn’t supposed to finish 17-of-56 from the floor (30.4 percent) like it did vs. Louisville. Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell led the Buckeyes with 17 points, but he finished only 6-of-20 from the floor…
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