Ohio State Basketball: Buckeyes’ Fight Back Shows That Young Squad Will Be Fine

It’s not very often that the losing team in a marquee nonconference showdown in college basketball is the one feeling better about itself in the aftermath.
That is exactly what happened after Ohio State’s 64-55 loss to Louisville.
The Cardinals led by as many as 19 points and looked ready to put the game away in the opening half. Ohio State shot an abysmal 23 percent in the opening 20 minutes and simply looked like it didn’t belong. Louisville’s full-court pressure was swarming to the ball and causing major problems, shots weren’t falling and Wayne Blackshear and Montrezl Harrell were enforcing their will on the game.
Then, things started to click for the Buckeyes.

They gradually cut the 19-point deficit to three with about a minute remaining. D’Angelo Russell’s efforts were key to the comeback as Shannon Scott sat next to Thad Matta, but Marc Loving also played very well until he fouled out. It was clear that Loving was Ohio State’s second option throughout the game.

It is a testament to the team as a whole and Matta’s coaching ability that Ohio State battled back like that.
There are plenty of silver linings from the loss that imply the Buckeyes will be fine in the long term, including Loving’s performance, considering how inconsistent he was a season ago. If he can develop into an offensive force, Ohio State will have yet another scoring option who can stretch the defense and battle inside the lane if…

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