Jared Wickerham/Getty Images Frustrated Ohio State basketball fans will tell you that there was one lesson learned during nonconference play—this team cannot compete with the nation’s elite. Of course, a two-game sample size is far too small to jump to any lasting conclusions, but it is understandable that some within Buckeye Nation have questioned this group after two convincing losses to Louisville and North Carolina. That is especially the case because the wins have all come against lackluster competition. The good news is, the team gets a blank slate once Big Ten play begins Tuesday against Iowa. There will be plenty more opportunities against nationally ranked competition within the conference that the Buckeyes need to take advantage of before Selection Sunday. Before the team digs into Big Ten play, though, let’s take a look back at some of the most important lessons learned in the nonconference portion of the schedule. Tempo is a Good Thing Joe Robbins/Getty Images Throw out the slow and prodding Big Ten stereotypes when the Buckeyes take the floor this season. Ohio State is 34th in adjusted tempo in Ken Pomeroy’s rankings and has experienced success pushing the pace against some of the weaker opponents on the schedule. Shannon Scott has been the main catalyst behind the faster pace, and his 7.7 assists and 2.5 steals per game demonstrate his effectiveness on both sides of the ball. What’s more, the Buckeyes have the athletes on the wing in D’Angelo Russell, Sam Thompson, Kam Williams and Marc Loving, among others, to get out in transition and score at will when the shots are falling. After all, there is a reason Ohio State is seventh in the nation in points per game. Kirk Irwin/Getty Images Tempo also opens up looks from behind the three-point line, which is why the Buckeyes are shooting 42 percent as a team from deep. Loving is hitting at a blistering 57.8 percent clip as well, largely because defenses run straight back toward the basket when retreating in transition, which opens up looks for the trailers. The Buckeyes also go 10-deep this season, which is why they are able to push the tempo without worrying as much about fatigue. D’Angelo Russell Won’t be in Columbus Long Charles Rex Arbogast/Associated Press Russell will be the first to tell you that he fell short of expectations in the two national spotlight games against Louisville and North Carolina, but he is still a unique talent who will be lacing it up in the NBA sooner rather than later. …
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