Entering Saturday’s Ohio State vs. Illinois showdown in Champaign, the Buckeyes were ranked eighth in the nation. They hadn’t beaten any team better than the 12-4 Great Danes of Albany, nor had they won a single true road game.
They still haven’t.
No. 11 Illinois obliterated the Buckeyes by a 74-55 margin.
The rout raises some major questions about how well-equipped Thad Matta’s team is to compete in the strongest Big Ten in years.
OSU is averaging 79.5 points per game in its wins, but Saturday’s flop drops the team’s scoring mark in losses to 63 points a night. In other words, teams equipped to make super-scorer Deshaun Thomas work for his points (as Illinois did) have been able to lock down the rest of the Buckeye offense in the process.
Only a late spurt by Aaron Craft—after the game was well out of reach—gave Ohio State a second double-digit scorer in Champaign. Without some kind of reliable second option, the Buckeyes will be in deep…
Continue reading at Bleacher Report – Ohio State Basketball
