Help-Defense with Sullinger Away From the Paint, a Bug on Ohio State's Defense
By Rafael Uehara
Of the elite teams in the country, fifth-ranked Ohio State is the one that has looked the shakiest over the last couple of weeks. The Buckeyes have lost two of their last three games, nothing that should make OSU’s fans feel their heads are on fire, but Ohio State’s last great performance was 13 days ago at Wisconsin, first win in the Thad Matta Era at the Kohl Center. Since, their offense hasn’t been as smooth, mostly due to William Buford’s inconsistency, which exposed maybe some codependency issues.
On defense, what has happened is teams have made a conscious effort to stress Ohio State’s help defense with Jared Sullinger away from the paint. It’s something that Purdue used successfully, erupting for 84 points against the eighth-ranked scoring defense in the country, scoring 18 points at the rim through high screen-and-roll action to force Sullinger all the way to the top of the key and make OSU’s wings and guards defend in space.
Michigan State kept an eye on it and tried some of the same, although not at the same rate because the Spartans’ guards aren’t as aggressive and most of their offense is run through the post, either high or low.
Meanwhile, Minnesota took advantage of its skilled frontcourt players and made them come out in the perimeter, almost forcing Sullinger to the backcourt or the wings, opening a whole bunch of ground for the Buckeyes to cover. A guy like Aaron Craft, for example, the best on-ball defender in the country, was exposed having to chase more athletic types without Jared behind him.
Saturday, 19th-ranked Michigan beat Ohio State by five, 56-51, making 11 of its 22 field-goals at the rim, accounting for 39.2% of the Wolverines’ scoring.
Jared Sullinger is not Anthony Davis protecting the paint but he sure is an interior presence that commands respect and gives his teammates less ground to cover, which allows them to focus where they excel at, which is on-ball defense.
Ohio State remains ranked second in the nation in defensive efficiency, according to Team Rankings, despite having allowed an average of nine points higher over their last four games than their average for the season. And I’m sure Matta will get it sorted out, perhaps by simply demanding better focus from his players. It isn’t as much of a big deal but it’s something to keep an eye on as the toughest stretch of the season approaches.
Editor's Note: Rafael Uehara is the managing editor of 'The Basketball Post'. More of his work can be found here and he can be followed on twitter @rafael_uehara or reached via e-mail at rafael_uehara@live.com
Of the elite teams in the country, fifth-ranked Ohio State is the one that has looked the shakiest over the last couple of weeks. The Buckeyes have lost two of their last three games, nothing that should make OSU’s fans feel their heads are on fire, but Ohio State’s last great performance was 13 days ago at Wisconsin, first win in the Thad Matta Era at the Kohl Center. Since, their offense hasn’t been as smooth, mostly due to William Buford’s inconsistency, which exposed maybe some codependency issues.
On defense, what has happened is teams have made a conscious effort to stress Ohio State’s help defense with Jared Sullinger away from the paint. It’s something that Purdue used successfully, erupting for 84 points against the eighth-ranked scoring defense in the country, scoring 18 points at the rim through high screen-and-roll action to force Sullinger all the way to the top of the key and make OSU’s wings and guards defend in space.
Michigan State kept an eye on it and tried some of the same, although not at the same rate because the Spartans’ guards aren’t as aggressive and most of their offense is run through the post, either high or low.
Meanwhile, Minnesota took advantage of its skilled frontcourt players and made them come out in the perimeter, almost forcing Sullinger to the backcourt or the wings, opening a whole bunch of ground for the Buckeyes to cover. A guy like Aaron Craft, for example, the best on-ball defender in the country, was exposed having to chase more athletic types without Jared behind him.
Saturday, 19th-ranked Michigan beat Ohio State by five, 56-51, making 11 of its 22 field-goals at the rim, accounting for 39.2% of the Wolverines’ scoring.
Jared Sullinger is not Anthony Davis protecting the paint but he sure is an interior presence that commands respect and gives his teammates less ground to cover, which allows them to focus where they excel at, which is on-ball defense.
Ohio State remains ranked second in the nation in defensive efficiency, according to Team Rankings, despite having allowed an average of nine points higher over their last four games than their average for the season. And I’m sure Matta will get it sorted out, perhaps by simply demanding better focus from his players. It isn’t as much of a big deal but it’s something to keep an eye on as the toughest stretch of the season approaches.
Editor's Note: Rafael Uehara is the managing editor of 'The Basketball Post'. More of his work can be found here and he can be followed on twitter @rafael_uehara or reached via e-mail at rafael_uehara@live.com
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