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.

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

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 necessary.

What’s more, this was the Buckeyes’ first road game of the season, and it could not have come at a much more hostile venue. The crowd may have shell-shocked Ohio State’s youngsters in the opening minutes, but it wasn’t a factor in the second half.

Look for Matta to use the entire experience as a learning opportunity. Sam Thompson certainly suggested as much after the game, as reported by Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors:

"

It’s our first time on the road, a lot of new guys, a lot of new faces that have never put this jersey on. We’ve just got to grow from it. We’ve got to come out more focused, we’ve got to come out with better execution and our minds have to be in the game from the jump. We can’t do the whole deal where we get down 20 and then start fighting. We’ve got to play from the jump. 

"

Part of that learning experience is giving young players without a lot of time at the collegiate level opportunities to prove themselves. Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports noticed that Matta was doing exactly that:

Despite the learning experience, it was discouraging that Shannon Scott played so poorly.

He finished with three points on 1-of-7 shooting, tallied zero assists and sat out for large stretches of the second half as Russell ran the offense. The fact that the Buckeyes still almost won in the midst of their senior leader’s struggles says a lot about the depth and resiliency of the team. Scott will play much better in big atmospheres moving forward because he has been in those situations and games so often.

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

His teammates will be ready as well.

One under-the-radar player who impressed in Louisville was freshman Jae’Sean Tate. He established his presence in the second half by battling down low and finishing with seven rebounds. He plays much taller than his listed 6’4” height and kept a number of offensive possessions alive simply by hustling to the ball and boxing out his man.

If Ohio State can get scrappy and consistent efforts like that all season from Tate, rebounding won’t be nearly as much of an issue as it was a season ago.

Mike Munden/Associated Press

While all of those silver linings should have Buckeyes fans excited for the future, Russell’s play was the best news for the program. Yes, he got off to an incredibly slow start, but he was not intimidated by the venue or the fact that he received plenty of boos from the crowd as a Louisville native who chose to go elsewhere.

In fact, Russell even motioned to the crowd at times and was playing with brash confidence in the final minutes. For stretches, it seemed like it was Russell against Louisville in the second half.

He did force the issue in the first half, and that was part of the reason the team fell behind by so much in the first place. However, he redeemed himself and finished with 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds on the night. He registered all seven of his team’s assists in the official box score.

Timothy D. Easley/Associated Press

Russell demonstrated his versatility when he ran the point throughout much of the second half and looked more than comfortable there. Having a second option behind Scott in case the senior struggles or find himself in foul trouble is critical to the overall dynamic of the team. 

Buckeyes fans may have pulled their hair out in the first half of the loss to Louisville, but the team’s willingness to fight and their overall resiliency should have those same fans feeling encouraged about what’s to come.

Follow me on Twitter:

Follow @ScottPolacek