Ohio State Basketball: Biggest Things We've Learned About Buckeyes in 2014-15

The college basketball season is a learning process for fans of the game, and filling out a March Madness bracket is the final exam where all that knowledge is put to the test.

It is teams like this season’s Ohio State squad (18-6, 7-4 Big Ten) that make that final exam so difficult.

At times, the Buckeyes look like they could be the second-best team in the Big Ten behind Wisconsin and challenge almost anyone in the country in a single-elimination tournament.

Then there are other times when Ohio State looks completely lost—outside of guard D’Angelo Russell—and appears to be a team that could be in for a disappointing March.

The best fans can do before filling out those NCAA tournament brackets is accumulate as much knowledge as they can and hope for the best. With that in mind, here are some of the things the college basketball world has learned about the Buckeyes thus far this season.

D’Angelo Russell Is a Once-in-a-Generation Player

Russell had some hype inside the confines of Columbus and even the Big Ten heading into the season, but he has taken the nation by storm.

His presence alone on the basketball court means the Buckeyes could theoretically win any game because he is like an NBA player competing against college kids.

Russell brings the complete package to the table—he can shoot from the outside (44.5 percent from three-point range), slash to the rim, hit teammates with jaw-dropping passes and even rebound (he leads the team with 5.9 boards a night).

The entire Ohio State offense was transformed when he started running more point guard and controlling the ball at the end of the shot clock. As a result, the Buckeyes have won four of five games and are tied for second in the conference.

Mel Evans/Associated Press

Russell’s full array of talents were on display in Sunday’s win over Rutgers when he picked up the fourth triple-double in school history with 23 points, 11 assists and 11 rebounds.

He also inspired Rutgers coach Eddie Jordan to make some lofty comparisons during his teleconference: “He’s like Tom Brady and Peyton Manning, he just sees the floor, the game’s so easy to him.”

Ohio State fans should enjoy this final month of watching Russell because he will likely lace it up in the NBA next season if his position as the No. 2 pick in DraftExpress’ latest mock draft is any indication.

Russell has the talent to keep the Buckeyes in any game they play, which is a scary proposition for whomever they line up across in March.

The Buckeyes Need Marc Loving Back

Doug McSchooler/Associated Press

While Russell may be a once-in-a-generation type of talent, Ohio State needs more on the offensive side of the ball to accomplish its goals. The way to get that is with the return of forward Marc Loving, who is currently suspended indefinitely.

Loving leads the nation with a dazzling 53.2 percent shooting clip from three-point range, which helps space the floor and take some of the pressure off Russell.

In Ohio State’s loss at Purdue Wednesday, the Boilermakers essentially swarmed Russell on a number of occasions and clogged the lane to take away any penetration.

The Buckeyes didn’t have anyone out there who could really make Purdue pay for that strategy with lethal three-point shooting, like Loving did against Maryland.

Matthew Holst/Getty Images

Loving drilled all five of his three-point attempts on his way to 19 points and six rebounds in that win over Maryland. That is the type of second-scorer production that was glaringly absent from the perimeter against Purdue.

Loving also brings height to Thad Matta’s small-ball lineup at 6’7” and has the length to bother opponents on the defensive end.

CBS Sports’ Jon Rothstein did point out that there is reason for optimism after the win over Rutgers on Sunday when it comes to finding a replacement:

While Keita Bates-Diop was excellent on Sunday, he has been a non-factor for much of the season. Loving is the proven scorer who shoots from three-point range better than anyone in the nation. The Buckeyes need that if they hope to make noise in March.

This Team Could Make a Deep Tournament Run or Flame Out in the Round of 64

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

There are few things in all of sports that can be as maddening for a fanbase as inconsistency.

Ohio State showed how dangerous it can be with its 24-point victory over then-No. 16 Maryland that came right on the heels of a 12-point win over then-No. 23 Indiana.

The mixture of NBA-ready talent in Russell, experience and senior leadership in forward Sam Thompson and guard Shannon Scott, and an X-factor who keeps getting better every game in forward Jae’Sean Tate was on full display.

However, even with those ingredients for success in place, there are enough weaknesses on this team that it could very well lose in the round of 64 for a second consecutive season.

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

Scott and Thompson both shoot below 25 percent from three-point range, the big men don’t really impact the game on a consistent basis and if Loving doesn’t return this season, defenses will swarm Russell in March and force the other guys to beat them.

Russell is in a category by himself and has been largely impervious to the ups and downs of a long season, but Ohio State is reliant on all freshmen and seniors without Loving on the roster.

Freshmen are going to be inconsistent in their first year, while the seniors have been inconsistent themselves throughout their four years on campus.

The fact that Ohio State looks like a completely different team from game to game isn’t that much of a surprise when all of that is taken into consideration.

Jamie Sabau/Getty Images

For the Buckeyes to play at their best, they need Loving back on the floor, Russell to play like the basketball wizard he is, the seniors to do what they do best instead of forcing ill-advised threes and Tate to play with the relentless energy he has displayed during the Big Ten portion of the schedule.

If all that happens in March, Matta’s squad has a high ceiling. If it doesn’t, Buckeyes fans will be mentally preparing for football season in March once again.

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