Ohio State Cliffs Notes game plan
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— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) February 18, 2021
If Ohio State can win the turnover battle, I think it wins this game. Penn State got back into the game the first time around because of mistakes it created because of some persistent on-ball pressure. The Buckeyes played too timid and weren’t strong enough with the ball. That’s more of a mindset for OSU, but it can be helped some by spreading the offense out a little more. Look for the Buckeyes to space the offense out a little more in this one and allow the guards and wings to use that ball pressure against Penn state by breaking down defenders and taking the ball to the hoop.
On defense, it’s all about Penn State’s guards too. They like to get into the lane and create angles and movement for open shots. As Ohio State always does, it’ll most likely play man-to-man defense, but it might be one that allows a little space on the shooters instead of a ton of closeouts. From there, it’s all about boxing out and crashing the class so that the Nittany Lions don’t get a ton of second chances.