Our Honor Defend

This wasn’t a game I was expecting the Buckeyes to win.  Sure enough, they didn’t.  While a run to end the first half pushed the halftime deficit to just 6 points, and spurt to begin the second half again cutting the margin to just 2, a quick series of unfocused play eventually unfolded everything for the Buckeyes.  Turnovers and poor defense got Purdue back on top by 10.  The Buckeyes never rebounded, eventually idling time while Purdue ran up a 25pt victory.

To be honest, I’m as interested in writing this recap post as the Buckeyes were in playing defense or rebounding.  Everything tangentially related to defense, something we hear commonly associated with Big Ten basketball, was optional.  Rebounding was optional, clearly.  The Buckeyes were outrebounded 32-17 by the Boilermakers, including a 13-5 margin on the offensive end.  Indeed, Purdue’s offensive rebound total for the game was just 4 shy of Ohio State’s total rebound tally.  Ball pressure was optional.  Purdue was more than able to distribute the ball with impunity.  A rather passive zone defense allowed Purdue plenty of seams in the paint, for a free jumpshot at the top of the paint or a bunny near the hoop.  Purdue’s shooting percentage for the game — 55% — benefitted from it.  Purdue’s three point shooting percentage for the game — 47.4% (9/19) — was just piling it on.  Transition defense was optional as well.  The numbers aren’t available to me now, but there were more than a few occasions where the Boilermakers beat the Buckeyes down the court, en masse, en route to a quick basket.

On the offensive end, the Buckeyes as a team at least put in an effort that underscored why Evan Turner is emerging as the likely Big Ten Player of the Year.  Nothing gets done for the Buckeyes offensively unless he’s the one doing it.  Though he fouled out, his 14 points were a team best¹.  PJ Hill and Jeremie Simmons were second in scoring with 7 points, but let that underscore the absence of BJ Mullens and Jon Diebler from the game festivities.  In the case of BJ Mullens, I really can’t blame him.  He had two offensive fouls called on him in the first half, both of which weren’t his fault.  The first wasn’t a foul at all, more a courtesy to Robbie Hummel for getting stonewalled on the baseline (and probably overaggressive whistling to account for the discussion of too many hard screens in the conference).  The second one, while questionably a foul (at least), was probably more Evan Turner’s fault for not allowing BJ to set before accepting the screen.  As a result, he saw extended time on the bench, allowing Kyle Madsen (0pts, 1reb, 1block, 17 minutes) more playing time than BJ (6pts, 2reb, 1block, 16 minutes).  In the case of Jon Diebler? Well, at least he tried.  He finished 2/12 for the game, with an equal number of field goals and times getting packed in mid-air.  Ay que va…

The Buckeyes’ loss to Purdue puts them at just 2-6 in Big Ten road games this season.  Better yet: next up is a road game in Carver-Hawkeye Arena with Iowa.  Afterwards, the Buckeyes finish up with the nerds at home on March 8, hoping that an extended run in the Big Ten Tournament could make some of that discussion of “repeat” go away.

Miscellaneous Observations

• I’ll relent that the second offensive foul on the screen called against BJ Mullens was legit.  It was close, but I’ll accept it.  The first one called against BJ Mullens and the one called against Evan Turner late in the second half (ultimately giving him 4 fouls) were not.  In the case of the former, BJ was set and any “movement” called on the “moving screen” was more BJ bracing himself for contact.  Having seen two replays of it, I don’t see any movement of the arms or hips to warrant calling that screen a “check”, as we would understand it in hockey terms.  In the case of Turner’s “moving screen”, it’s only a moving screen if you make contact.  There was no damn contact on that one.
• Purdue didn’t need some generous officiating to blow out the Buckeyes.  They would’ve done it anyways in all likelihood (again: defense, defense, defense and defense), but the Boilermakers were the beneficiary of some generous calls… and that shit-eating grin that Chris Kramer had because of a few of them (not getting called for last contact on an out of bounds pass by PJ Hill, giving Evan Turner a good slap on the face going up to contest the airballed layup) was certainly annoying.  The refs could’ve swallowed their whistles, allowed Purdue to still bludgeon us by 20, and the game would’ve been much, much more watchable.
• But oh well… that happens.  To say that officiating cost us the game doesn’t do justice to how good shooting and ball movement by Purdue torched us.
• Speaking of annoying and good shooting, Robbie Hummel was a thorn in our side the whole game.  Hummel didn’t see the court in Columbus, but played a game good for two against the Buckeyes.  He finished with 17pts (6/10), 4 rebounds and 2 steals.  There developed a point in time when watching that game were I just started groaning whenever a shot went up by him.
• Speaking of annoying, worrisome officiating and Robbie Hummel, I don’t see the point in either A) BJ Mullens getting in Robbie Hummel’s grill after dunking in his last two points of the game or B) the officials stopping play to reprimand BJ afterwards.  Yes, Hummel was an unwelcome sight for Buckeyes this game, but what utility getting in his face after a dunk — one that cut the deficit from 18 points to 16 points with under 7 minutes left to play — serves is beyond me.  I’m not sure what that accomplished outside of catharsis for BJ.  Further, why was it worth the official’s time to stop play and scold him like a misbehaving child?  Whatever the case, it happened and I don’t think BJ got back into the game afterwards.  I can only imagine how frustrated he was this game.
• I was just as surprised as everyone else on the Ohio State side was during the shot clock violation.  My understanding was Purdue gained control and lost it out of bounds.  I’d have to see it again, but I was surprised the shot clock wasn’t reset.
• On a lighter note, I understand Purdue has a player whose hometown is in Bosnia and Herzegovina.  Yet, whenever his name seemed to come up in the course of play, a few individuals in Purdue’s student section seemed to put up a flag.  It was a flag that certainly is not the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina.  If anything, it mostly resembled either the Croatian or Serbian flag.  I don’t know if that’s just Fail from those individuals in Purdue’s student section or if that’s purposeful, to underscore Calasan’s politics or regional affiliation².  I’m curious, if nothing else.
• OHD Favorite PJ Hill continued to improve on offense.  In particular, I was pleased with some court vision he showed and his ability to find drive and dish.  Still, he’s going to have to improve his ball control, else some anal referee will whistle him for carrying the ball.  Also, I think his otherwise staunch defense took a big step back today.  Then again, he wasn’t alone on this either.

1. Sadly, his 4 rebounds were almost a team best as well.  Yuck. [↩]
2. Calasan does come from a border town with Montenegro, formerly Serbia and Montenegro. [↩]