OHIO STATE

McCurdy: Does Ohio State pass the smell test?

Rob McCurdy
Reporter
Ohio State Buckeyes center Trevor Thompson (32) dunks on Wisconsin Badgers forward Ethan Happ (22) during the upset win at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes won 83-73.

COLUMBUS - Thursday night's upset win over Wisconsin was nice, but there isn't enough disinfectant to rid the stench of this 2016-17 men's basketball season at Ohio State.

Beating a ranked team for the first time in a year was merely cologne covering a truly stinky overall performance in the Big Ten this season.

After that 83-73 showing when shots were falling more than ever and the defense was locked in like few times this year, the Buckeyes are still 16-13 overall and 6-10 in the conference. Anything short of winning the Big Ten Tournament to gain an automatic berth into the NCAA Tournament means this year was more like toilet water than eau de toilette.

The bottom line is this team should be in the field of 68, not on the NIT bubble. Considering what returned from last year's disappointment, considering they were a year older and more secure in their roles, considering the Big Ten wasn't as powerful this year, Ohio State never put it together this year.

And there is plenty of blame to go around.

Marc Loving may be the least impactful 1,000-point scorer in Ohio State history.

Trevor Thompson can look like a future NBA lottery pick one game and look like an Amir Williams clone in the next.

The fact that Jae'Sean Tate is the team's leading scorer is an indictment of this team. What Tate lacks in polish and a consistent shot, he makes up for with effort and energy most games, which means he should be a third or fourth-option, not the team's go-to.

JaQuan Lyle is a square peg in a round hole. Just because he has point guard skills doesn't make him a point guard. Forcing him to run the team hasn't worked consistently because he's inconsistent. He's better suited as an off-guard, who can play the point in spots.

Kam Williams is an undersized shooting guard whose ball handling is so suspect he rarely unleashes his quickness and leaping ability by beating defenders off the dribble. So he stands around the perimeter waiting for his few scoring opportunities, but he is only shooting a pedestrian 31 percent from the arc in the Big Ten season. And he's supposed to be a knock-down shooter.

Ohio State Buckeyes forward Marc Loving (2) is fouled by Wisconsin Badgers forward Nigel Hayes (10) during the Buckeyes upset win at Value City Arena. The Buckeyes won 83-73.

C.J. Jackson had the game of his life against Wisconsin, scoring 18 points and making all four 3-pointers. But remember, he is averaging five points and shooting 27 percent from the arc and 37 percent overall. He's perfectly suited to be a backup point guard, not a lead guard. The problem is he's started the last six games.

Freshmen Micah Potter and Andre Wesson have been given ample opportunities to play, but they are role players who have made very little impact this season.

Keita Bates-Diop was lost for the season in January and will get a red-shirt. He's a good player, but losing him should not have crippled the team as it did.

Which brings us to Thad Matta. The coach doesn't get a pass. He recruited these guys. He also recruited the failed freshmen class of a year ago that saw four of the five transfer out of the program. The fact that this collection's growth has been stunted is on him. When effort and basketball IQ remain issues, when close games are lost, when leads are blown, it's coaching. He's not reaching these guys.

Likewise, effort and energy is a personal pride thing. Handling adversity and showing toughness comes from within. Losing focus for stints and playing like a junior varsity squad in crunch time is on the players. They need a lot more want-to than they've shown.

Still, with all that said, Ohio State's situation is not dire. Not yet anyway.

Matta is the same guy who has won league championships and taken two teams to the Final Four. He didn't forget how to coach over the last two years. He deserves the chance to deodorize the program.

Despite their flaws, the Buckeyes aren't that far away from experiencing that sweet smell of success.

More than anything, what ails this team is the lack of a true point guard. The Buckeyes have been at their best when Lyle is playing at a high level or like Thursday night when Jackson had his career game. They need someone who can run a team, play smart in crucial situations, be a calming influence when things get sideways and make plays for himself and his teammates.

Next year Ohio State better hope 6-foot freshman-to-be Braxton Beverly brings his A-game and a can of Lysol, too.

He could be the deodorant the Buckeyes need.

Rob McCurdy covers Ohio State men's basketball for USA Today Network-Ohio and can be reached at rmccurdy@gannett.com, Work 740-375-5158, cell 419-610-0998, Twitter @McMotorsport or Instagram @rob_mccurdy_star.