Ohio State Hoops Resumes Big Ten Play vs. Wisconsin
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It's hard to argue with much in Ohio State's 11-2 start to the regular season.
So, of course, let's argue.
While warning signs with OSU are hard to find, they're not as hard to find in the aftermath of a 67-59 loss to West Virginia on Sunday at Quicken Loans Arena.
The Buckeyes showed vulnerabilities against WVU's pressure defense that will surely come back to bite them, if not Friday at home against Wisconsin, then certainly over the next week in games at Maryland on Tuesday and at Indiana on Saturday.
OSU committed 22 turnovers against West Virginia, which rattled OSU's tandem point guards C.J. Walker and D.J. Carton.
Carton had five turnovers in 22 minutes. Walker, leading scorer Kaleb Wesson and Wesson's brother, Andre, had four apiece.
That's a big problem, because those four probably have the ball 80 percent of the time for Ohio State.
In that game, when things became difficult at the offensive end, the Buckeyes looked uncertain who should initiate the offense and where the ball needed to go.
That's the down side of four guards -- Carton, Walker, Duane Washington and Luther Muhammed -- averaging between 21.9 minutes and 23.7 minutes per-game.
As great as it is to have non-conference wins over Cincinnati, Kentucky, North Carolina and Villanova, Ohio State has yet to establish a go-to lineup for crunch time.
That showed in losses at Minnesota and to West Virginia.
Kyle Young's appendectomy after the WVU loss will keep him out against Wisconsin, and maybe longer.
That opens more time for freshman E.J. Liddell at forward at a time when Ohio State needs to be narrowing its rotation, not expanding it.
Young leaves a considerable hole at power forward, given his averages of 8.3 points and 6.8 rebounds.
Liddell is averaging 7.6 points and 4.1 rebounds. He's shown flashes, particularly in the win at North Carolina, of being capable of more with more minutes.
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