‘Ugly’ game helped Buckeyes upset Iowa St.
TULSA, OKLA. — Ohio State is headed to the second round of the NCAA Tournament after upsetting Iowa State 63-60 on Friday night.
It’s the second straight season that the Buckeyes have advanced to the second round. The win also gives Ohio State coach Chris Holtmann five straight in the first round. The only other coaches to do that are Mike Krzyzewski, Jay Wright, Mark Few, Bill Self, Roy Williams and John Calipari.
“This one is maybe as sweet as any opening round win I’ve had,” Holtmann said.
Everything the Buckeyes (20-14, 8-12 Big Ten) needed to do in order to pull off the upset, they did. Here’s how:
The game was ugly and that’s a good thing
For any basketball fan who Ohio State vs. Houston, 8:40 p.m., TNT, 1410 loves to see an up-and-down game filled with made shots and efficient play, this was not the game for you. This, in fact, was the exact opposite of that.
The teams combined to shoot 41.4 percent from the field and the Cyclones had an almost four-minute stretch in the first half where they made one of 13 shots. The Buckeyes had a similar stretch in the second half, making one of 10 shots. There were 23 turnovers in the game and the physical play was reminiscent of a Big Ten game.
These teams play different brands of basketball and Holtmann understood that whoever controlled the tempo would have the upper hand. Ohio State tried to make this an ugly, defensive game and it worked perfectly.
The Buckeyes pushed the ball only at times where it led to direct scores. Any other forced turnover or defensive rebound was met with patience in the half court until Ohio State found the shot it wanted. That usually resulted in putting the ball in the hands of its big man in the post.
“We knew we weren’t going to win unless he imposed himself physically for as many minutes as we could ride him,” Holtmann said. “You’re never sure, when you’re watching film, if you can attack them in certain areas until you’re actually playing. We did feel like we could get the ball in spots. Our guys did a great job getting it to him and he did an excellent job imposing himself.”
Kaleb Wesson being Kaleb Wesson
There is no team on Iowa State’s schedule that has a player quite like Kaleb Wesson. He’s big, strong and skilled. That type of combination can cause problems for a team who’s best weapons operate on the perimeter. Because of that Wesson punished them down low.
“My teammates were finding me,” Wesson said. “Having the ball in your hands, being able to feel it and get your touch right. That helps a lot.”
Wesson scored 15 of his 23 points in the second half. He also surprisingly played the entire second half. He abused any defender Iowa State threw at him. And he stayed out of foul trouble.
“I feel like that helped a lot,” Wesson said. “Just being able to play and not have to worry about ticky-tack fouls.”