Overall, I think Ohio State is a favorable matchup for ISU.
Defensively, I expect ISU to switch screens 1-4 against tOSU's heavy ball-screen continuity offense. tOSU is patient on offense and is constantly setting ball screens to "muddy" up the floor & confuse opposing defenders. tOSU is not a dangerous 3 pt shooting team, but it does have the personnel to get the job done (often times 1-5 too). They do not have a strong back court and natural playmakers so I could see ISU really benefiting from playing occasional zone to mix it up between possessions, after timeouts, or S/BOBs. This might be a good game to run some 3/4 court defense to speed up the game too. tOSU guards are quite turnover prone which should lead to some easy ISU offense. Run, run, run.
No surprise, but on offense ISU will need to get out in transition off misses, makes, and turnovers. If you want to make Kaleb Wesson obsolete make him run with Jacobson, Lard, and Conditt. tOSU is pretty solid at limiting easy 2s, but they do allow above average 3 pt attempts. I expect that good looks at 3 will be available for ISU, but I think the key will be for ISU to put pressure on defense with aggressive drives and post ups. Passing out of the post to the perimeter from Jacobson, Lard, and THT will be important. While ISU is not a great at this, it will benefit greatly by drawing fouls too (I am looking at you Wigginton, Shayok, and THT). Ultimately, ISU will need to prioritize easy 2s and everything else should follow favorably.
The keys I see are:
1) Run, dictate tempo. I expect Holtmann et. al will want to make this game a grinder.
2) ISU guards need really put pressure on tOSU's guards to create turnovers and making post entry passes difficult.
3) Put pressure on tOSU post defenders through aggressive drive and kicks to stretch the defense.
4) Switch defensive looks periodically to create confusion.
5) Like every other game, the ball cannot stick- it really needs to move around and players need to keep moving too.
6) This will be a good test for Jacobson, Lard, and Conditt. How they defend tOSU's post players and rebound will be critical (surprise, surprise)
p.s. The x-factors are Andre Wesson, Kyle Young, and Justin Ahrens. They all have lower usage, but they are all sneaky good players in their own right.
