As one of only two head coaches in the country to have seen Ohio State twice this season, Indiana's Tom Crean knows where the Buckeyes have improved most.
They've gotten significantly better over a two-week stretch playing off their superstar, D'Angelo Russell.
"The other guys on Ohio State did an excellent job of playing off of — and this is where I think they’ve gotten better — they played off of D’Angelo very, very well today," Crean said following the Buckeyes' 82-70 win over the Hoosiers on Sunday. "D’Angelo is a gifted player and his vision is certainly one of the great gifts that he has as an athlete, as a basketball player."
It's no secret Russell is one of the country's most talented all-around offensive players. He's the straw that stirs Ohio State's drink, if you will. As Russell goes, so go the Buckeyes.
He has the ability to put the team on his back as you saw in Ohio State's 69-67 win over Northwestern on Thursday when Russell scored 33 points, grabbed seven rebounds and dished out six assists. He scored the final 13 points of the game for the Buckeyes.
But in perhaps an even more impressive outing against the Hoosiers on Sunday, Russell got his points early, then created open looks for his teammates. He finished with a stat line of 22 points, 10 assists and six rebounds.
He aided fellow freshman Jae'Sean Tate to a career-high 20 points. He found Kam Williams for a pair of big 3-pointers. He dished to Sam Thompson off screens and curls for a couple of early jumpers.
The Buckeyes' key role players did just that: They played their role perfectly around the team's superstar.
“We shot 62 percent from the field so I give credit to all my teammates, they were making shots and finishing," Russell said following the win. "I was just finding them so it made my job easier."
“Tryouts are over. It's time to do your job and do your role.”– Thad Matta
Added Tate: "I think we are starting to find our roles, hit our strides as coach would say. We were up and down throughout the season and I think these two wins in a row — that’s all we kept talking about is how important it was to just get two wins in a row.”
The important part now for the Buckeyes is maintaining their level of play. Most nights Russell's production will be there. It's the other guys who will determine how good this Ohio State team can be.
"I think in terms of the evolution of this team, I want to see us do it again. I want to see us play with that type of emotion, that type of energy, that type of togetherness," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said. "As I've told our guys, and I always say this, tryouts are over. It's time to do your job and do your role. Each game I think we’re going to have to piece together different parts of the puzzle."
The next piece of that puzzle comes in form of 16th-ranked Maryland, which travels to Columbus on Thursday evening.
