What a college basketball game Ohio State and Notre Dame treated us to on Sunday afternoon. The Fighting Irish controlled the game through the first half and a lot of the second, but Ohio State slowly found its footing, took the lead, then things went back and forth before Christop Tilly hit a running layup in the lane with a few seconds left for the winning 64-63 margin.
The season is still young, and we are still trying to figure out what this OSU basketball team is all about, so each time we get to see it in action, there are some observations and things we think we learn.
Because of that, we like to provide you with what we call our three points from the game, or three takeaways that we feel are themes of the game and what we walked away with. It’s always better to learn from a close win than a loss, and that’s what happened here.
We give you three things we think we learned after watching the Ohio State basketball team beat the Notre Dame Fighting Irish in a barn-burner on Sunday afternoon.
Ohio State continues to start slow
It’s becoming a bit of a trend. The Buckeyes got down against Appalachian State last time out, and then had a real problem being productive and efficient on both ends of the court against Notre Dame on Sunday. In fact, the Irish led by as many as eleven points before Ohio State started to slowly figure things out.
A lot of it has to do with tentativeness and a lack of focus and energy, and the Buckeyes may have gotten away with it against Notre Dame, but you can bet it won’t against similar and better competition down the road. This team is still figuring things out, and this is one area in which head coach Jake Diebler needs to put his finger on.
Christoph Tilly is figuring it out for the Buckeyes
There were periods in the game where I felt like Santa Clara transfer big man Christoph Tilly was struggling to play through the contact and physical play Notre Dame brought to bear. That was concerning because it’s very similar to what Tilly will see on a nightly basis in the Big Ten. He was visibly frustrated and ineffective early on.
But then he started to figure it out. Tilly appears to be a quick learner because he began to seek contact in the lane and expected it as he went in for the shot. As a result, he was more aggressive and went to the free-throw line, where he knocked down 10-of-13 to give OSU an advantage there. He finished with 18 points, including the game-winner. It was an excellent case of learning on the job, and he’s going to see much more of it.
Bruce Thornton is still nails for Ohio State
We’ve said it before, and it is worth repeating: This team will go as far as Bruce Thornton takes it. When things looked like they were headed south in this one, Thornton seemed to will his team back into it by taking control of the offensive production. Slowly, his presence, decision-making, and scoring brought the Buckeyes back in this one.
He led all scorers in the game once again, this time by pouring in 24 points on 8-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-7 from 3-point range. He also ran the point beautifully and hauled down four rebounds. I’m not sure why he doesn’t get more love in the country, and especially in the Big Ten as a Player of the Year candidate, but he’s really good and shows it every week.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes, and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State basketball vs. Notre Dame reaction: 3 points on the win
