I would not say RU played their best game of the year tonight against OSU: Maybe the Wisconsin OT loss game, or the Illinois game might have been the 2 best games.
BUT ... I believe this might have been the closest RU came to playing 40 minutes of consistent basketball all season. It was not QUITE 40 minutes of consistent play .... maybe 34 minutes. And the play was not always GOOD play - but it WAS very consistent play and consistent effort for at least 34-35 minutes.
Stat of the game - 2 stats:
1) Rebounding: 18 or 19 offensive rebounds - 22 2nd chance points, obliterated OSU overall on the boards, 47-31.
2) FG defense: After OSU started the game 8-10 FG in the 1st 6 minutes of the game, RU held OSU to 10-34 the rest of the game ... and by my count held OSU to just 5 (FIVE!) FG overall in the 2nd half.
Great Coaching Move: Pikiell changing RU to the zone defense after OSU made mincemeat of RU's man to man defense to start the game. That changed the entire flow of the game. And when RU went back to the man defense, RU's man defense was much better the rest of the game.
Terrible Coaching Move: Motta sitting Thompson down with his 3rd foul with something like 15 or 16 minutes left in the game (not wrong) ... BUT ... not putting him back until there were 6-7 minutes left. Not sure why he sat Thompson so long. RU got several huge offensive rebounds and baskets in that stretch, with the likes of Bell and Wesson playing post defense. Unless Thompson was hurt.
After RU was down 15-5, RU outscored OSU 61-42 the rest of the way. Down 30-25 before Johnson's 2 FT at the end of the 1st half, RU outscored OSU 41-27 to end the game.
Player Comments:
Johnson: Really kept RU in the game in the 1st half with his shooting and offense, when RU was really struggling to score. And then was clutch in the end, icing the game with 6 straight FT in the end game. His defense was higher energy than it has been in recent games, to his credit. Still too many bone-head turnovers. Obviously, his play was huge tonight.
Freeman: Just kept working, and working and working, after he struggled a little in the 1st half. Just 6 points in the 2nd half, though it seemed like more ... and 5 2nd half rebounds ... 10 points and 8 rebounds is a very nice game though.
Williams: I know, I know, he only scored 4 points, and missed a driving lay up and 5 3's. BUT ... he also ripped down NINE (9!) rebounds ... that is right, 9 rebounds. And played really, really strong defense. I think he spent a fair bit of the night covering Kam Williams (only credited with 2 shots), Lyle (1-8 FG and just 5 points) and a little bit on Loving on switches.
Sanders: A clutch 3 and a clutch driving basket, and a HUGE save on a loose ball that he was able to get to Thiam for a made 3, and very good defense in the 2nd half. But ... 5 turnovers and 2-10 FG. Still ... That RU won with Sanders NOT playing a particularly strong game is a very good sign. Of course, his ability to get to the rim led directly to 3 or even 4 offensive rebound baskets off his misses - so not all bad.
Gettys: Not a great game, but okay - and 9 rebounds. Played better in the 2nd half, in fewer minutes, even with getting fewer rebounds. At least I thought so. His 1st half stats looked better, but I think he played better defense in the 2nd half.
Thiam: Maybe his best overall game of the year. Yes he scored 10 points in one game a few games ago. And he played 34 minutes against Illinois (very good defense). BUT ... he weas much more aggressive offensively, much more confident offensively, in this game - which resulted in 2 made 3's and a nice little move in the paint. The made shots were obviously huge - but the offensive aggressiveness was really important, in general. Especially with Sanders and Williams having off shooting nights. When in, he also covered Loving, who was just 2-7 FG, with 5 points.
Doorson: Just a quiet, but solidly good, game. Just 4 rebounds (3 in the 2nd half - all important), no points, but a number of just crunching screens, and very, very solid defense when Gettys had the fouls trouble.
Laurent: A very strong 1st half, where with Johnson he really helped RU hang in there with 2 key baskets, including a 3. Just spot duty in the 2nd half.
Sa: Played really solid defense as the 3rd center RU used, spelling Gettys and Doorson. Really solid. AND ... his put back basket was one of the really important baskets of the 2nd half - with the FT made after he was fouled on the basket. His effort and energy (lacking in so many games recently) was very significant in helping RU keep the dominating tone of the game in RU's favor.
Omoruyi: Not many minutes, but 5 rebounds ... and critically important defense on Tate in the last 2 minutes replacing a fouled out Freeman. He did a really good job on Tate in those last 2 minutes.
Overall, RU's team defense the 2nd half was simply superb ... great on ball defense, great covering of the high screen and rolls, excellent rotations.
By the way, the 2 awful calls: Omoruyi getting called for the foul on what I thought was great position well above the in-the-paint circle, and the foul call on Sanders as he defended the 3 by Kam Williams ... in real time, and on the replay, that looked really clean, and all ball.
Kudos to the team for their continued effort and work, and to Pikiell and his staff for their ability to both coach up this team, and to keep the players playing hard and buying in. One last question: Is Diallo hurt, or hurting? Not sure why he has disappeared the last few weeks.
BUT ... I believe this might have been the closest RU came to playing 40 minutes of consistent basketball all season. It was not QUITE 40 minutes of consistent play .... maybe 34 minutes. And the play was not always GOOD play - but it WAS very consistent play and consistent effort for at least 34-35 minutes.
Stat of the game - 2 stats:
1) Rebounding: 18 or 19 offensive rebounds - 22 2nd chance points, obliterated OSU overall on the boards, 47-31.
2) FG defense: After OSU started the game 8-10 FG in the 1st 6 minutes of the game, RU held OSU to 10-34 the rest of the game ... and by my count held OSU to just 5 (FIVE!) FG overall in the 2nd half.
Great Coaching Move: Pikiell changing RU to the zone defense after OSU made mincemeat of RU's man to man defense to start the game. That changed the entire flow of the game. And when RU went back to the man defense, RU's man defense was much better the rest of the game.
Terrible Coaching Move: Motta sitting Thompson down with his 3rd foul with something like 15 or 16 minutes left in the game (not wrong) ... BUT ... not putting him back until there were 6-7 minutes left. Not sure why he sat Thompson so long. RU got several huge offensive rebounds and baskets in that stretch, with the likes of Bell and Wesson playing post defense. Unless Thompson was hurt.
After RU was down 15-5, RU outscored OSU 61-42 the rest of the way. Down 30-25 before Johnson's 2 FT at the end of the 1st half, RU outscored OSU 41-27 to end the game.
Player Comments:
Johnson: Really kept RU in the game in the 1st half with his shooting and offense, when RU was really struggling to score. And then was clutch in the end, icing the game with 6 straight FT in the end game. His defense was higher energy than it has been in recent games, to his credit. Still too many bone-head turnovers. Obviously, his play was huge tonight.
Freeman: Just kept working, and working and working, after he struggled a little in the 1st half. Just 6 points in the 2nd half, though it seemed like more ... and 5 2nd half rebounds ... 10 points and 8 rebounds is a very nice game though.
Williams: I know, I know, he only scored 4 points, and missed a driving lay up and 5 3's. BUT ... he also ripped down NINE (9!) rebounds ... that is right, 9 rebounds. And played really, really strong defense. I think he spent a fair bit of the night covering Kam Williams (only credited with 2 shots), Lyle (1-8 FG and just 5 points) and a little bit on Loving on switches.
Sanders: A clutch 3 and a clutch driving basket, and a HUGE save on a loose ball that he was able to get to Thiam for a made 3, and very good defense in the 2nd half. But ... 5 turnovers and 2-10 FG. Still ... That RU won with Sanders NOT playing a particularly strong game is a very good sign. Of course, his ability to get to the rim led directly to 3 or even 4 offensive rebound baskets off his misses - so not all bad.
Gettys: Not a great game, but okay - and 9 rebounds. Played better in the 2nd half, in fewer minutes, even with getting fewer rebounds. At least I thought so. His 1st half stats looked better, but I think he played better defense in the 2nd half.
Thiam: Maybe his best overall game of the year. Yes he scored 10 points in one game a few games ago. And he played 34 minutes against Illinois (very good defense). BUT ... he weas much more aggressive offensively, much more confident offensively, in this game - which resulted in 2 made 3's and a nice little move in the paint. The made shots were obviously huge - but the offensive aggressiveness was really important, in general. Especially with Sanders and Williams having off shooting nights. When in, he also covered Loving, who was just 2-7 FG, with 5 points.
Doorson: Just a quiet, but solidly good, game. Just 4 rebounds (3 in the 2nd half - all important), no points, but a number of just crunching screens, and very, very solid defense when Gettys had the fouls trouble.
Laurent: A very strong 1st half, where with Johnson he really helped RU hang in there with 2 key baskets, including a 3. Just spot duty in the 2nd half.
Sa: Played really solid defense as the 3rd center RU used, spelling Gettys and Doorson. Really solid. AND ... his put back basket was one of the really important baskets of the 2nd half - with the FT made after he was fouled on the basket. His effort and energy (lacking in so many games recently) was very significant in helping RU keep the dominating tone of the game in RU's favor.
Omoruyi: Not many minutes, but 5 rebounds ... and critically important defense on Tate in the last 2 minutes replacing a fouled out Freeman. He did a really good job on Tate in those last 2 minutes.
Overall, RU's team defense the 2nd half was simply superb ... great on ball defense, great covering of the high screen and rolls, excellent rotations.
By the way, the 2 awful calls: Omoruyi getting called for the foul on what I thought was great position well above the in-the-paint circle, and the foul call on Sanders as he defended the 3 by Kam Williams ... in real time, and on the replay, that looked really clean, and all ball.
Kudos to the team for their continued effort and work, and to Pikiell and his staff for their ability to both coach up this team, and to keep the players playing hard and buying in. One last question: Is Diallo hurt, or hurting? Not sure why he has disappeared the last few weeks.
