The loss of first-team All-Big Ten selection Ken Johnson appears to have been a blessing in disguise for the Ohio State men’s basketball team.
Johnson’s graduation caused experts to overlook one of the key components of the Buckeyes’ third-place finish in the conference last year – their backcourt.
Ohio State’s three-guard lineup of Brian Brown, Brent Darby and Boban Savovic has combined for an average of 38.8 points per game this year. With their help, the No. 25 Buckeyes (16-3, 7-1 Big Ten) currently stand atop the conference.
“I thought the guy in the middle, Johnson, was good,” Northwestern head coach Bill Carmody said. “But I thought that these other guys were very good players. (Johnson) was getting too much credit.”
The Wildcats (12-7, 3-4) will try to temper the backcourt trio’s success this weekend when they travel to Columbus, Ohio, on Saturday for an 11:15 a.m. showdown. The Buckeyes knocked off NU 55-48 when the two teams met in Evanston earlier this season.
Not only do Ohio State’s three starting guards lead the team in scoring, but they also top the Buckeyes in assists and steals. This three-headed monster brings a new dimension to the game that most opposing teams aren’t used to facing.
“It makes a difference for other teams,” said Darby, a junior. “Since we’ve been here, we’ve been playing with three guards. It gives us three players out there that can penetrate. It helps your defense and offense as far as your quickness.”
Brown, a 6-foot-4, 200-pound senior, leads Ohio State in scoring with 15.1 points per game. Brown received third-team All-Conference honors last year, but Carmody said he voted for Brown to be on the first team.
“He brings everything to the table,” Darby said. “We always help each other out and let each other know what we’re doing wrong.”
Ohio State doesn’t just threaten teams with three guards. The Buckeyes sometimes bring in junior Sean Connolly to add a fourth dimension to their attack.
Ohio State has the luxury of turning to four backcourt players given Savovic’s 6-foot-5, 240-pound frame, Darby said. The four-guard lineup proved effective last year when Ohio State used it to overcome a 20-point halftime deficit against Penn State, beating the Nittany Lions 93-87.
“(Savovic) understands the game so well,” Darby said. “He’s very versatile.”
Although the Cats have one of the best defensive backcourts in the Big Ten with Jitim Young and Collier Drayton, they will still have their hands full against Ohio State’s speedy guards. The Buckeyes’ backcourt does an excellent job of getting to the basket and then kicking it out once the defensive help comes, Carmody said.
“They get in the three-second lane, and if they don’t score, they usually find the right guy,” Carmody said.
NU won’t be able to slack off much against the Ohio State guards, Carmody added, because they can pull up and hit shots, too.
But the biggest advantage for the Buckeyes is that they rarely make mistakes, Carmody said.
“They don’t beat themselves,” Carmody said. “Usually, that’s a mark of a good team that doesn’t beat itself – (it has) good guards.”
