Michigan’s massive win against Purdue on Thursday will be incredibly important for their tournament chances. Michigan stepped up in various ways, but they especially proved their defensive prowess with the starting five players. Purdue had 14 turnovers, the most Michigan has forced since San Diego State had 16 back in December. The team’s activity defensively makes their offense flow much more easily. The three-point shots, drives to the basket, and smooth offensive execution were a product of them wearing on Purdue in the second half. Coach Howard secured a huge win with his team yesterday; however, the Wolverines have another big rivalry game against OSU on Saturday. In this article, I wanted to detail how the Wolverines can keep that defensive activity on important Ohio State plays, as well as some key things to look for from OSU.
OSU Offensive Keys
1. EJ Liddell Isolation Sets
EJ Liddell is one of the top offensive players in the country because Ohio State puts him in situations where he can be successful. Liddell over his career has always gotten to his spots, and now Chris Holtmann has implemented isolation plays at the same wing and elbow where EJ is at his best. The above image shows that a lot of his isolation plays start with him on the baseline.
As the play progresses a bit, there is a series of handoffs that OSU performs. This handoff series doesn’t result in much, it just creates movement and a bit of confusion to allow Liddell space to set up. Notice the arrows I have drawn above. Everyone near Liddell is clearing out space to give him room to operate. I circled Liddell to show where he goes after the play is over.
After Liddell catches the ball, Jamari Wheeler, the point guard, runs over the top of Liddell to give even more space. Once Wheeler runs past the ball, that should be a dead giveaway that Liddell has the opportunity to go one on one. Liddell often drives left as shown in the image above. He has become a consistent pull-up shooter as well which puts pressure on opposing bigs. Moussa Diabate will have his hands full with this matchup; however, if he can prevent Liddell from driving to the middle, he will have better chances.
2. Zed Key Post up Plays
The emergence of Zed Key has made Ohio State a stronger threat in the paint. Similar to plays that get Liddell the ball, Ohio State runs sets that involve a lot of handoffs. The handoffs once again create a lot of movement and confusion for the defense. In the set above, Zed Key stands at the top of the key and runs out to grab the ball. He along with Kyle Young will go set screens for the man in the corner.
Key Dribbles towards the corner man and hands him the ball. This handoff creates space for the ball handler, but it also puts pressure on the guy guarding Zed Key at the top. Once the handoff occurs, #11 on Rutgers has to help out. Once the defender leaves him, Zed Key can roll to the rim more easily.
#2 on Ohio State in red will pass the ball to the wing after he gets it. Zed Key (#23) on Ohio State now has deep post position. I have circled the block where he will end up.
Once he catches the ball in the post, Zed Key utilizes his strength to push around people much bigger than him. Ohio State will run a lot of plays for him because his physicality on the offensive end forces opponents to foul him. Hunter Dickinson will need to be careful in this matchup since he has a huge size advantage on Key. Dickinson cannot get in early foul trouble because he is so vital to the offense of the Wolverines.
3. Malaki Branham Shooting plays
Malaki Branham, Ohio State’s star freshman, has proven himself in this Big Ten season. He has benefitted from the extreme focus on EJ Liddell and become the second-leading scorer on the team. Although Ohio State has a lot of sets that utilize Branham’s elite shooting ability, I wanted to hone in on Branham’s subtle but important movement on the floor.
Branham does an excellent job at relocating when the guards drive. Branham has an ever-so-slight movement away from the ball when it's dribbled toward him. This subtle movement creates extra space for him to get his shot off.
When the help defense collapses, Branham finds himself open in a lot of plays. Depending on Michigan’s strategy to guard Liddell, Branham will move to make himself available for easy passes. Caleb Houstan or Eli Brooks most likely will match up with Branham, and they both will need to be wary of his subtle movement because he punishes teams with his open shots.
Summary
Ohio State presents a much different challenge than what Michigan faced against Purdue. They do not have elite size, but overall they are much better defensively. Michigan will need to work to get its open shots, but should take advantage of Hunter Dickinson’s abilities in the post. Michigan needs to stay locked in defensively and slow down Liddell and limit Zed Key’s post touches. This game is another must-win for the Wolverines, and I am excited to see how the team comes back after an emotional win.
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