After every Buckeye basketball game, we like to look back and pull out some observations and things we learned, and unfortunately, we’ve had to take note of a lot of shortcomings for a team that has enough talent to do more than this season.
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OSU only has six games left to make a statement, but here’s what we learned after it didn’t on Saturday night.
Ohio State still has to learn how to finish games
The Buckeyes outscored Virginia for much of Saturday’s game on a neutral court. It’s the kind of thing the NCAA tournament committee likes to see. But once again, when it came time to end the game, Ohio State once again played tight and undisciplined when it came time to make plays to take the win.I don’t know what it is, but when push comes to shove, all of a sudden, the OSU players seem to lose the composure, judgment and effort they showed for most of the contest up to that point. Ohio State should have won after going up by 11 points and when it had a six-point lead with less than ten minutes left, but failed again. At some point, you would think one of these key, close games would be in the win column, but this team just doesn’t know how to finish.
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Bruce Thornton deserves better
With Ohio State sitting on the outside looking in with most of the bracketologists right now, the Buckeyes are more than likely going to miss the NCAA Tournament rather than make it, and it will be four years in a row if the Buckeyes can’t find a way to get some key wins down the stretch. Bruce Thornton, captain for four years and one of the best to ever dress Scarlet and Grey, deserves better.
He did everything he could in this one to lead OSU to victory by scoring 28 points, grabbing four rebounds and three steals, but in the end, he just didn’t have enough help. It didn’t help that John Mobley Jr. was out with a hand injury, but Amare Bynum (15) and Christoph Tilly (11) were the only other Buckeyes in double figures. That’s not going to be enough. This team needs more from Devin Royal on a consistent basis and more from the bench.
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Most of OSU’s all-time greats enjoy a few Big Ten titles and deep NCAA tournament runs, but that seems like a tough road to walk right now.
Where are the assists for Ohio State?
February 14, 2026; Nashville, Tennessee, United States; Ohio State Buckeyes guard Bruce Thornton (2) drives to the basket against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-Imagn Images
Nothing says individual play and poor shot selection more than seeing a lack of assists on the scoreboard, and that has been a constant trend and narrative on this team. A team is a collection of individuals, but they are supposed to come together, move together on the court, and share the basketball. This is how you get better shots that have a higher percentage.
The Buckeyes had only seven to Virginia’s nine, and that was in a slower pace of play. More often than not, Ohio State is losing the assist margin, and that’s just not winning basketball unless you have a stud who is better than everyone else on the court that you feed over and over again. We all know that’s not this team. Talk about trusting your teammates and not feeling like you have to do it yourself.
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Ohio State is 12th in the league in assists, but it’s worse against better teams because everyone is pressing and trying to play one-on-one basketball. By the way, Purdue, Michigan, Michigan State and Nebraska lead the Big Ten in assists per game. They also happen to be four of the top five teams in the conference standings.
This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State vs. Virginia Basketball: 3 Things We Learned From the Loss