Make shots, win two more games

Sometimes, it all comes down to making shots (as Bill Carmody and his posse would tell you). Never was this fact more evident than in Ohio State's 72-53 shellacking of Illinois. If we ignore the shooting stats for a moment, Illinois dominated this game, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds and sporting a +2 turnover margin. This led to Illinois hoisting 18 more shots than the Buckeyes. So, just shoot a decent percentage and you win, right? Therein lies the problem. Illinois shot just 4 of 24 from three (17 percent), while Ohio State drained 11 of 22 (50 percent). If the two teams had each hit around their season averages (36 and 38 percent, respectively), that 21-point advantage on threes would disappear to zero. Of course, it's one thing to do this kind of analysis at your computer, and an entirely different thing altogether to go out and make three-pointers over a defense. Ohio State dominated this game by taking (and making) great shots, and Illinois couldn't do the same on the other end.

Big Ten Geeks