As Big Ten play looms, Ohio State's Roddy Gayle, Bruce Thornton starting to thrive
They’re still growing. It’s only six games into their second seasons at Ohio State. Yet, as Central Michigan comes to Value City Arena on Wednesday night, there’s a growing amount of evidence that Chris Holtmann hasn’t had a backcourt like this one at any point in his first six years with the program.
To be more precise, it’s been more than a decade since the Buckeyes were getting the kind of production that they’re currently getting from Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. When Ohio State tips against the Chippewas, Thornton and Gayle will walk onto the court 1-2 in scoring at 17.2 and 15.0 points, respectively.
It’s not just that they’re scoring though. Together, they’ve accounted for 51 of Ohio State’s first 90 assists, shot 62 of the team’s 120 free throws and played more minutes than anyone else. A lot of what Ohio State is starting to do well is coming from its sophomore guards who are friends, roommates and team leaders.
“I feel like we’re one of the best backcourts in the country,” Thornton said Tuesday. “When me and him are on the court together, we can make any play at any given time.”
It’s been 11 years since the last Ohio State team had two guards average in double figures. Although Jared Sullinger led the team at 17.2 points per game, guards William Buford (14.4) and Jon Diebler (12.6) were next in line.
The last time two guards led the team in scoring? That would be 2002-03, when Brent Darby averaged 18.3 points and Sean Connolly finished at 11.8.
“We’re connected,” Gayle said. “Us being able to work off each other, being able to play together, we’re interchangeable at some point. He can play off the ball and I can play on the ball at times or if we need to switch a defensive matchup, I feel like we’re more than capable. It’s a blessing to have somebody in the backcourt who can do the same things as you.”
That much was evident during last weekend’s Emerald Coast Classic, when both were named to the all-tournament team and Thornton brought home the Most Valuable Player award after wins against No. 17 Alabama and Santa Clara. When it comes to his sophomore guards, though, Holtmann also pointed to the other end of the court when measuring their total impact.
“What you can’t minimize is the fact that those guys both, when they’re playing, can be solid to plus defenders as well,” the coach said. “It’s not just what they do on the offensive end. They do have the ability to be dynamic at that end, but we recruited those guys to be complete players.”
Defensive impact can be more challenging to measure. According to the analytics at EvanMiya.com, Gayle and Thornton rank among the top 275 individual defenders in the nation and are among the top 40 in the Big Ten. Pair that with their individual offensive ratings, and Thornton (No. 4) and Gayle (14) are among the Big Ten’s top 15 two-way players.
Both said that some of that comes from their growing ability to anticipate when they can help the other out while on the court together. Thornton said that if he sees Gayle needs a quick break from guarding the ball, the two will just switch who they’re guarding.
“Small things like that, us being together for two years really helps us,” Thornton said. “We know our tendencies very well. We know our weaknesses and our strengths.”
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Holtmann was quick to pump the brakes on what that could mean for the season. Big Ten play starts Sunday with a home date against Minnesota, and the Buckeyes are bound to hit more adversity as the quality of nightly competition increases.
There’s no denying it’s been a good start for the two, though, and good guard play can go a long way to carry a team.
“Guard play is so critical in our game,” Holtmann said. “Even on our opening night against a good Oakland team, Bruce hits a big 3 when it’s a one-point game. It’s good to see those guys grow in confidence but they’ve got to keep doing it.”
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Ohio State's Bruce Thornton, Roddy Gayle showing signs of breakouts
