This is not difficult. A team that scores 100 points a night might not be a great offensive team if it takes them 95 possessions to do it. Similarly a team that gives up 50 points a night might not be a great defensive team if they only allow 40 possessions per game.

It's the whole reason for tempo adjusted statistics - to measure the actual efficiency on a possession by possession basis.

Using those statistics, our defense is currently literally one of the worst in all of D1. Will we stay there? I hope not. But it's going to take using different personnel, different defensive philosophies or some guys taking it personally and making large strides on the defensive side of the ball. Something has to change drastically. Will we ever be a good/great defensive team? Probably not with this roster, but I'd take below average over where we are now.

If (and it's a big if) the defensive efficiency doesn't get better by those changes - then we're going to be forced to slow the game down and limit possessions. 1.5 pts/possession * 60 possessions = 90 pts. 1.5 pts/poss * 50 possessions = 75 pts. Efficiency the same, but you give yourself a better chance to win.

I don't follow. If our defensive and offensive efficiency is the same under both circumstances then we have almost exactly the same chance to win under both circumstances.

Yes, as I said, if we are legitimately a very bad team that is likely to be an underdog in every game then, yes, slowing the game down allows for more flukish outcomes. If our offense is considered good enough to overcome our defense and thus we are favored in half or more games, which I still think we will be, then slowing the game down will cost us slightly more points on offense that it saves on defense over the season and it isn't going to help, and likely hurt, on that point alone.

That's assuming that our defensive efficiency is the same under both circumstances. We might play better or worse defense in a fast paced game. I don't think we know. Sure, it is a safe assumption that we give up and score less points in a slow paced game but that isn't the same as helping our defense. People seem to be arguing that slowing the game sown actually helps improve our defense rather that just merely improving our points allowed per game and harming our points scored which, and maybe I'm still missing something, seems to be failing grade school math. Obviously, your math is correct but you have not done the math on how many points we are likely to score and if slowing the game down costs us more that 15 points per game.

Looks like no Reef again.

Ohio is not a good team right now. They make too many mistakes and have been mediocre finishing at the rim. Clayton has been awful from 3 to the point he's hurting the team.

They should figure things out eventually but it's been ugly to open the year.

Evans coming in with 1:04 left In half after another off rebound by MTSU

Feels like a game Ohio should win. Played a mediocre first half and only trail 32-31. Regroup at the half and get the victory!

This team is struggling. I can see the talent, but they haven’t quite gelled. I’m confident that they will figure it out. I’m choosing patience. OUohyeah!

I am so done with our little guards thinking they are Leon Williams on the block and throwing up off balance shots the go nowhere.

I am so done with biting on every shot fake.

I am so done with the referee in the lead position calling fouls on our guys in legal guarding position standing still as a statue.

Pav seems to be leaning into becoming more of a facilitator and less of the 15ppg player he was at Wofford. 10 assist day, looking more comfortable.

I feel like we are playing pretty good. Not perfect, but +7 with 8 minutes left. Not bad and Pav is a really facillitating. Inconsistent whistles but we are hanging tough.

I could really do without Hadaway's theatrics. It's borderline obnoxious at this point. Flailing around on the ground after missing a rebound while MTSU gets an advantage on a 5-4 fast break, then Hadaway comes barrelling down the court and fouls Bufford shooting a 3. He did the same stupid stuff against Asheville also. Just tone it down, buddy. We get it, you are the energy guy. There's a fine line between energy guy, and a viral TikTok when you get burned and cost us a bucket.

Looks like a group of 6-8 behind the basket on the left.

Coming down to foul shots. Let's go!