There have been questions at times this season about IU basketball center Oumar Ballo’s weight, conditioning and motor.
But on Friday night in Columbus, the 7-footer played 40 minutes and made one effort play after another.
Each one could be considered a difference maker in IU’s 77-76 overtime win over Ohio State.
Ballo scored 21 points on 8-of-14 shooting from the floor. He grabbed 15 rebounds and added four assists in the victory.
Over the last six games, Ballo is averaging 18.7 points per game and 12.7 points per game.
Let’s take a look at several of his hustle plays against the Buckeyes.
SEALING HIS MAN
Ballo has been improving at recognizing double teams and getting the ball back out to the perimeter. But what does he do after distributing the ball? As the defenders turn and watch the pass out, he takes advantage and gets position for an offensive rebound. What looks like an easy putback for a 7-footer required thought and effort to get position for the miss.
OFFENSIVE REBOUND TAP OUT
Ballo just needs to get one hand on the ball to send an IU miss out to his teammates. And he’s good at directing those tap outs to teammates and putting the defense in scramble mode. Here Ballo’s effort to get a hand on the ball quickly results in two points for Luke Goode.
Here’s a variation of the same concept at the free throw line. Ballo redirects with his fingertips, and moments later Trey Galloway hits a three.
SLIDING HIS FEET
The game may have never made it to overtime if Ballo hadn’t shown his ability to slide his feet and stay in front of Bruce Thornton on Ohio State’s final possession in regulation. Ballo cuts off the drive and forces a pass into a congested area, resulting in a blocked shot at the horn.
STRONG HANDS AND A DIVE
This might have been Ballo’s best effort of the night. First he wrestles the ball away from an Ohio State defender, then he dives to the floor to tap the ball out. Moments later Kanaan Carlyle would draw a foul and make a free throw. The point ended up being the difference in overtime.
GAME WINNING REBOUND AND ASSIST
Ballo doesn’t just get rebounds because he’s a 7-footer. He’s regularly chasing down misses out of his area. Here he tracks down a miss and immediately recognizes he’s got red-hot Luke Goode wide open. This ended up being the final score of the game.
For complete coverage of IU basketball, GO HERE.
The Daily Hoosier –“Where Indiana fans assemble when they’re not at Assembly”
- You can follow us on Twitter: @daily_hoosier
- Find us on Facebook and Instagram
- Seven ways to support completely free IU coverage at no cost to you.
