With his fingers taped together, John Mobley Jr. returned to form at the best time for Ohio State
Two weeks ago, it wasn’t even a guarantee that John Mobley Jr. would be able to play against Purdue on Sunday.
21 points and two taped fingers later, the sophomore guard was the catalyst in helping the Ohio State Buckeyes snag its biggest win of the season.
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The Buckeyes (18-11, 10-8) defeated the No. 8 Purdue Boilermakers (22-7, 12-6) 82-74 behind 21 points from Mobley on 8-for-15 shooting and 5-for-11 from three-point range. He added two rebounds and three assists.
“It felt good,” Mobley told reporters after the game. “I missed my first two and wish I could get those because those felt good. But it felt good, and shoutout to my teammates for finding me. Getting to the paint and kick outs, that’s what we work on every day, so really just shout out to my teammates for finding the open guy.”
Mobley missed three games after suffering a finger injury in the win over USC. In the three games he missed, the Buckeyes lost to Virginia and Michigan State and defeated Michigan State. Mobley is averaging 15.3 points per game, 2.4 rebounds per game, and 2.8 assists per game. He is shooting 43.2% from the field and 41.1% from three-point range.
He returned from injury against Iowa with two of his fingers taped together and clearly playing through his injury.
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“Definitely,” Mobley said about whether it was different shooting with his fingers taped together. “I am not used to having two fingers together on my shooting hand. Obviously, you want to have the four fingers spread out, but a lot of time in the gym with my dad and knowing the right mechanics to shoot with the tape.”
With the win over Purdue, the Buckeyes secured their best win of the season and a signature win that they have desperately been looking for. After the win, former Auburn head coach Bruce Pearl had very positive things to say about Ohio State.
“This puts them in the Dance. And they could be a tough matchup,” Pearl said.
Mobley has never lacked confidence in his shooting ability, and that was evident in his postgame interview with Robbie Hummel of CBS Sports.
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“Got to,” Mobley said with a smile when Hummel asked if the Buckeyes were going to make the NCAA tournament. “And we’re going to make a run. Promise that.”
This was a game the Buckeyes were able to put away in the second half, something they were unable to do in the past against North Carolina, Virginia, Nebraska, and Michigan State.
“You live, and you learn,” Mobley said about closing out the game. “Just knowing what the mentality is and letting out guys know to keep the foot on the gas, don’t let up, and don’t get comfortable. Just keeping the foot on the gas and making the right plays.”
Even with his fingers taped and learning new mechanics on getting his shot off, Mobley showed his tough shot-making skills and his ability to get open behind the line using his body and the jab step. He also showed off his unselfishness, as a pass to Bruce Thornton to make a good shot a great shot led to one of the biggest buckets in the game.
They will need Mobley down the stretch to continue to play well to make the NCAA tournament, but if they do, the Thornton-Mobley backcourt duo will be one to watch in the Big Dance.