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Not long after the the Ohio Bobcats ran to the Sweet 16, and almost the Elite Eight, we did an article on the one-hit wonders of college basketball. These weren't the teams that were only going to make a singular run. These were teams focused around one player so totally that they were susceptible to that star's bad nights.
Ohio's wonder, D.J. Cooper, has now moved on as one of the greatest players to ever take the floor for the Bobcats.
Also gone is John Groce, who helped to build the supporting cast around his star.
What Jim Christian has done in two years at the helm has totally transformed Ohio from that one-player team into a team that has true depth and can get the contributions from any of its players, some of whom are still around from that first NCAA Tournament run.
Now instead of a concentration on a single player, opponents have to worry about not just the starting lineup, but also the the main thrust of the rotation, all of whom have contributed positive value on the floor.
That isn't to say that there isn't a pecking order here. Junior college transfer Maurice Ndour has been the most valuable player on the floor by almost double over Nick Kellogg. They may have the same offensive production so far, but Ndour's contributions on defense, to the tune of a 19.3 DEF100 (points saved per 100 minutes), have been spectacular.
But this is a team where a single player won't be the reason for a win or loss.
That may be the case with RIchmond though. Cedrick Lindsay is on track to be just slightly more valuable than Ndour over the course of the season (7.7 HW30 vs. 6.1). But he doesn't have the supporting cast around him that exists at Ohio. Terry Allen has done some nice work early on, and is on pace for a two-win season, but it drops off very quickly after that for the Spiders.
Even worse news for the Spiders is that Ohio has the defensive skill at the guard positions to take Lindsay out of the game. They could very much impact his ability to beat them, and shut down that one-hit wonder.
Based on the value chains, this one looks to be in Ohio's favor, even if KenPom.com doesn't agree. The Spiders have the home court, but the HOOPWAR numbers like the visiting team here.