COLUMBUS, Ohio — It wasn't just the loss. Or even an historically bad shooting performance.
It was how sixth-ranked Ohio State acted that stung the Buckeyes most about their defeat Saturday to No. 7 Michigan State.
"Honestly, we looked like spoiled brats out there if you look at the tape — arguing with one another, complaining about calls," forward Jared Sullinger said Monday.
Guard William Buford said the Buckeyes at times didn't even try to play a team-oriented game in the 58-48 loss. Instead of doing what they had done in winning 21 of their first 24 games, they pushed and pulled against each other.
"We didn't play our system," he said. "That was the main thing."
A lengthy film session on Sunday allowed Ohio State's coaches to show the players how they wandered away from their nature.
Now they believe they've figured out some things heading into a quick turnaround game at Minnesota (17-8, 5-7 Big Ten) on Tuesday night.
Coach Thad Matta figured there were several lessons to be learned from the loss to Michigan State, which dropped the Buckeyes (21-4, 9-3) into a tie for first in the conference with the Spartans (20-5, 9-3).
"We have to play better," he said. "We have to play more connected, we have to play our system. No matter what happens, it's a long game, there's going to be ups, there's going to be downs, but we have to have great trust in what we've done 105 times in practice (this year) that it will work."
The Buckeyes have been beaten up enough, that's for sure. Callers to talk-radio shows and posts to fan websites have questioned Buford's shot selection, Sullinger's attitude, forward Deshaun Thomas' defense, Matta's substitution patterns and the offensive contributions of starters Lenzelle Smith Jr. and Aaron Craft.
Matta said after the game that he had reminded his players that the loss was not as bad as it might seem, that the Buckeyes were still tied for the Big Ten lead.
Asked about that on Monday, Buford responded, "I thought it was bad as it seemed. We certainly played real bad. We just don't want to have any more of those games."
The first step was a detailed analysis of the game film. Ohio State hit just 26 percent of its shots (14 of 53), including 2 of 15 3-pointers. Sullinger was just 5 of 15 from the field, Thomas and Buford were each 2 of 12, Smith was 1 for 4 and Craft 3 of 7.
"I think we kind of learned our lesson watching film for about an hour so," Sullinger said. "We should be fine. We just have to bounce back and keep doing what we've been doing."
What rankles the Buckeyes most is that even when they weren't being shadowed by a Michigan State player they frequently clanked a shot off the rim.
"They missed some 3s, a couple of open, open ones late that I've seen them make on a regular basis," Spartans coach Tom Izzo said.
Ohio State had come into the game as one of the top shooting teams in the Big Ten. The Buckeyes were second in scoring offense (76.9 points a game) and in field-goal percentage (.490).
"We just couldn't convert," Buford said. "We let a lot of things get into our head."
The frustration at one end bubbled over into less-than-stellar play on defense. As shot after shot missed the mark, the Buckeyes — Sullinger in particular — got more emotional. He yelled on the court, players barked at officials. And still nothing went in.
"I guess there was a lid on top of the basket," Sullinger said.
Minnesota coach Tubby Smith also watched the game. He felt the same way.
"There's going to be days like that," he said. "Sometimes the ball just doesn't go in. Michigan State is a very talented defensive team — they're very talented, period. But the rim just wasn't kind to (the Buckeyes) at home. I don't think it was all Michigan State. Pretty soon it kind of gets in your head a little bit when things are not dropping."
Matta has tried to shift the emphasis back toward what's ahead rather than what just happened.
"Even when you win a game, you look back and say, 'Boy we'd better get these things corrected.' We've been fortunate we haven't had a ton of experiences with (losing). But with such a quick turnaround, we look at the things we didn't do particularly well and you try to aim them toward Minnesota."
The Buckeyes are trying to forget their cold Saturday at home.
"You have to have a short-term memory and that's what this basketball team has," Sullinger said. "If we keep dwelling on this Michigan State game and keep harping on it and talking about it pretty soon we're not going to be able to focus on the next game. Then we're going to let one slip past us. Honestly, we've just got to stay focused on the present."
Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rustymillerap .