How to stop D'Angelo Russell

Many who had seen him extensively in high school at Montverde Academy (Florida) raved about his versatility, his ability to make others better in addition to being able to score in a variety of ways. I remember talking to Matta in July, and he was adamant that Russell would be sharing point guard duties with veteran Shannon Scott.

Russell feasted on some cupcakes early in the season, and struggled with offensive efficiency in some of the Buckeyes' early nonconference matchups. However, he's been tremendous in league play, and has shot up in both the player of the year race and NBA draft boards.

Russell is second in the Big Ten in scoring (19.4 points per game), third in assists (5.2), third in 3-point percentage (45.0) and also ranks in the top 20 in rebounding (5.6). Last night in a disappointing loss to Purdue, Russell put in 20 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals.

We reached out to a trio of Russell's opponents who had the unenviable task of having to try to defend Russell, and they provided our "Player vs. Player" breakdown on how to defend the talented frosh.

We began with a difficult question that drew a variety of responses -- for a reason. Russell is a versatile offensive player who shoots 45 percent from beyond the arc, but is also able to get into the paint and either finish or set up his teammates.

What's the best way to stop him?

Maryland's Richaud Pack: "Honestly, not to let him get to the ball. When you deny him, he was rather passive. But if he gets the ball, he's still comfortable and confident taking -- and making -- contested, deep shots."

Minnesota's Andre Hollins: "Get into him early and don't let him get comfortable. When we played him, he got into a rhythm and scored 25 in the first half. Then we got into him and he scored two in the second half."

Northwestern's Tre Demps: "It's rare to have a guy make pull-up 3s. Usually, you want to force a guy to take pull-up 3s, but he can make them. You need to crowd his space, get into him and it may be more effective to make him shoot floaters."

Russell does a little bit (no, make that a lot) of everything. He's capable of getting 33 points (against Northwestern), grabbing 14 rebounds (against Maryland) and dishing out double-figure assists (10 against Indiana). It's not so easy to figure what he does best.

What was the most impressive aspect of his game?

Pack: "Other than his size as a point guard, he was looking for his teammates 99 percent of the time. He averages 21 points a game, but the whole game he was looking for other people. He's always scanning the court. He doesn't have tunnel vision at all and looks like he's satisfied getting 10 assists and getting guys the ball."

Hollins: "How controlled and smooth he was. He isn't rushed at all and just lets the game come to him. He wasn't forcing much."

Demps: "His ability to take over a game. He willed his team to win and kept going. A lot of time, you see guys pull back. But he kept attacking."

Russell was listed as a shooting guard by just about everyone entering the season, but NBA executives are eyeing him as a point guard due to his feel for the game and ability to get his teammates easy shots.

How would you describe his passing abilities?

Pack: "Our whole team commented about how willing he was to pass it. It's not even so much his passing ability, but just knowing he's trying to create for his teammates gives him a different dimension when you are trying to guard him."

Hollins: "I was surprised by that. I didn't know that he had great size as well. He can see the floor and they run a lot of sets for him."

Demps: "He's a smart and selective passer. He knows how to get his teammates going and knows when to get them shots. He knows when to drop it off to his bigs. He's very impressive."

Russell has so many ways of impacting the game on the court: He can drill shots from deep, can hit runners, and finishes around the basket. He's also a more than capable passer.

So, what is D'Angelo Russell's weakness?

Pack: "Finishing right. He goes right, but he still tends to finish with his left hand. That can work in college, but I think he'll have to get better at the next level at finishing with his right hand."

Hollins: "I'd say defense. I think he can defend, but he's just young and I think he's going through a learning curve on the defensive end. It comes with time."

Demps: "It's hard to say because he didn't really have any when we played him, but guys like him can get careless at times. I've watched a couple games where he'd made some careless turnovers. If he sharpens that up, he'll be tough to stop -- at any level."

Ohio State played zone defense for the first portion of the season, so it was difficult to evaluate Russell from a defensive standpoint. However, Matta has opted to go man-to-man recently and now we're able to better evaluate Russell on this end.

Your assessment of Russell defensively?

Pack: "I wouldn't say he's a great defender. He's a container. He's long, and is bigger than most guards he plays against. He's really long."

Hollins: "He was just OK on that end. I don't think he really knows yet -- and it's been an adjustment for him because they were playing zone most of the year until recently."

Demps: "Good, not great. He has to do so much, that I'm sure he has to relax and pick his spots on that end. He's inconsistent defensively, but he showed the ability to defend at times -- when he really wanted to."

Russell is even more fun to watch at times because he's a lefty. On occasion, he looks unorthodox because of it, but you've got to wonder whether this gives him an edge.

Does it make him more difficult to guard because he's a lefty?

Pack: "I didn't notice that it's personally harder to guard him, but it probably helps him at times. There's a shot he took in the second half that I probably would have blocked had he been a righty."

Hollins: "You're used to people being right-handed, so it helps him because when you close out on him and contest shots, you have to do it with your right hand. It's not a huge difference, but it gives him a little advantage."

Demps: "I don't think it makes that much of a difference. He's difficult to guard because he can shoot, pull up from 3 and makes good decisions. Not because he's left-handed."

Russell plays with poise, doesn't seem to lose his cool -- and also knows how to play. He's also vocal on the court, especially for a freshman. The mental aspect is critical, especially for a player many weren't sure could run the point.

What did you think of his overall maturity?

Pack: "He has a great basketball IQ and I was impressed with his leadership. He was always talking to guys and communicating with his teammates. He was giving them confidence. One time I fell and he picked me up. The guy just played."

Hollins: "He was really mature, real composed. He definitely doesn't play like a freshman."

Demps: "Off the charts. You can tell he studies a lot of film. He knows how defenses are going to play him, he knows time and score. It's something you rarely see from a freshman. The last time we saw it in the Big Ten was Trey Burke. D'Angelo Russell has the full package mentally."

ESPN ranked Russell 13th in the Class of 2014, so the expectations weren't through the roof entering the season. He's not a blur and doesn't look nearly as big on tape as he is in person. However, the hype has started to grow about Russell, and sometimes that makes it difficult to live up to those expectations.

Was Russell more impressive than you anticipated?

Pack: "He's totally different than when you watch him on film. I watched four games and I didn't see the same player I saw when I played him. I thought he was going to be a freshman who jacked up shots, but he was much better than I thought. He's really good."

Hollins: "He was definitely more impressive than I thought he'd be. I mean, he got 25 in the first half -- and that took me by surprise. He came out on fire. The guy is the real deal."

Demps: "You knew he was a talented scorer, but I was really blown away by how he took over and literally put his team on his back."