American U. wins the mascot competition.
 #8 Ohio State 3-0, 0-0 Big Ten Roster | Schedule |
November 20, 2013 7:30 PM ET - BTN —— The Schott Columbus, OH —— [TICKETS] |
 American 1-1, 0-0 patriot Roster | Schedule |
After back-to-back games that would be classified as competitive, Ohio State will get into the cupcake portion of its non-conference snack. The Buckeyes have eight straight home games, with Maryland being the lone major conference program. But that’s just fine with the team.
At 3-0 and ranked No. 8 in the country, Ohio State isn’t without glitches. The offense has made one appearance in three games, LaQuinton Ross is in dire need of a breakout performance and cohesion is still being established.
“We’ve got to look at this stretch and find ways to get better,” head coach Thad Matta said. “It’s like I told the guys before practice, there are three options here – one, we can stay the same; two, we can get worse; or three, we can get better. And I’m only taking one option.
“These guys know we’re not near where we need to be, and I like that. I remind them of that about every 30 seconds in practice.”
So look out American U., Wyoming, North Florida, Maryland, Central Connecticut, Bryant, North Dakota State and Delaware.
“The biggest thing we’re trying to get across to our guys is we’re not playing just to win that game,” senior point guard Aaron Craft said. “We’re playing to put in a system and really kind of solidify who we are as a basketball team, our identity.”
| # | Name | YR | HT/WT | PTS | REB | ASST | P | # | Name | YR | HT/WT | PTS | REB | ASST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | A. Craft | SR | 6-2/195 | 11.0 | 5.7 | 6.7 | G | 0 | D. Gardner | JR | 5-9/165 | 18.0 | 6.0 | 5.0 |
| 3 | S. Scott | JR | 6-1/185 | 12.3 | 3.3 | 3.7 | G | 14 | J. Reed | SO | 6-5/185 | 8.5 | 3.5 | 0.5 |
| 32 | L. Smith Jr. | SR | 6-4/210 | 11.3 | 4.7 | 0.7 | F | 22 | J. Schoof | JR | 6-5/205 | 11.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 10 | L. Ross | JR | 6-8/220 | 8.0 | 5.7 | 1.0 | F | 1 | K. Kager | JR | 6-8/195 | 10.0 | 9.5 | 0.5 |
| 23 | A. Williams | JR | 6-11/250 | 7.3 | 6.7 | 0.3 | C | 34 | T. Wroblicky | SR | 6-10/230 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 1.5 |
Opponent Breakdown
A new era has dawned at American University. After 13 years of Jeff Jones, former assistant Mike Brennan takes the lead seat on the bench. Brennan’s time as an assistant with the Eagles coincided with two NCAA Tournament berths. That’s the level of play he hopes to bring. It just might not happen overnight.
American lost three starters off a team that won 10 games a year ago. Before returning to the Eagles, Brennan spent four seasons as John Thompson III’s top assistant at Georgetown, and it’s the Hoyas style that Brennan hopes to implement.
So far, American is 1-1 with a close loss at George Mason and close overtime win over UMBC. Point guard Darius Gardner, a transfer from Stephen F. Austin, is the catalyst on offense. He’s averaging 18 points and five assists per game. Guard John Schoof (11.5) and forward Kyle Kager (10) are also averaging double-figures scoring. Defensively, 6-foot-10 center Tony Wroblicky could be one of the top big men Ohio State faces all season.
The Eagles’ offense is all about distributing the basketball and using athleticism to their advantage, creating mismatches and spreading defenses. Sounds like Urban Meyer’s kind of offense.
Buckeye Breakdown
Three games into the long, winding road that is a college basketball season, Ohio State feels very good about its defense. Any why not? The Buckeyes just went into Marquette, who owned the second-longest home winning streak, and held the Golden Eagles to 35 points.
The caveat, though, is Ohio State scored 19 first-half points and only 52 for the game. Once the Big Ten season rolls around, scoring will need to grow.
Ross' start has been a nightmare.“Offensively, we get a little bit stagnant at times,” head coach Thad Matta said. “Each guy has to accept his role and when we play our best defensively, We’ve got five guys connected and, ironically, when we play our best offensively, it’s kind of the same thing – everybody’s doing their job.”
The most puzzling aspect of the young season is LaQuinton Ross’ inability to put the ball in the hoop. Ross ended last season on a postseason tear. During the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments, he entered the national spotlight. Many thought he’d replace Deshaun Thomas’ production – and he still could – but Ross is off to a forgettable start.
The low point came Saturday when he missed all six shot attempts from the field and was benched in the second half. He’s averaging eight points while shooting a paltry 26.7 percent from the field.
“He probably pressed just a little too much early when things didn’t go well for him,” Matta said. “He wasn’t as effective as we probably need him to be on a nightly basis."
Matta stated the obvious – that Ohio State needs Ross to be at his best. But coaches and teammates remain confident in the shooter’s capability to make shots. Ross has battled an array of minor injuries since the beginning of practice. He’s been hampered by a sore shooting hand and knee.
“I think Q will be fine honestly,” junior guard Shannon Scott said. “He’s been a scorer his whole life. Having one off game isn’t going to get to him. He’s going to stay positive and do what he has to do to make sure we succeed as a team.”
Etc
- Ohio State is 4-0 all-time vs. American University and 18-3 against the Patriot League.
- At Marquette, Aaron Craft became the first Buckeye to record 1,000 points, 500 assists and 200 steals in a career.
