After a whirlwind of an offseason, Ohio State basketball is set to begin a new era Friday night, when Chris Holtmann will coach his first game as the Buckeyes' head coach.
The Buckeyes are set to take on Robert Morris on Friday at the Schottenstein Center in their first of four home games to start the season.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Robert Morris University | Value City Arena | 7 p.m. | BTNPlus |
Ohio State is coming off of an 88-63 win over Wooster in an exhibition game Nov. 5 that saw five Buckeyes score in double figures, including freshman Kaleb Wesson. Holtmann's crew features seven first-year Buckeyes, including Michigan graduate transfer Andrew Dakich, who is expected to play a significant role off the bench this season.
What follows is a breakdown of what to watch for in the first game of Holtmann's Ohio State career.
Opponent Breakdown
Robert Morris, which is located in Pittsburgh, finished last season 14-19 overall and 9-9 in the Northeast Conference, with a second-round exit in the conference tournament.
The Colonials return just two starters and three scholarship players from a season ago, with 11 new faces on its roster. That doesn't matter to Holtmann, however, who said he sees a rugged team on film.
"Robert Morris is one of the toughest teams I have seen in recent memory. They are physically tough, they are incredibly scrappy," Holtmann said Wednesday. "They have attacking players and skilled players and they have terrific athleticism. I think for us, it is just a matter of being focused on the task at hand as much as anything."
Guard Dachon Burke is the Colonials' top returning scorer, at 7.6 points per game, after Robert Morris lost its top scorer from a season ago to graduate transfer with Isaiah Still transferring to Iona.
Robert Morris finished in the top 10 among all Division I programs last season in forcing turnovers, a stat that was not lost on Holtmann.
"It is going to be a great test for us. They were seventh in the country in defensive turnover percentage which is outstanding," Holtmann said. "They are active and their entire defense is good."
Robert Morris won both of its preseason exhibition games over Niagara University (73-70) and St. Vincent College (78-61).
Buckeye Breakdown
Ohio State looks much different than it did a season ago, that much is true.
The good news for the Buckeyes is Keita Bates-Diop looks like he is back to full strength after missing most of last season due to injury. He led his team in scoring in the exhibition win over Wooster, with 17 points and nine rebounds in 24 minutes of action.
While it is expected that Ohio State's starting lineup could be tweaked throughout the season, the Buckeyes' starting lineup against Wooster was veteran-laden, as Bates-Diop was joined by Jae'Sean Tate, Kam Williams, Micah Potter and C.J. Jackson in Holtmann's first starting five.
While there weren't many negatives from Ohio State's thrashing of Wooster, one stat stood out. The Buckeyes shot just 3-of-24 from the three point line against the out-manned Wooster squad, something Williams attributed to nerves for the first contest of the season.
"I think it was us being a little jittery," said Williams, who was 1-of-4 from three-point range against Wooster. "Playing somebody else with all the lights on in the Schott, I think it was just jitters. We know shots are going to fall when we are all clicking, so I don't think we are worried about it."
How It Plays Out
Ohio State is ranked No. 78 to start the season, according to Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistical ratings, while Robert Morris is No. 321 out of 351 total teams.
The Buckeyes should win this one easily. Anything other than a double-digit win would be shocking to say the least. The pitch of Holtmann and his staff has been playing hard on the defensive end and playing with energy, with the mindset that the energy and focus on defense will lead to results on the offensive end.
Ohio State should be able to get the season and the Holtmann era off to a winning start Friday night at home.
Prediction: Ohio State 70, Robert Morris 54
