Basketball Preview: Texas Southern at Ohio State

By James Grega on November 16, 2017 at 8:35 am
Keita Bates-Diop
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Ohio State got through the first week of the Chris Holtmann era unscathed, but more daunting games await the Buckeyes as the season moves along. 

In order to remain undefeated in their second week of the season, the Buckeyes will need to reduce the amount of turnovers they committed in their first two games against Robert Morris and Radford. Through two games, Ohio State ranks 277th in the country (out of 351 teams) in turnovers per game, committing 17 giveaways per contest. 

Who Where When TV
Texas Southern (0-2) Value City Arena 7 p.m. BTN

While it is still early in the season, Holtmann said he wants his team to cut down on the errors, so that the Buckeyes are better prepared to play tougher opponents as the season progresses. In order to do that, Holtmann said one thing in particular helps prepare his team to lessen the giveaways. 

"Keep showing film and keep hammering the idea of making easy plays," Holtmann said. "We clearly tend to (try) to hit the home run too often. I think our guys understanding that carelessness with the ball will get us beat for sure. They have got to embrace that and recognize how important that is going to be."

The next test for Ohio State comes Thursday, when the Buckeyes play Texas Southern in their third game of the season.

Opponent Breakdown

Texas Southern enters its matchup with Ohio State winless, but its two losses have been against a top-25 team and a Power 5 opponent. The Tigers opened the season with a 97-69 loss to defending national runner-up Gonzaga before blowing a 21-point lead in an 86-84 overtime loss to Washington State. 

The Tigers feature a transfer-laden roster that includes former four-star prospect Trayvon Reed. A 7-foot-2 center, Reed spent two years at Auburn before transferring to Texas Southern, where he is currently averaging nine points and 11 rebounds per game. 

Preparing for his size presents a unique challenge for the Buckeyes. Holtmann said the Buckeyes will have to put bodies on Reed and not be afraid to play physically inside.

"He was a really heralded recruit and he is really talented," Holtmann said of Reed. "He is long, and has a defensive presence, but also can just get the balls that we might have trouble getting to. We are going to have to be physical with him and initiate contact. That is something we are going to continue to emphasize in our preparation."

While Reed stands out on paper due to his size, point guard Demontrae Jefferson is Texas Southern's primary scoring threat. Through two games against major opponents, Jefferson is averaging 21 points, while his backcourt mate Donte Clark is averaging 17.5 points and 11 rebounds through two contests. A graduate transfer from UMass, Clark has a pair of 30-point games in his career and is just as much of a scoring threat as Jefferson. 

Holtmann said that Texas Southern's guards are also aggressive on the glass, in addition to their tenacity to score. 

"They have guards that fly in from the perimeter and are really quick to pursue offensive rebounds," Holtmann said. "Their spacing and ability to spread you out and where they come from on the glass is different than a traditional smash mouth team."

Buckeye Breakdown

While turnovers have been the main area of concern for the Buckeyes through two games, there has been plenty to like when watching Ohio State. 

For starters, the Buckeyes already appear to be playing with more energy to start the season than they did a year ago, and Holtmann said Wednesday that he has appreciated the hustle his team has shown against Robert Morris and Radford. 

"We have had some moments where we have been good on the glass and played really hard in some stretches," Holtmann said. "We have not always played as smart as we could, but I think hopefully we are getting a better feel for the purpose we need to play with offensively and defensively. Our attention to detail has been a little bit better, but those are the things we have hammered."

In addition to the effort, Ohio State has received consistent play from Keita Bates-Diop through two games this season. The redshirt junior is averaging a double-double (20.5 ppg, 10.5 rpg) through two contests, and said Wednesday that facing a longer, more athletic team in Texas Southern is something the Buckeyes prepare for everyday in practice. 

"They are bigger and longer than the previous two teams we have played, but we practice against that everyday," Bates-Diop said. "Jae'Sean (Tate) is long, Andre (Wesson) and Kaleb (Wesson) is a big body down there. We play against it every day, but in a game it is different."

The length of the Tigers could impact Ohio State's three-point shooting, which has struggled to start the season. While Bates-Diop is hitting on 44 percent (4-of-9) from long range this season, the Buckeyes as a team are shooting just 28.9 percent from behind the three-point line. 

How It Plays Out

Texas Southern is ranked 256th in Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistical rating system, while Ohio State stands at 74th, four spots ahead of where the Buckeyes stood last week. 

The Tigers are likely better than their ranking, and have the firepower to beat the Buckeyes if Ohio State takes the visitors lightly. Texas Southern is shooting 34 percent from long range and has the ability to win the battle on the glass, and if the Tigers can do both, they have a chance to pull the upset in Columbus. 

That said, Holtmann's focus has been effort and eliminating turnovers, and if the Buckeyes can have success in those area, Ohio State should win the game. If not, it leaves the door open for a Texas Southern upset. 


Prediction: Ohio State 75, Texas Southern 64

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