You'd think playing in his first-career collegiate game, D'Angelo Russell would have been a little bit nervous taking the floor.
"No, sir. Not at all," Russell answered when asked about his nerves following his 16-point, six-assist, four-rebound performance against UMass-Lowell.
The rest of the Ohio State freshmen didn't carry much of a nervous look either as they combined to score 36 points for the Buckeyes in their 92-55 win Friday night over the River Hawks.
"I thought the young guys did a really good job tonight," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said. "Kam (Williams) and Keita (Bates-Diop) relaxed a little bit and were a lot more effective. I was pretty pleased with how everybody played."
Russell's 16 points led the Buckeyes, but they got a balanced attack overall against an overmatched UMass-Lowell team just in its second season at the Division I level.
Sam Thompson and Marc Loving had 14 points, Anthony Lee had 13 and Kam Williams added 12 to give Ohio State five scorers in double-figures. Shannon Scott also had a near double-double with nine points and a game-high 11 assists as the Buckeyes coasted from start to finish against the River Hawks.
"We've got a lot of guys that can put the ball in the basket," Thompson said. "... We just want to make the most of our time on the court. Whenever you're on the court just do your job and that's when we'll be at our best."
As for Russell, his 16 points came on 14 shots and he was just 2 for 6 from 3-point range, but it's the way he goes about his business on the court that stands out most when he plays. He's got a silky-smooth game and earned some high praise for it.
"D'Angelo Russell is as good a freshman as I've seen," UMass-Lowell coach Pat Duquette said, "and I spent 13 years coaching in the ACC and the Big East."
But while Russell led the charge, he wasn't the only one.
Lee and Kam Williams were also playing their first games for Ohio State and both had strong efforts, particularly in the second half as each tallied nine points in the game's final 20 minutes.
The Buckeyes also shot a scorching 61.7 percent from the floor in the game and were 9 for 22 from 3-point range while forcing 19 UMass-Lowell turnovers with their full-court 2-2-1 pressure and 2-3 zone.
It's against a severely-overmatched opponent, but if the balanced offensive performance by Russell and the newcomers were a sign of things to come, it could be a very successful year for Matta and the Buckeyes.
"It could be any five guys. We've got a good group of guys that can fill it up on any night," Russell said. "With the newcomers, I don't think anybody was nervous. We're past that stage so it's just stepping up and getting the job done."
