Twelve games in and it still feels like we don't know much about Ohio State.
All 10 of the Buckeyes wins this season have come by double digits. Those games, however, were against unranked, non-conference opponents in the friendly confides of Columbus. But in the only two games Ohio State has played this season away from home, it has lost: once on the road to No. 4 Louisville and the other in Chicago to No. 20 North Carolina.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wright State (8-5) | Schottenstein Center | 7 p.m. | BTN |
The good news for Buckeye fans, though, is the Big Ten season is fast-approaching. We'll learn a lot more about this year's Ohio State team very soon.
But before the 21st-ranked Buckeyes kick off conference play Tuesday by hosting Iowa, they've got one more non-conference matchup on their schedule. Ohio State hosts another in-state opponent tonight at the Schottenstein Center in Wright State.
Opponent Breakdown
The Raiders (8-5) come to Columbus after just having their four-game winning streak snapped their last time out with an eight-point loss to George Mason.
Hailing for the usually-competitive Horizon League, Wright State is pretty well-balanced on the offensive end. The Raiders are led by junior forward JT Yoho, who averages team highs in points per game (17.7) and rebounds per game (7.5).
But Wright State also has two additional players who average in double figures. Junior guard Joe Thomasson is the team's second-leading scorer (12.1 points per game) and second-leading rebounder (5.8 per game), while Chrishawn Hopkins averages 10.2 points, as well.
The Raiders will look to challenge Ohio State's zone as they enter today's matchup shooting an average of 21 3-pointers per game. A high percentage of its shots come from behind the arc, but Wright State only converts on 33.6 percent of tries as a team.
"They shoot a lot of 3s," Ohio State head coach Thad Matta said of the Raiders. "A high percentage of their shots are 3s and they've shown they're very help-oriented defensively. ... It's definitely a high-communication-type game."
Buckeye Breakdown
Ohio State played angry against Miami as it tried to bounce back from a disappointing loss to North Carolina. The result was a 38-point win.
While the motive against the Raiders won't be there, the Buckeyes still want to finish their non-conference slate strong and head into Big Ten play with 11 wins.
"It's very important just to set the tone going into the Big Ten season, to try to finish out before the season 11-2," freshman Jae'Sean Tate said. "I feel like it will give us confidence and get us prepared for the task ahead."
Ohio State has continued to shoot the ball well throughout its non-conference schedule with the exception of its two losses. The Buckeyes rank fifth nationally in field-goal percentage (51.9) percent) and, as a team, shoot it at 40.9 percent from behind the 3-point line, which is No. 14 in the country.
A large part of that offensive success has been the efficiency of sophomore forward Marc Loving. The Toledo, Ohio native is Ohio State's second-leading scorer at 12.3 points per game, but Loving is scorching the nets by shooting nearly 54 percent from the field and 91 percent from the free-throw line.
But perhaps what's been the most impressive number Loving has posted this year is his performance in the early-going from behind the 3-point line where he ranks third nationally at 58.5 percent. Loving has connected on 24 of his 41 tries so far from downtown.
"I just take an open shot when it's there and not force anything," Loving said.
How It'll Play Out
There's a slight chance this could be a trap game for the Buckeyes with the Big Ten opener against Iowa looming Tuesday.
Wright State is a more-than-capable team and if the Raiders get hot from the outside and Ohio State is looking ahead to the Hawkeyes in any way, things could get interesting.
If Matta sees any of that happening, though, look for him to get into his team at halftime. The Buckeyes usually respond when that happens, too. Expect Ohio State to pull away from Wright State in the second half and roll into Big Ten play with an 11-2 record.
"Over this preseason before Big Ten play, I think we've built team chemistry and we're understanding our defense a little better," Tate said. "We've still got gaps to improve on and our offense, we now know we have to run a system. Every week we are improving matter so I feel confident."
