And just like that, Ohio State's non-conference basketball season is set to come to an end Sunday.
The Buckeyes host South Carolina State 6 p.m. at the Schottenstein Center in what is their final game before Big Ten play begins Wednesday. What a season of ups and downs it has been already.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| South Carolina State (5-8) | Schottenstein Center | 6 p.m. | BTN |
After starting 2-0, Ohio State lost four consecutive games to fall to 2-4 in what was the worst start to a season in the career of head coach Thad Matta. The Buckeyes won their next two to creep back to the .500 mark before traveling to play UConn in their first true road game of the year.
Things didn't go so well for Ohio State on that Saturday afternoon in Storrs, Connecticut, though, as the Huskies rolled to a 20-point victory. From there, it appeared the Buckeyes were headed toward a 7-6 record in the non conference and a potential .500 season came into the picture if something didn't change and change in a hurry.
Ohio State then pulled one of the biggest upsets of the college basketball season last Saturday when it knocked off then-fourth-ranked Kentucky. It was possibly a season-changing victory for the Buckeyes, who are now sitting at 7-5 on the year riding a three-game winning streak into Sunday's matchup with the Bulldogs.
Opponent Breakdown
South Carolina State enters Sunday's game on a three-game losing streak with losses to Duquesne, St. Bonaventure and East Carolina in that stretch. The Bulldogs are just 5-8 on the season.
Junior guard Eric Eaves leads South Carolina State in scoring at 14.3 points per game. Sophomore guard Ed Stephens (13.8 ppg.) and senior wing Gabriel McCray (11.1 ppg.) are the only other two players averaging in double-figures for the Bulldogs.
South Carolina State ranks just 315th out of 351 teams in KenPom's advanced statistical ratings. The Bulldogs are just 276th in adjusted offensive efficiency and 321st in defensive efficiency. South Carolina State struggles on the glass, as well, averaging just over 33 rebounds per game — 310th nationally.
Buckeye Breakdown
Ohio State's recent success has been a direct result of its defensive improvement, according to Matta.
"I don’t know that we would have kept defending a couple weeks ago," Matta said following the Buckeyes' 64-44 win over Mercer last Tuesday.
Over the last three games, Ohio State is allowing just 55 points per game, forcing an average of 17 turnovers per contest and opponents are shooting an average of just 33.9 percent from the field.
Freshman point guard JaQuan Lyle also played what was arguably his best game of his young career in that win over the Bears, scoring 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting with three assists and a pair of rebounds. If the Buckeyes can get consistency at that point guard spot from Lyle and fellow freshman A.J. Harris, it instantly makes them a much better team.
“Just getting into the flow and playing college basketball," Lyle said of his progression. "I think last week I let Kentucky’s guards speed me up a little bit, but these past couple days in practice I’ve been getting extra work in, pacing myself throughout so they don’t have to pressure me and make me turn the ball over. It’s just watching film, sitting down and breaking that down.
"Talking to [assistant coach Greg Paulus], talking to Coach Matta, seeing what they see because I’m their voice on the court. It’s just little things.”
How It Plays Out
The up-and-down non-conference portion of Ohio State's season probably should have been somewhat expected. The Buckeyes are a young team — this is no secret — and it was going to take time for everyone to adjust to playing college basketball at this level.
What you like if you're an Ohio State fan, however, is that it seems the Buckeyes are playing much better now as opposed to at the beginning of the season. The improvement on the floor can be seen.
For Ohio State to enter Big Ten play riding a four-game winning streak that includes a victory over Kentucky would be huge. It seems like that's a strong possibility with the non-conference finale against the Bulldogs.
The Buckeyes have a big edge in this one, they're 23-point favorites and should roll to a victory.
Tim's prediction: Ohio State 81, South Carolina State 66
