Ohio State basketball returns to Value City Arena once again Monday night.
Fresh off a 10-point win in their season-opener, the Buckeyes return home to host North Carolina Central at 9 p.m.
Ohio State hopes to build off that victory against Navy against the Eagles, who come to Columbus with an 0-1 record following a loss to Marshall on Saturday. The Buckeyes know they have plenty to work on, but head coach Thad Matta said after the win over the Midshipmen there were some things to like, too.
| WHO | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| N.C. Central (0-1) | Value City Arena | 9 p.m. | ESPNU |
“I was very pleased with how we finished the game out,” Matta said. “Obviously, 17 turnovers is unacceptable in terms of guys trying to catch with one hand, a one hand pass here and there. Those are things that we’ve got to get corrected.”
What follows is a breakdown of what to watch for Monday night.
Opponent Breakdown
The Eagles lost their season-opener, 81-69, at Marshall last weekend. A year ago, N.C. Central finished just 13-19 overall.
Dajuan Graf and Patrick Cole led the way for the Eagles in their opener, scoring 19 and 18 points, respectively. Del'vin Dickerson and Ronn Trapps also reached double-figures with 11 points apiece.
The tallest players listed on N.C. Central's roster are Michael Wolfe and Will Ransom — both at 6-foot-8. Ohio State will have a significant size advantage inside against the Eagles.
N.C. Central currently sits at No. 290 in Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistical ratings. The Eagles finished No. 301 in the country a season ago.
Buckeye Breakdown
Ohio State got its spark in the first half against Navy from junior forward Keita Bates-Diop, who poured in all 14 of his points in the game's opening 20 minutes. He also finished with a game-high 14 rebounds. But the Buckeyes were able to knock off the Midshipmen thanks to their super sub, redshirt junior guard Kam Williams.
Williams scored a game-high 23 points off the bench for Ohio State, connecting on 7-of-9 shots from the field and 5-of-6 attempts from behind the 3-point line. Williams scored 16 of his points in the second half.
“I was just taking what the defense was giving me,” Williams said after the game. “I’ve been putting the work in all summer. They were just pressing and playing off, so I was just letting it fly.”
Matta singled out the Buckeyes' 17 turnovers and defensive effort as the two primary concerns in the win over Navy. Ohio State has to get those things cleaned up as it moves forward. After the matchup with N.C. Central, the Buckeyes host Providence on Thursday. That will be a tougher task.
How It Plays Out
KenPom gives Ohio State a 98 percent chance to win Monday against N,C. Central. To put it mildly, a different result would be stunning.
The Buckeyes are clearly the better team in this matchup and should win it with realtive ease. What is perhaps better to watch for is whether or not Ohio State makes any of the same mistakes it did against Navy or if the Buckeyes made some changes.
Either way, Ohio State should move to 2-0 on the young season.
Tim's prediction: Ohio State 83, N.C. Central 61
