If you blinked, you might have missed the non-conference portion of Ohio State's season.
On Thursday, the Buckeyes play their final game before Big Ten play begins. Ohio State hosts UNC Asheville at Value City Arena.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| UNC Asheville (8-4) | Value City Arena | 9 p.m. | ESPN2 |
Outside of one glaring blemish — an inexplicable overtime loss to Florida Atlantic — the Buckeyes' non-conference slate has gone fairly well. Ohio State currently sits at 9-3 with two of those three losses against No. 2 UCLA (neutral court) and No. 12 Virginia (on the road). The Buckeyes have a pair of top-100 wins as they have home victories over Providence and Connecticut.
The loss to Florida Atlantic will hurt come March, but with a wide open Big Ten this season, there's an opportunity for Ohio State to make some noise and contend for one of the top-four spots in the league. Purdue, Wisconsin and Indiana look to be the class of the league this season, but after that, it's anybody's guess.
Against UNC Asheville, a rather highly-regarded mid-major, the Buckeyes have a chance to pick up their 10th win of the season. And with the Big Ten up next, it's vitally important for Ohio State to build some momentum.
Opponent Breakdown
On paper, UNC Asheville figures to be one of the more difficult mid-major opponents on Ohio State's non-conference schedule. The Bulldogs rank 143rd in Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistical ratings. Only Marshall, which currently sits at No. 139, ranks higher among the Buckeyes' mid-major opponents.
UNC Asheville had its five-game winning streak snapped Monday, however, as it lost to UNC Greensboro, 75-73. The Bulldogs enter Tuesday night with an 8-4 record on the year as their other three losses are against VCU, Georgia and Kansas.
Ahmad Thomas is UNC Asheville's leading scorer; the junior guard averages 16.8 points per game and shoots 55.6 percent from behind the 3-point line. Ohio State must find a way to slow him down in order to contain the Bulldogs' offensive attack.
Other key contributors for UNC Asheville include freshman guard MaCio Teague (13.6 points per game), junior guard Kevin Vannatta (7.6 ppg.) and junior forward Alex Wnuk (7.2 ppg.). Vannatta is a Columbus native and a graduate of Upper Arlington High School.
Per KenPom, the Bulldogs rank 170th nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency, scoring 103.4 points per 100 possessions. UNC Asheville is 129th in adjusted defensive efficiency, allowing 102 points per 100 possessions.
Buckeye Breakdown
Following a loss to No. 2-ranked UCLA, Ohio State got exactly the performance it needed Tuesday: a blowout victory against an overmatched mid-major opponent. The Buckeyes downed Youngstown State, 77-40.
Routs have been a bit hard to come by this season for Ohio State, so that's why Tuesday's performance was important. The Buckeyes have had a tendency to play up — or down — to their level of competition thus far in the nonconference, but that simply didn't happen against the Penguins.
Now, the only question that remains is can Ohio State do it again?
“I definitely feel we took a good step forward in continuing to get better," junior center Trevor Thompson said. "It’s good momentum going into this game on Thursday.”
The Buckeyes have six players currently averaging in double-figures giving them one of the most balanced offensive attacks in the country. Junior forward Jae'Sean Tate leads the way at 14.1 points per game, but Marc Loving (11.8 ppg.), Kam Williams (11.0 ppg.), Keita Bates-Diop (10.6 ppg.), Thompson (10.4 ppg.) and JaQuan Lyle (10.2 ppg.) give him plenty of help. Thompson is the team's leading rebounder at 9.1 per game and is coming off his third double-double of the season in the win over Youngstown State.
Tate, Bates-Diop and Williams also led the way in the Buckeyes' latest victory as each scored 15 points. Ohio State played the game without starting center Micah Potter, who left after injuring his ankle on the opening tip. Potter remains day-to-day with the left ankle sprain and it's unknown if he'll play Thursday against UNC Asheville.
How It Plays Out
Ohio State must do everything it can to build on Tuesday's dominating performance and have that effort carry over into Thursday's game against the Bulldogs. This is a critical game for the Buckeyes in the sense that they need to build as much momentum as possible heading into Big Ten play.
Ohio State is the heavy favorite and is given an 89 percent chance at a victory, per KenPom. If the Buckeyes play the same way they did Tuesday night, they'll be fine.
UNC Asheville is by no means a slouch, but Ohio State has the significant talent edge and I think the Buckeyes come out from the jump and play like they want another easy win.
Tim's prediction: Ohio State 73, UNC Asheville 59
