Ohio State returns home Wednesday after a disappointing 1-2 stretch in the PK80 Invitational that saw the Buckeyes sandwich a pair of losses to Gonzaga and Butler around a win against Stanford.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Clemson (5-1) | Value City Arena | 7:15 p.m. | ESPN2 |
The Buckeyes welcome a Clemson team to Columbus that has just one blemish on its record, a 67-60 loss at home to Temple. Ohio State is hoping for its best crowd of the season against the Tigers, as the program has offered free tickets to all students.
Chris Holtmann said Tuesday that Ohio State has already distributed around 5,000 student tickets for the game, and redshirt senior guard Kam Williams added he is expecting a raucous atmosphere in the Schottenstein Center on Wednesday night.
"If I was a student and I saw as much free stuff as they are giving away, I would be the first person here," Williams said. "I would be camping out outside. It's going to be a great atmosphere. I was hearing it's supposed to be our loudest atmosphere in the last five years.
"If that's the case, we are really excited about it. We are looking forward to feeding off of our fans and it should be a really fun experience."
Ohio State is asking fans to wear scarlet, as the Buckeyes will be wearing their scarlet jerseys with black lettering that were worn in the PK80 Invitational.
Opponent Breakdown
The Tigers enter Columbus with a veteran starting lineup that has shot the ball well this season. As a team, Clemson is shooting just more than 50 percent from the floor and features exclusively upperclassmen in its starting lineup.
Holtmann made a point on Tuesday to mention the experience of the Tigers, who are coming off an 84-77 win over Texas Southern on Friday.
"From what I have been able to watch, I really like this Clemson team. They are older (and) skilled," Holtmann said. "It is going to be a fun challenge for us and we are excited about it. Excited to prepare."
The Tigers are led by senior forward Donte Grantham, who is averaging 16 points and six rebounds per game. Grantham is a threat from both in the paint and on the perimeter, where he is shooting a blistering 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from beyond the three-point line.
Battling in the paint for the Tigers is forward Elijah Thomas, who leads Clemson in rebounds, averaging 9.2 per game. He is also scoring 13.0 points per game, and is efficient finishing near the rim, shooting 70.5 percent from he floor.
Outside of Thomas, the other four Clemson starters are all threats to shoot the ball from the perimeter, something Holtmann said he is working on with his team in preparation for the Tigers.
"They have four guys out on the floor that can really shoot the ball. They were outstanding offensively last year, I think they were top 30-35 in the country in offense efficiency last year," Holtmann said. "They spread you out, they have got a terrific big guy and have shooters around him who can make plays with the ball in their hands.
"We have not defended the three as well as I would have hoped, but overall, we have defended well."
Guard Gabe DeVoe is perhaps Clemson's biggest backcourt threat from behind the arc, shooting the long ball at a 39.3 percent clip. Fellow backcourt member Shelton Mitchell handles the point guard duties and averages 4.6 assists per contest.
Buckeye Breakdown
The Buckeyes are coming off of a heartbreaking 67-66 loss in overtime to Holtmann's former school, Butler, in which Ohio State blew a 15-point lead with less than six minutes to play.
While the loss may sting, Holtmann said he isn't dwelling too much on the setback because of how early in the season it occurred.
"You don't want to make too much of it. That was our seventh game of the season and I didn't want to make too much of it and I don't think (the players) do either," Holtmann said. "You have to recognize that the best thing we can do from this is learn from it and move forward.
"Hopefully we will be in that position again, where you have a chance to have a significant lead in the last four or five minutes and if you put yourself in that position enough, hopefully we can learn from it and make better decisions down the stretch."
Part of making those improved decisions could involve different lineups out on the floor for Ohio State. The Buckeyes have started the last three games with Kaleb Wesson in the post following an ankle injury to Micah Potter, a situation that Holtmann described as "fluid" when it came to determining a starter down low.
As for the rotation late in games, Holtmann said he is looking for players to step up and emerge as confident and composed leaders in tight situations.
"You're looking for poise under pressure and you are looking for guys who can play with their minds in late situations," Holtmann said. "You are looking for guys who can pass, catch and handle. We are still searching for that group."
Starting point guard C.J. Jackson has had an up-and-down start to his season, as he has struggled with turnovers but has also emerged as a scoring threat for the Buckeyes.
Jackson tied a season-high with seven turnovers in the loss to Butler, something Holtmann said his starting point guard needs to improve on if Ohio State is to be successful.
"His decision-making has to improve, and he knows that," Holtmann said. "I believe it will. He played a terrific game against Stanford, but I think the athleticism of the guards at Butler bothered him a bit. Not just him, but bothered our backcourt."
Holtmann added that because of the streaky play at the guard spot, Jae'Sean Tate could assume a larger role in running the offense, something that was talked about at length in the offseason but has yet to take form early in the season.
"I have done it a little bit less than I anticipated," Holtmann said of playing Tate playing some point guard. "I don't know that that's going to continue to be the case. I think some of it is, we have played him almost exclusively at the wing spot, and we don't have great depth there so he is needed to be playing that position.
"I do think we will see him more at the point than we probably have."
How It Plays Out
The Buckeyes are coming off of an emotional loss to Butler in Portland, Ore., while the Tigers have not played a game in five days. Conversely, Ohio State has played three games in that span.
The Tigers are ranked No. 52 in Ken Pomeroy's advanced statistical rating system, while Ohio State checks in at No. 69. The lone common opponent between the two schools is Texas Southern, which the Buckeyes defeated, 82-64.
If Ohio State can feed off the energy from what should be a more lively crowd at the Schottenstein Center, the Buckeyes should be able to overcome what could be heavy legs and jet lag. If not, Clemson comes in with more experience and fresh legs. This game could go either way.
Prediction: Ohio State 74, Clemson 72
