Records
Ohio State 0-0, Illinois State 0-0 (Hey, basketball is back)
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Wednesday, November 25
Game Time: 2:00 PM
Venue: Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Network: ESPN
Rejoice hoops fans! College basketball is back and that means Ohio State is ready to hit the hardwood for the first time since the last game of last year’s regular season, March 8. It’s been a long time and the roster for the Buckeyes looks drastically different than what it did before with several new faces, transfers, and players hopefully coming back from injuries.
Because of all of that, the expectations aren’t extremely high for OSU, but it is ranked just inside the top 25. Nobody really knows what to expect, and a game against the Illinois State Redbirds probably won’t give us much indication on how good this squad is just yet because it’s a bunch that figures to struggle this season.
Regardless, it feels a little like Christmas morning that snuck up on is, and we’re all excited to get this thing going, so buckle up.
2PM. ESPN. We’re back❗️#Team122 #GoBuckeyes pic.twitter.com/8X82icA6Nb
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 25, 2020
Next … The Ohio State game plan
Ohio State cliff notes game plan
….anybody awake? For the first time since March 8th….
it’s GAMEDAY‼️ pic.twitter.com/ygJ9OJR5aJ
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 25, 2020
OK. Let’s not get cute here. There’s no doubt Ohio State isn’t quite sure what its own identity is just like the rest of us. What happens in practice simply can’t replicate what to expect in a game situation. However, the talent gap between the Buckeyes and Redbirds is significant, so it’s time to simply use this game as a glorified scrimmage that counts.
Get into half-court sets, work the offense, try multiple combinations on the floor, and work on simple things like boxing out, rebounding, and playing solid defense.
Aside from that, this is a game to feel out what pieces work and where you can expect scoring to come from. Most importantly though, this team’s going to go as far as its defense can take it, so everyone has to be on the same page and show effort on that end of the court.
Next … Key Player And Prediction
Key Player For Ohio State
C.J. Walker is a leader, father, and future 🏀 coach. He's learning from Coach Holtmann in all three aspects, and flourishing along the way.
Watch the full video about their "tremendous" relationship
👉 https://t.co/QBJfhw719I#GoBuckeyes | The People. pic.twitter.com/8ios6HeCPi— Ohio State Buckeyes 🌰 (@OhioStAthletics) October 10, 2020
C.J. Walker. The Ohio State point guard is the most experienced ball-handler Ohio State has, and he’ll be the catalyst to get everything going this year. He needs to get off to a great start and show that what we saw at the end of last season is what we can expect this year. He seemed to be gaining confidence as a scoring threat, and a big game today can go a long way towards setting things up for the rest of the season.
How It’ll All Go Down
Even though Ohio State might struggle to score this season, this one shouldn’t be much of a ballgame. The Buckeyes are bigger, stronger, and faster than the Redbirds and should be able to run away and hide in this one. Look for some sloppy play in game one, but some easy runouts and athletic superiority will put this one in the win column easily.
Final Score
Ohio State 81, Illinois State 60
Line
Ohio State -18.5
Odds courtesy of BetMGM, The King of Sportsbooks.
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