Ohio State basketball gets ready for tough battle vs. Xavier

Ohio State basketball will have its toughest challenge yet in the young season on the road against the 2-0 Xavier Musketeers.

This will be a revealing game that shows where this Buckeye team really is. So far, OSU has been up and down with poor performances against Akron and Niagara, but they had a dominant performance with an 89-58 win over Bowling Green Monday evening.

The non-conference matchup with Xavier is the beginning of a gauntlet for the Scarlet and Gray. After facing off with the Musketeers, the Bucks will travel to Fort Myers, Florida for the Fort Myers Tip-Off Tournament. Their first game in the tournament will be against Seton Hall—who just defeated No.4 Michigan on the road—and the second game in Fort Myers will be vs. Flordia or California. Then on November 30th, OSU has their daunted matchup with the No. 7 Duke Blue Devils.

The Buckeyes will need to find some consistency with many difficult games coming up. The real weaknesses and strengths of Ohio State are about to be unveiled in the upcoming two weeks. If there are major issues, the problems will need to be fixed sooner rather than later with Wisconsin and Kentucky slated for mid-December (OSU has a brutal non-conference schedule this season).

Now focusing on the Bucks’ matchup with Xavier, this could be a tightly-contested game down to the last seconds.

Previewing Ohio State basketball vs. Xavier

Chris Holtmann and Buckeyes could actually be underdogs (or close to it). ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Musketeers a 52.8% chance of winning the game.

The two squads do have a similar opponent early in the season. Both teams struggled with Niagara of all teams, Xavier scrapped by with a 63-60 win while OSU beat Niagara by 10. In addition, both are coming off comfortable non-conference wins heading into Thursday night’s game.

If the Musketeers have one clear strength right now, it is their defense. They have held their first two opponents —Niagara and Kent State — to 60 and 59 points. Also, opponents are shooting only 37.4% against Xavier, but interestingly, the Musketeers are allowing foes to shoot 37.5% from three.

Xavier likes to play at a slow-paced, half-court game as seen with 59 field goals attempted per game (173rd). That is with the Musketeers gaining plenty of extra possessions with over 14 offensive rebounds per game.

OSU plays a rather slow pace as well with only 60 field goal attempts per game (145th). This in-state clash has the chance to be a real slugfest: a defensive game that is very physical.

For the Buckeyes, three-point shooting and rebounding are going to be two huge keys on the road. With Xavier allowing such a high percentage from three, if Ohio State can replicate their 12/32 three-point shooting night vs. Bowling Green, they will be in a great position.

Two games within the season, the Musketeers have two high-level scorers in Paul Scruggs and Colby Jones. Scruggs is averaging 20 points while shooting over 43% while Jones is totaling 17.5 points, shooting 50%. Furthermore, Scruggs is 6’5″ and Jones is 6’6″, giving Xavier a good duo at the wing positions. Ohio State’s Jamari Wheeler could draw one of them on the defensive end while the freshman Malaki Branham will need to step up as well.

Xavier has some height too with their 7-footer Jack Nunge. Plus, their forward Jerome Hunter is averaging nine rebounds. The Scarlet and Gray must keep Nunge and Hunter under wraps on the glass.

Ohio State basketball’s showdown with Xavier will be the first of many tough non-conference games. The Buckeyes must be ready for a scrappy, physical game and must knock down open threes and rebound efficiently to come out on top.