The Ohio State basketball team is off to a 3-0 start to its season, and in each game, it's shown an ability to win in different ways.
Opening night against IU Indy they put together a high-level display of offense and shotmaking with 118 points, coming close to a school record of points in a game. This game trended towards a lot of points, given the pace IU Indy wanted to play at. They're top in the country in tempo with a focus on scoring, and the Buckeyes were able to show what their offense is capable of this season, thanks to that style of play.
The Ohio State basketball team was able to play at the pace they would prefer to play at against Purdue Fort Wayne. The offense was strong, while mostly all Bruce Thornton, as we know, went for a career-high 38 points in this game. He looked in total control, got to his spots, and made the performance look effortless.
The defense still showed as an area of weakness, but it was significantly better than the 102 points they allowed to IU Indy. Going into game three of the season, Diebler wanted to focus on the team's defense and rebounding, which was again improved, but in turn caused the offense to start sluggish.
In the win over Appalachian State, the Ohio State basketball team showed a good response to some adversity. They trailed by as many as 12 in the first half, and they were banged up with no Devin Royal in this game.
With the challenge they were given, they found a way to overcome the deficit and win by double digits with a strong defensive effort, and the offense decided to wake up late in the first half. They also took much better care of the ball and fought hard on the glass against the best rebounding team they've faced so far this season.
The point of this is that not one game so far in the first three games has looked the same. The Ohio State basketball team has won by playing with different styles. From high-level shotmaking in a shootout to a grind-it-out come-from-behind win, they've shown the ability to play at different speeds and adjust to the trend of the game.
The downside of this is they've yet to put together two strong halves of basketball on both sides of the floor in the same game. As they now prepare for Notre Dame on Sunday, they won't be able to afford getting down big early like the last time out.
A strong and complete showing on both ends of the floor from the Ohio State basketball team will help their chances at beating Notre Dame, and with how each game has gone to start the season, they should be prepared enough for whatever style of play the Fighting Irish throw at them on Sunday.