The Ohio State basketball team showed in each of the first two games of the season that it could score a lot of points. Offense is clearly the strength of this team early on, as evidenced by the 116 points they scored in the opener against IU Indy. They played much better defense against App State, though.
After a rough shooting start, the Ohio State Buckeyes were able to beat the Mountaineers of Appalachian State 75-53. They used a 36-7 run in the middle of the game to take control for good. This was the third straight home game for the Buckeyes to start the season.
Brandon Noel was the star of the game for Ohio State in this one. He had a game-high 17 points and 11 rebounds, scoring those points on 8/10 shooting. He was the best player on the court for a large chunk of this game, showing the improvement that Jake Diebler has made in his frontcourt.
The Ohio State basketball team got a good win without a starter
Ohio State was able to win this game without having one of its key players available. Devin Royal was out for this game with an injury, so Collin White got the first start of his career. Following the game, Jake Diebler mentioned how much work White has put into his game.
"It's been a roller coaster of about 12 months for him. I get to see the time he puts in every single day to give himself a chance in practice. The exciting thing for us is that he's been more consistent lately and had two good days of prep. I felt like he earned the right to play well."
As for Royal, it doesn't seem like this injury is a long-term concern. He should be back soon to help the Buckeyes win games, which is good. He is one of Ohio State's best players, and they need his versatility.