COLUMBUS — The Ohio State men’s basketball team played their lone exhibition game of the year Thursday night, coming away with an 81-63 win over UNC Pembroke. The Buckeyes were led by post players Micah Potter and Kaleb Wesson, who scored 13 and 12 points respectively. Wesson added 10 rebounds. Potter did his damage in only 10 minutes of play.
The win won’t go into the standings, but it does give the Buckeyes an idea of where they stand currently. After turning the ball over 21 times, however, it’s clear that wherever they stand, they have to do a better job of holding on to the basketball.
Because this was an exhibition game, everybody on the Ohio State roster who was eligible to play saw minutes, with 11 players seeing at least 10 minutes of action.
The Buckeyes started the game with senior C.J. Jackson and freshman Luther Muhammad in the backcourt, along with junior Andre Wesson, and sophomores Kyle Young and Kaleb Wesson in the frontcourt. Young and Muhammad scored nine points a piece, while Andre Wesson added four points and six rebounds.
Muhammad was the only freshman in the starting lineup, but he wasn’t the only freshman to make an impact. Forward Jaedon LeDee scored nine points, guard Duane Washington added five points on 2-8 shooting, and wing Justin Ahrens hit one of his five three-point attempts.
Wake Forest transfer Keyshawn Woods only scored four points on four made free throws, but Holtmann said after the game that Woods scored 15 points in the scrimmage against Xavier this past weekend.
The Buckeyes outrebounded the Braves 56-35, but forced just 14 turnovers. Ohio State shot 27-61 (.443) from the field and just 5-25 (.200) from three-point territory.
The Star
Junior post player Micah Potter may have only played 10 minutes, but he scored a team-high 13 points on 4-4 shooting from the field and 5-6 at the free throw line. He finished around the rim and was generally getting fouled while doing it. Holtmann purposely held his minutes down so that Jaedon LeDee could get a long look. Potter also added six rebounds and a blocked shot. After the game, Holtmann said the key for more minutes will be Potter’s ability to defend and grab defensive rebounds.
The Unexpected
While not entirely a surprise, any time a true freshman is in the starting lineup, it does make you take notice. Muhammad knows that his job is to play defense, and that’s ultimately what gave Holtmann the confidence to put him in the lineup. Muhammad can also drive and score, but his ability to perform the role he has been given is what will keep him in the lineup. OSU’s first three defensive possessions resulted in a shot-clock violation, a jump ball, and a forced turnover.
The Quote
“We weren’t playing guys extended minutes, but certainly turnovers were an issue. We were way too careless with the ball. We have seen certain guys struggle with it, honestly, and as coaches we just have to help them make better decisions. I’m not playing guys extended minutes if they can’t take care of the ball.” — Chris Holtmann on Ohio State’s 21 turnovers.
Quick Thoughts
+ UNC Pembroke is a Division II team, so take everything with a grain of salty goodness, but Luther Muhammad showed a good deal of promise and basketball awareness. His nine points came in the first half on 3-4 shooting (1-1 3FG) and 2-3 from the foul line. He played a total of 17 minutes, but his +/- was a game-high 32.
+ Keyshawn Woods went 0-3 from the field and only scored four points with just one assist, but it sounds like this shouldn’t be his typical game. He has been talked about as one of the team’s best scorers, but he was pretty passive in his 23 minutes tonight.
+ Kaleb Wesson continues to get his body right and now just looks like any other post player in the nation. His game, however, continues to improve. Along with the weight dropping comes better athleticism around the basket. He missed his lone three-point attempt, but added two steals and a blocked shot.
+ Kyle Young is your stereotypical “glue guy” who makes things happen on defense and has the athleticism to find his way on offense.
+ The three-point shooting was not pretty, but 2-10 of that was freshmen Justin Ahrens and Duane Washington. C.J. Jackson’s shot looks the same as it ever has, but we have seen him be successful with it. Musa Jallow’s shot looks the same as well, and unfortunately we have seen those results as well. There is still work to be done here.
The Box Score
Up Next
The Buckeyes tip off the regular season on Wednesday at the University of Cincinnati. The game is set for 6:00 pm and will air on ESPN2.
