The Buckeyes will look to get redemption in College Station in their first ranked matchup of the season.
The No. 21 Ohio State Buckeyes (2-0) will head to College Station, Texas for their first road test of the season to face the No. 23 Texas A&M Aggies (2-1).
Ohio State has defeated Texas and Youngstown State this season, while Texas A&M lost to UCF but has rattled off two comfortable wins over East Texas A&M and Lamar since.
The Buckeyes hosted the then-ranked No. 15 Aggies last season for the second game, with Texas A&M coming out on top 73-66. For the Aggies, Tyrece Radford and Wade Taylor had 21 points each, and Henry Coleman recorded 20 points and 11 rebounds. The rest of the team only scored 11 points.
For Ohio State, Bruce Thornton finished with 24 points and five assists, and Jamison Battle recorded 10 points. Roddy Gayle Jr. recorded nine points, seven rebounds, and six assists. The Buckeyes were outrebounded 45 to 35, something they hope Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart can help correct this time around.
The Buckeyes have impressed the metrics early on, as they ranked No. 15 overall on KenPom and currently rank No. 20 in offensive efficiency and No. 19 in defensive efficiency.
Preview
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Ohio State’s scoring has been balanced thus far through two games. Junior point guard Bruce Thornton leads the Buckeyes with 16 points, five rebounds, and four assists per game.
Freshman John Mobley Jr. has taken the college basketball world by storm early, averaging 15 points per game and starting his collegiate career 7-for-8 from three-point range. Micah Parrish is the only other Buckeye averaging double figures early on, averaging 10.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game.
Aaron Bradshaw is averaging nine points and 4.5 rebounds per game, while Devin Royal and Meechie Johnson are averaging 9.0 and 8.5 points per game, respectively. Duke transfer Sean Stewart is averaging six points and 5.5 rebounds per game.
Nine players are averaging more than 14 minutes per game. The only three scholarship players playing fewer than 14 minutes per game are Colin White, Austin Parks, and Ivan Njegovan.
The Buckeyes have been efficient offensively, shooting 50 percent from the field and 48 percent from three-point range as a team.
For Texas A&M, Zhuric Phelps, a transfer guard from SMU, leads the way thus far. He is averaging 17 points, 4.5 rebounds, and four assists per game. Phelps missed the Aggie’s opening game against UCF.
Senior guard Wade Taylor is averaging 12.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 5.3 assists per game on 42.9 percent shooting from three-point range. Henry Coleman is averaging 11.0 points and seven rebounds per game, while Pharrel Payne is averaging nine points and 6.3 rebounds per game.
Manny Obaseki is averaging eight points per game, while Andersson Garcia is averaging seven points and an impressive 7.7 rebounds per game. Similar to Ohio State, Texas A&M has 10 players who are averaging 14 or more minutes per game.
Prediction
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Similar to last season, this will be a close game that will likely come down to the frontcourt production. Texas A&M outrebounded the Buckeyes 45 to 35 last year in this game, and Henry Coleman outrebounded the combo of Felix Okpara and Zed Key all on his own. Now, they have added Minnesota transfer Pharrel Payne, and Ohio State has a brand new front court they are trying to break in.
Aaron Bradshaw and Sean Stewart combined for 16 rebounds against Youngstown State. They will be tasked with slowing down Texas A&M’s front court and forcing Phelps and Taylor to do the majority of the scoring, making it more difficult for the Aggies overall.
To win this game, they will need more from Meechie Johnson as well. The 2023-24 All-SEC Second Team selection has struggled so far in his two games back in Columbus, but this is a familiar opponent for him from the SEC, and he is too talented and experienced to stay down for long.
I think Ohio State gets production from a lot of different guys in this one, and with its bench outscoring Texas A&M’s bench, that will be enough to win a close one in College Station.
ESPN BPI: Texas A&M 63.5%
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
TV: SEC Network
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 76, Texas A&M 70