Ohio State at No. 6 Virginia, 9:15 p.m. ESPN2
The 6-0 Cavaliers face the Buckeyes tonight at JPJ. UVa topped OSU in last season's ACC-Big Ten Challenge, 64-58, in Columbus. The Wahoos are listed as 13.5-point favorites.
Since my last post on UVa hoops, Virginia won the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida by crushing Iowa, 74-41, and then defeating Providence, 63-52.
Here's some more on the Buckeyes:
Record: 6-0
Scorers in double figures: Junior forward Jae'Sean Tate (14.3), junior guard Kam Williams (13.7), senior forward Marc Loving (11.5), sophomore guard JaQuan Lyle (11.3), junior forward Keita Bates-Diop (10.3), junior center Trevor Thompson (10)
Leading rebounders: Thompson (7.5), Tate (7), Bates-Diop (6.7), Loving (5.5)
Assist leaders: Lyle (5.5), sophomore guard C.J. Jackson (5.3), Bates-Diop (2)
Notable: Williams, Tate, and Jackson all average about a steal per game. Jackson also averages 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds. Thompson averages two blocks per game.
Best win: Providence, 72-67, the team UVa just beat in Florida
Other wins: Navy, North Carolina Central, Western Carolina, Jacksonville State, Marshall
What Ohio State does well: In the early going, OSU ranks in the top 100 in scoring and is 27th in rebounding margin and 66th in 3-point percentage (38.7). Williams has made 18 of 32 3s (56.3 percent).
What Ohio State doesn't do well: For a team that shoots well behind the arc and from the field in general at more than 50 percent, it is odd that the Buckeyes have been atrocious thus far at the free throw line at 59.5 percent, 334th in the nation.
Virginia was finally tested against Providence in what was a fairly close game throughout the second half. At the very least, the Friars stayed within shouting distance, and I believe the closest they got was six. They were beaten by OSU by five. OSU has not had any other tough games, but Virginia hasn't really either at first look. But we should probably wait to see how good Iowa is, which Virginia demolished. The Hawkeyes have made the NCAA tournament three consecutive seasons. And Yale was a solid team that went 1-1 in the Big Dance last year. Still, it is early to really get good at guessing how a game is going to go. I think Virginia is going to be too tough at home for the Buckeyes, who can probably make some 3s to stay close, but free throw shooting could bite them down the stretch. I will say, that looking at the roster, OSU looks much more veteran than last season and that could make a difference and could possibly help them pull off the upset.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 5-10 points.
The 6-0 Cavaliers face the Buckeyes tonight at JPJ. UVa topped OSU in last season's ACC-Big Ten Challenge, 64-58, in Columbus. The Wahoos are listed as 13.5-point favorites.
Since my last post on UVa hoops, Virginia won the Emerald Coast Classic in Florida by crushing Iowa, 74-41, and then defeating Providence, 63-52.
Here's some more on the Buckeyes:
Record: 6-0
Scorers in double figures: Junior forward Jae'Sean Tate (14.3), junior guard Kam Williams (13.7), senior forward Marc Loving (11.5), sophomore guard JaQuan Lyle (11.3), junior forward Keita Bates-Diop (10.3), junior center Trevor Thompson (10)
Leading rebounders: Thompson (7.5), Tate (7), Bates-Diop (6.7), Loving (5.5)
Assist leaders: Lyle (5.5), sophomore guard C.J. Jackson (5.3), Bates-Diop (2)
Notable: Williams, Tate, and Jackson all average about a steal per game. Jackson also averages 3.0 points and 2.2 rebounds. Thompson averages two blocks per game.
Best win: Providence, 72-67, the team UVa just beat in Florida
Other wins: Navy, North Carolina Central, Western Carolina, Jacksonville State, Marshall
What Ohio State doesn't do well: For a team that shoots well behind the arc and from the field in general at more than 50 percent, it is odd that the Buckeyes have been atrocious thus far at the free throw line at 59.5 percent, 334th in the nation.
Virginia was finally tested against Providence in what was a fairly close game throughout the second half. At the very least, the Friars stayed within shouting distance, and I believe the closest they got was six. They were beaten by OSU by five. OSU has not had any other tough games, but Virginia hasn't really either at first look. But we should probably wait to see how good Iowa is, which Virginia demolished. The Hawkeyes have made the NCAA tournament three consecutive seasons. And Yale was a solid team that went 1-1 in the Big Dance last year. Still, it is early to really get good at guessing how a game is going to go. I think Virginia is going to be too tough at home for the Buckeyes, who can probably make some 3s to stay close, but free throw shooting could bite them down the stretch. I will say, that looking at the roster, OSU looks much more veteran than last season and that could make a difference and could possibly help them pull off the upset.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 5-10 points.
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