Ohio State Basketball: 2019-20 keys for Buckeyes against Villanova

TULSA, OKLAHOMA - MARCH 22: Andre Wesson #24 of the Ohio State Buckeyes reacts with C.J. Jackson #3, Musa Jallow #2 and Kaleb Wesson #34 against the Iowa State Cyclones during the second half in the first round game of the 2019 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at BOK Center on March 22, 2019 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – MARCH 15: Head coach Chris Holtmann of the Ohio State Buckeyes talks to his team during a timeout in the second half against the Michigan State Spartans during the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Basketball Tournament at the United Center on March 15, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /

Ohio State Basketball welcomes Villanova in a big non-conference match-up for the Gavitt Games. What are the keys for the Buckeyes to prevail?

The Buckeyes of Ohio State Basketball have a big game Wednesday night against Villanova. The Buckeyes enter this game undefeated at 2-0 with beating Cincinnati and UMass-Lowell with both games being played at Columbus, Ohio. Crazy stat, Ohio State held both Cincinnati and UMass-Lowell to 56 points in their contests. Interesting to see if the Buckeyes can hold the Wildcats to 56 points.

This is one of Ohio State’s biggest non-conference games of the year. Both teams are well-coached and this is a great test for both teams. Early non-conference games are great for both teams to see how they match-up against other teams in Division 1 basketball. Ohio State plays in one of the biggest arenas in college basketball so it will not be easy for Villanova to grab a road win.

Ohio State’s Kyle Young was the team’s leading scorer in their season home opener against Cincinnati. He led the way with 14 points, 13 rebounds, and shot 85.7% from the field (6/7). He had 7 offensive rebounds that game. This stat is important to know because having more offensive rebounds in a non-conference game against a Big East foe is rare and teams should not take Young lightly.

Their game against UMass-Lowell had 5 Buckeyes in double figures. Those 5 were Young, Kaleb Wesson (13 points), Luther Muhammad (11 points), Gaffney Alonzo (10 points), and D.J. Carton (13 points). Some other stats from this game that caught my eye was the fact that they only shot 50% from the free throw line (11/22). If you shoot 50% from the foul line against mid-majors, there is a possibility you can slip by, but if you’re playing high-major conferences, then that can be a problem. The Buckeyes are going to need to get their percentage up if they want to be a big factor in the Big Ten come March.

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