Regular Season Games
Although early-season tournament action will be the best opportunities for Ohio State to build a strong resume, their regular games should still bring plenty of action.
November 6 vs. Oakland
Greg Kampe’s squad may be coming off a rough 2022-23 that saw them go 13-19 and 11-9 in a weak Horizon League. Yet, the Golden Grizzlies are going to come into this one with absolutely nothing to lose and the dreams of taking down a big-time opponent in front of their home crowd. Without star guard Jalen Moore, Oakland will be looking elsewhere to fuel an offense that was inconsistent throughout most of last season.
November 10 vs. Texas A&M
Texas A&M should provide a nice barometer test for Holtmann and the Buckeyes. The Aggies have been a steady winner under head man Buzz Williams and finally had a breakthrough in 2022-23, winning 25 games and earning an NCAA Tournament bid. A&M is widely considered a likely preseason Top 25 team, with nearly every big name set to return and dynamic guard Wade Taylor IV running the offense. Fortunately, the Buckeyes do get them at home, but it’s a very stiff challenge so early on in a young season.
November 15 vs. Merrimack
Reminder: it was Merrimack, not March darling Farleigh Dickinson, that won both the Northeast Conference regular season and tournament title this past winter. However, due to their reclassification status, the Warriors were not able to participate in the NCAA Tournament. That is set to change this season and may provide an extra bit of motivation for Joe Gallo’s program.
November 29 vs. Central Michigan
Following a trip to Florida to square off in the Emerald Coast Classic, Ohio State returns to its friendly confines to match up with another MAC school, Central Michigan. The Chippewas weren’t much better than their fellow directional school WMU, as they went 10-21 a season ago. They had one of the worst offenses in Division I basketball in 2022-23 and unless a slew of newcomers gel quickly, OSU should roll.
December 5/6 vs. Miami (Ohio)
Big Ten play tips off for Ohio State on the first weekend of December, which will impact their next non-conference game. Yet another MAC school comes to Columbus, with Miami (Ohio) coming to town either December 5 or 6, depending on the timing of Ohio State’s first league game. OSU will once again be heavily favored, but there are some interesting connections to note in this game. For one, Holtmann will be coaching against a familiar foe, former Xavier head man Travis Steele, who have a relationship that stretches back to their time in the Big East. Additionally, Ohio State assistant Jack Owens coached the Redhawks for five years before joining Holtmann’s staff.
December 21 vs. New Orleans
The final home game of the 2023-24 non-conference slate for Ohio State will be against the New Orleans Privateers. Coming out of the Southland Conference, the Privateers are another mid-major coming off a rough campaign. This should be a great opportunity for the Buckeyes to further toy with their rotations and perhaps save some energy ahead of the bulk of Big Ten play.
December 30 vs. West Virginia (Cleveland, OH)
Ohio State’s meeting with West Virginia has gotten quite a bit interesting over the last few weeks, with the Mountaineers in complete disarray following Bob Huggins’ DUI arrest. Several prominent names have already moved on, most notably forward Tre Mitchell, and it’s hard to know what West Virginia will look like come late December. The contest will take place at Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse, the home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.