Early Season Tournaments
In addition to all the action in Columbus over the course of the fall and early winter, early-season tournaments will give the Buckeyes a chance to show their stuff on the national stage. That includes the CBS Sports Classic, which features some of the most notable brands in the world of college basketball.
November 19, 24 – 25: Emerald Coast Classic
Niceville, Florida, will be the scene of the 2023 Emerald Coast Classic, with eight teams set to battle it out on the campus of Northwest Florida State College. Although technically, the event actually begins November 19 for the Buckeyes, as they get Western Michigan in the Schottenstein Center.
Ohio State will square off with Alabama in a semifinal game November 24, with the third-place and championship games taking place a day later. It will be the first meeting between Ohio State and Alabama on the hardwood in over four decades, dating all the way back to 1980-81. Although the Tide may lose one of the game’s signature stars in Brandon Miller, the Tide should still be one of the tougher opponents on OSU’s schedule. Nate Oats has already landed a new lead guard in Hofstra’s Aaron Estrada and the expectation is that NDSU transfer Grant Nelson will also be heading to Tuscaloosa, although the move is not yet official.
The Buckeyes will play either Oregon or Santa Clara next, depending on the outcome of the tilt with the Tide. Oregon is hoping to build a resume in the non-conference that can return them to the NCAA Tournament, while Santa Clara has won at least 20 games in each of their last three full seasons.
December 16: CBS Sports Classic
The CBS Sports Classic will be celebrating its tenth year in 2023, with Ohio State, Kentucky, UCLA, and UNC running it back once more. This year’s event will take place in Atlanta for the first time, tipping off December 16.
It’s unclear exactly who Ohio State will be facing off against at this year’s event, adding some mystery and intrigue to their non-conference schedule. There appears to be a good shot it will be Kentucky, which OSU has beaten twice in the event’s history. But without anything set in stone just yet, it’s hard to analyze what this will mean for the Buckeyes as they look ahead towards 2023-24.
There are no sure things in college basketball, especially in the Big Ten, but it seems highly unlikely Ohio State will suffer another down season quite like 2022-23. Instead, the non-conference schedule provides ample opportunity for them to build a strong resume that can withstand a rugged Big Ten slate and get them right back to the NCAA Tournament.