Ohio State heads to Texas A&M for a ranked battle on Friday night. Can the Buckeyes continue their fast start to the season or do the Aggies hold serve on their homecourt?
TV schedule: Friday, November 15, 9:00 pm ET. SEC Network
Arena: Reed Arena in College Station, Texas
Things did not go according to plan at Ohio State (2-0) last season, and that’s a major reason why things look this way in Columbus. Jake Diebler was named interim head coach in mid-February and led the Buckeyes on a nice run, earning the full-time gig. After defeating a ranked Texas squad on opening night, he certainly looks like the right guy for the job early on this year.
Getting back Bruce Thornton (16.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 4.5 apg) was a major offseason victory for Diebler, and the junior guard should continue to be a force for the Buckeyes. On the other end, freshman John Mobley (15.0 ppg) has shined in his first two collegiate games, solidifying a backcourt with several new pieces in it. Additionally, Ohio State is getting nice run out of Micah Parrish (10.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 3.5 apg), the former San Diego State forward who plays strong on the defensive end.
Last week’s win over the Longhorns pushed the Buckeyes into the AP Top 25 poll, coming in at #21. KenPom is even higher on Ohio State, having them 16th in the nation as of this moment. If we extrapolated back to when Diebler was hired, there’s not a lot of teams playing better basketball than these Buckeyes, though obviously this unit is a lot different than the one from last season.
Despite early challenges, Texas A&M (2-1) is looking to make this a memorable season. The Aggies have a pretty talented roster, with Buzz Williams really building something special, though a tough SEC awaits them in a few months. What’s unfortunate is that Texas A&M’s special season has already lost some luster with their opening night loss at UCF, though Friday night gives them a chance to rebuild some of that.
The player to watch on Texas A&M is Wade Taylor IV (12.7 ppg, 5.3 apg), a veteran point guard who’s among the early favorites for several national accolades. Early on, fellow senior guard Zhuric Phelps (17.0 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 4.0 apg) has been just as vital. Phelps missed the game at UCF, which very easily could have gone the other way had he not been injured. Another piece to keep an eye on is Henry Coleman (11.0 ppg, 7.0 rpg), a fifth-year senior forward with great ability on both sides of the ball.
Despite that loss last week, Texas A&M still comes in at #23 on the AP Top 25 and at 18th in the most recent KenPom rating. There are no excuses in this sport, but the Aggies have played well in all three of their games, they just came up short in the end in Orlando to start the season. Since then, their offense has been playing strong, efficient basketball, especially in the paint against weaker foes, though a heavier challenge awaits with the Buckeyes.
These are two teams that faced legitimate challenges on opening night with different results. This isn’t a first test for either of these teams, but a great early season matchup that really tells us where they stand. The Buckeyes added plenty of talent in the offseason, and a road win in College Station tells us they might be a real contender for the top of the Big Ten. However, the Aggies have been no pushover this season and have been stout on their home court.
The best player on the court will be Taylor and the 1-2 punch he provides with Phelps is going to be hard to slow down. If the Buckeyes pull off another November win, they’ll need their defense to clamp down, especially against an Aggies team that’s been strong in the paint already. Ohio State has been dynamic from outside the arc in each of their first two games and could win a third like that, but we’re giving a very slight edge to the home team on Friday night.
Prediction: Texas A&M 77, Ohio State 75