Ohio State basketball season has arrived.
OAKLAND
GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
0 - 0
ROSTER |
SCHEDULE
NOV. 6, 2023 - 6 PM ET
VALUE CITY ARENA
COLUMBUS, OHIO
B1G+OSU -18.5
The Buckeyes open their 2023-24 campaign in Value City Arena with a mid-major opponent, taking on Oakland of the Horizon League in a game they hope will serve as a tune-up for their new-look team.
Oakland is coming off of a 13-19 season in 2022-23, finishing fifth in the Horizon with an 11-9 conference record. The Golden Grizzlies enjoyed a 20-win campaign as recently as 2021-22, however, when they went 20-12 before another fifth-place finish in the Horizon.
The last NCAA Tournament appearance for Oakland came in 2011, which was also the last time it won the Horizon League. It should provide a nice tune-up for Ohio State before the Buckeyes take on their first ranked opponent of the season in No. 15 Texas A&M on Friday.
“We’ve got some really diverse styles of play coming at us here in this first stretch of games, starting with the Oakland one,” Chris Holtmann said Wednesday. “Some really good athleticism, different defenses that we won’t consistently see throughout the year, really, these first few games. So it’s going to be a great test for our guys.”
NEED TO KNOW
HERALDED HEAD COACH
Oakland head coach Greg Kampe is one of just nine coaches in all of Division I college basketball who has been with his current program for 25 seasons or more. Entering his 34th season coaching the Golden Grizzlies, Kampe has compiled a career record of 675-525, placing him in a tie for 40th all-time in wins among college basketball coaches. He’s a member of the Michigan Sports Hall of Fame.
“Greg’s one of the all-time great guys in our profession,” Holtmann said. “Greg Kampe is a really good coach, he’s won a tremendous number of games. They play a unique style; really talented, athletic kids who can impact the game in a lot of different ways. ... Always been impressed with him and the way he coaches.”
NO UPDATE ON CHATMAN, PARKS INJURIES
Ohio State could open its season without two freshman depth pieces at its disposal, as shooting guard Taison Chatman and center Austin Parks are both dealing with injury concerns entering the year. Holtmann said he didn’t have updates on either player on Wednesday. Chatman, the No. 39 prospect in the
247Sports composite rankings for the 2023 class, had minor knee surgery during the run-up to the season. Parks, ranked 184th, has dealt with back spasms.
THREE IMPORTANT BUCKEYES
BRUCE THORNTON
The three most important Buckeyes in this section will be arguably the three most important pieces for Ohio State’s success in 2023, and no piece is bigger than Thornton, the team’s point guard. Ohio State plans to run its offense through the Georgia native this year, with Holtmann going so far as to say Thornton will be
“at the forefront” of any “direction” Ohio State takes this year.
JAMISON BATTLE
With Ohio State’s top two scorers – Brice Sensabaugh and Justice Sueing, who were both wing players – gone from last year, Battle was the biggest acquisition from the transfer portal the Buckeyes got this offseason. A proven wing scorer who has finished first or second on his team in points per game in each of his first four seasons playing college basketball (two at George Washington and two at Minnesota), the Buckeyes will want to get him involved early to help spark their offense for the season.
RODDY GAYLE
Gayle’s stepping into a role as the team’s likely starting shooting guard after a fantastic run to close out Ohio State’s time at last year’s Big Ten Tournament, scoring nine, 15 and 20 points against Iowa, Michigan State and Purdue, respectively. Alongside Thornton and Battle, he’s going to shoulder a lot of responsibility for the Buckeyes offensively in 2023-24.
Looking for an early-season tune-up for its young squad, Ohio State opens its basketball season against Oakland and longtime head coach Greg Kampe on Monday.
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