Buckeye basketball is officially back! Team #126 of this historic program will kick off their season tonight, against #19 Texas. Tip-off is slated for 8:00 pm ET, live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. This neutral site game, part of the Hall of Fame Series, will be televised on truTV/TNT.

Texas Longhorns:

The 2023-24 Longhorns finished their season with a 21-13 record, and a second round exit from the NCAA tournament at the hands of Tennessee. After their big time hire, Chris Beard, was suspended and subsequently fired in early 2023, Rodney Terry was named interim Coach. Much like with Diebler and the Buckeyes, Terry eventually earned his promotion to the full time gig. Terry will seek to put his 29 years of coaching experience to good use and bring the Texas program back to glory in his second full season.

Projected starting five:

Jordan Pope – (Jr)

Tre Johnson – (Fr)

Tramon Mark – (Gr.)

Arthur Kaluma – (Sr)

Kadin Shedrick – (Gr.)

Mark, who previously played at Houston and Arkansas, has 1,200 career points averaging 16.2 per contest at Arkansas last season. Shedrick, who came over from Virginia last season, led the team in blocks with 35. Arthur Kaluma has also had a successful career prior to Texas, with stints at Creighton and Kansas State. Kaluma has 1,233 career points, was top-15 in scoring and rebounding in the Big 12 last season and was part of an Elite 8 run in 2022-23 at Creighton. Jordan Pope is also a transfer from Oregon State, where he led the team in scoring, assists and minutes per game.

Terry has built a roster around players with success at other programs, thanks to the transfer portal. These veteran presences should help shape the young talent on the roster and lead to a fruitful season for the Longhorns.

Ohio State Buckeyes:

The Buckeyes are led by first year Head Coach Jake Diebler. Although this 2024-25 roster and team should be a lot of fun, the expectations are more long term, as Diebler looks to rejuvenate a program that regressed under Holtmann.

Projected starting five:

Meechie Johnson – G (Sr)

Bruce Thornton – G (Jr)

Evan Mahaffey – G (Jr)

Micah Parrish – G (Sr)

Sean Stewart – F (So)

Johnson returns to the Buckeyes after transferring to South Carolina following his sophomore season. He returns a much more well-rounded player that offers veteran experience and talent. Parrish also brings veteran stability and skill set, following an illustrious career at SDSU. They have also added Ques Glover and Aaron Bradshaw via the transfer portal. The Buckeyes will rely heavily on their young players and transfers as they attempt to replace Felix Okpara, Roddy Gayle, Zed Key and Scotty Middleton.

The breakout names to watch for are John Mobley Jr. and Colin White, two highly touted freshmen. However, the most exciting player to watch continue to develop is Devin Royal, who has shown early flashes of greatness. Overall, this should be a fun group to watch over the course of the season.

Series History and Prediction:

This is only the second meeting all time between the two schools. Ohio State won the previous matchup 71-65 in 1986. Despite all the talent on Texas’ roster they open as just a 2.5 point favorite in this neutral site game.

Ultimately, I think the Buckeyes will put up a fight throughout the contest. They should be able to defend the Texas guards with their own talented group, however the interior will be the big question mark. If the Buckeyes can’t slow Kaluma and Shedrick, it could be a long night.

Score Prediction: 81-72, Texas

featured image: Abby Parr, AP Photo