The Ohio State basketball team improved to 3-0 with a victory over Eastern Illinois. Now the real tests begin as the Buckeyes head to Hawaii for the Maui Invitational. Their first game is tonight at 9:00 ET on ESPNU against 17th-ranked San Diego State.

Buckeye Preview:

The start against Eastern Illinois certainly left a sour taste in Holtmann’s mouth. His team was putting in a ton of effort on offense and defense, however, shots weren’t falling. This left the Buckeyes with just a 6-point lead at halftime. However, everything came together in the second half as the Buckeyes pulled away and eventually won 65-43.

Brice Sensabaugh led all scorers with 20 points as he continues to show his sharpness, even as a freshman. Zed Key was also a dominant force inside, recording his third consecutive double-double. Key tallied 10 points and 14 boards to go along with a block and an assist. Holtmann remains committed to utilizing all his depth, rotating in multiple players, and getting the newcomers valuable experience.

A Look at the Aztecs:

The Aztecs have started their season 3-0 and have looked the part of team poised for a return to the Big Dance. They are one of the top defensive teams in the country, priding themselves on turning defense into offense.

The projected lineup:

Matt Bradley (G)

Darrion Trammell (G)

Lamont Butler (G)

Nathan Mensah (F)

Keshad Johnson (F)

The leading scorer for San Diego St is not only a bench player, but a former Buckeye, Jaedon Ledee. He initially transferred to TCU in 2019, but has again moved to SDSU, where he is playing in his first season. He leads the team with 16 PPG and adds 4.7 rebounds as well. Another star for the Aztecs is transfer guard Darrion Trammell, who adds 15 points himself while averaging nearly 3 steals per contest. The Aztecs will certainly be the toughest opponent Ohio State has faced in the early going.

Expectations:

The Buckeyes starting lineup should be the same:

Isaac Likekele (G)

Sean McNeil (G)

Bruce Thornton (G)

Justice Sueing (G)

Zed Key (F)

The Aztecs will likely give the Buckeyes everything they can handle, as their quality of opponent takes a massive leap. Although the Buckeyes have played well early on both ends, I’m not quite sure they will be ready for an opponent of this stature. The Aztecs are currently a 4-point favorite, and I believe this holds.

Final: 78-70, San Diego State

With a win, the Buckeyes will advance to the next round to play the winner of Arizona and Cincinnati. If they lose, they will play the loser of those two.

This is a stacked mid-season tournament that has a field of 5 ranked teams: No. 9 Arkansas, No. 10 Creighton, No. 14 Arizona, No. 17 SDSU, and No. 23 Texas Tech. No matter the outcomes of Ohio State’s games, they are sure to be tested. This stiff early competition should be a good gauge of how the Buckeyes will fair long term, both in conference play and the potential post-season tournaments.

If you are looking for some exciting college basketball to prepare you for the Thanksgiving holiday, look no further than the Maui Invitational.