Ohio State basketball to host in-state opponent in preseason open exhibition
The game will also mark the return of a former Ohio State assistant coach, Jeff Boals, who was a former Ohio State head coach Thad Matta assistant from 2009 to 2016. Since taking over in Athens, Boals and the Bobcats have done very well, even winning the MAC Conference Tournament in 2021.
It's an important year for Ohio State head coach Jake Diebler and the Buckeyes. The momentum the program had at the end of the 2023-2024 season, when Diebler took over when Chris Holtmann was let go, was all but lost when the team failed to make the NCAA Tournament for the fourth-straight season. OSU retained three key pieces on the roster with the return of Bruce Thronton, Devin Royal, and John Mobley Jr., but will have several new faces that must mesh and come together for the Buckeyes to "make a jump" this season.
We should get a little peek behind the curtain when the date and time of the scrimmage against Ohio University is announced.
Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion. Follow Phil Harrison on X.
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