The 2014-15 Ohio State basketball team will have an easy go of things in the first week of the season with only one game against UMass Lowell on Friday night.
Thad Matta could use his bench for the entire 40 minutes and walk away with the victory, but there is more at stake than just the win for the Buckeyes in the early going of what could be a promising season.
There are still a few things Ohio State has to establish after a 77-37 exhibition victory over Walsh on Sunday. With that in mind, read on to see what fans should watch for in the first week of the season.
D’Angelo Russell
Buckeyes fans have been reading about freshman D’Angelo Russell since the moment their team lost to Dayton in the round of 64 last season. He is the freshman phenom who will supposedly arrive on campus and fix all the offensive problems from 2013-14 in one quick swoop.
He looked the part in the exhibition game against Walsh when he scored a game-high 17 points to go along with eight rebounds and six assists. He also drilled four three-pointers and scored 16 points before intermission, establishing himself as a go-to option in the offense.
Matta discussed Russell’s performance, via Tim Shoemaker of Eleven Warriors:
“He’s got a different pace about him. He sees things like a lot of freshman don’t see them, and that’s good. I think that even talking to him during dead balls, the things that he sees out there is really unique for a…
Continue Reading: Ohio State Basketball: What to Watch for in 1st Week of Buckeyes’ 2014-15 Season
