No. 10 Virginia (5-1) at Ohio State (2-3)Time: 7:30 p.m. Site: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio TV/Radio: ESPN/WSPZ (570 AM) On the offensive For the first time in a long time it’s Virginia’s offense that has been the headliner for the Cavaliers. Despite having trouble getting shots to drop, especially at the beginning of games, Tony Bennett’s team is on a four-game streak of scoring 80 or more points. The last time the Cavaliers scored 80 or more in five straight was in 2001. The scoring bonanza is led by senior guard Malcolm Brogdon, who recorded back-to-back games of at least 20 points against George Mason and Lehigh the last two times out. Still, the Cavaliers count depth as their strongest attribute (after their still stout defense): Sophomore guard Darius Thompson scored 12 points, and senior center Mike Tobey scored eight off the bench against Lehigh. It should also be worth watching how many three-pointers Virginia attempts against the Buckeyes. After seeming to solve some early-season hiccups beyond the arc, the Cavaliers got trigger happy and shot 31.6 percent from three-point range their last time out. Still experimenting Bennett is taking time during the nonconference schedule to experiment with rotations. He’s started three different lineups in six games, trying out freshman Jack Salt at center in place of Tobey and sophomore guard Marial Shayok in place of Thompson. After the Lehigh game Wednesday, Bennett said he didn’t have a deadline in mind to set a final starting lineup, so expect more rearranging before conference play starts in January. Ohio State is also reeling after a trio of losses to Memphis, Louisiana Tech and Texas-Arlington, so the Buckeyes have little to lose against a highly ranked opponent like Virginia — in Bennett’s eyes, it’s a good opportunity to test a rotation.
Continue Reading: Virginia vs. Ohio State men’s basketball preview
