There is only one thing standing between Hawaii and the Ohio State men’s basketball team – the regular season opener in San Francisco. It will be the first meeting between the Buckeyes and the Dons.
After going 1-1 in exhibition play, OSU will tip off against San Francisco at 11 tonight before boarding a plane for the second time in a week tomorrow. Instead of flying from Columbus to San Francisco, the Buckeyes will go from San Francisco to Maui, Hawaii, for the 2003 E.A. Sports Maui Invitational. The total trip will equal about one-third of the total miles the team will travel throughout the 2003-04 season.
OSU is concentrating on what it needs to do in order to return to Ohio with some wins after going 1-1 in the preseason, falling in preseason play for the first time since 1997.
“We’ve got to get wins when we go out (to Maui) – mostly just concentrate on games,” junior guard Tony Stockman said. “We were just not playing hard enough – a couple of us not knowing the concepts (on defense).”
Stockman was not the only person concerned with the team’s defensive play.
“We weren’t putting in too much effort on defense,” sophomore forward Terence Dials said.
“Our last exhibition game wasn’t so hot, but coach got on our butts and he got us playing defense. We can go out there and prove that we are a pretty good team,” he said.
That last exhibition game was the 80-77 loss to E.A. Sports All-Stars on Nov. 14. Sophomore guard J.J. Sullinger led the Buckeyes with 17 points and is leading the team in total points. Tonight marks the first time Sullinger will see action in a regular season for OSU. Sullinger transferred to OSU from Arkansas last year but had to sit out to comply with NCAA transfer rules. Joining him in that first-time experience will be Ricardo Billings and Stockman.
The probable starting lineup for the Buckeyes against the Dons will feature Sullinger, junior guard Brandon Fuss-Cheatham, Stockman, senior center Velimir Radinovic and Dials. So far, these five along with the rest of the Buckeyes have worked together as a team to come up with points.
“I am pleasantly surprised with the level of our unselfishness,” associate coach Rick Boyages said. “I think from the beginning of the year until now, guys have been willing to give the ball up and make the extra pass.”
Boyages added that he thinks the team has offensive balance but needs to work more on defense.
“We have the offensive balance between the interior strength and our perimeter players,” he said. “I am most disappointed defensively with just our effort. We’re just a little bit immature.”
This season marks the first time since 1988 that OSU is opening the season with four road games. Coach Jim O’Brien has not opened the season on the road since he came to the Buckeyes. There are a few key things he will be looking for from his players during this road trip.
“Our guys need to learn how to win,” O’Brien said. “We need to learn how to be good players all-around. We need to be patient and find our guys inside, and we cannot leave the ball on the perimeter.”
