Ohio State then-freshman guard John Mobley Jr. (0) points to the sky before the Buckeyes’ Feb. 16 game against Michigan. Credit: Sandra Fu | Photo Editor
Head coach Jake Diebler said Monday that this year’s Buckeye team doesn’t have bad days at practice.
And while practice doesn’t always translate to games, Tuesday was the kind of performance that makes a coach believe it can.
The Buckeyes will begin a five-game stretch against high-major opponents Friday, making the three-hour trip east to finish their home-and-home series against the University of Pittsburgh.
But before the real test begins, Ohio State had one last tune-up, beating Mount St. Mary’s 113 to 60 in front of a sparse Schottenstein Center crowd, which felt the effects of students on Thanksgiving break.
“The big focus for us going into tonight was to play more possessions at a high level on both offense and defense, and I think we did that,” Diebler said.
The Buckeyes followed up what was their best performance of the season – a 91-58 win over Western Michigan – with an even better outing against the Mountaineers. It was another complete game, as Ohio State controlled the contest start to finish, as they never trailed and held at least a twenty-point lead for the game’s final 22 minutes.
Even while playing at a ferocious pace that saw 70 offensive possessions, Ohio State was efficient, shooting 64% from the field – their third game this season with at least 60% shooting.
Here are three takeaways from the game.
Depth shines
As the non-conference buy-game slate wraps up, one of the biggest questions heading into December and beyond is how much production the Buckeyes can get from their bench outside of forward Amare Bynum.
The Buckeyes have had one game with more than 20 points coming from the bench, and Tuesday that reached a new high. Ohio State got a season-high 35 points from a bench unit that saw everybody get on the floor.
Center Ivan Njegovan led the way with a career-high 17 points, going a perfect seven-for-seven from the field.
“I thought he let the game come to him,” Diebler said. “Each time he finished, it was on his terms. He didn’t play sped up, and he took his time and played big.”
Guard Taison Chatman, who didn’t check in until the second half, also notched a career-best nine points, including three 3-pointers.
Diebler said the staff is coaching its bench to the same standard as its starters.
“We’re coaching to our standard, not the score,” Diebler said. “Those reps are really valuable for us and for them.”
John Mobley Jr. gets back on track
John Mobley Jr. described his early-season performance as a “struggle.”
The sophomore came into Tuesday’s game averaging 15 points per game, but entered the game shooting just below 30% from two-point field goals.
Mobley erupted for a career-high 26 points on 10-of-15 shooting, including 6-of-6 inside the arc. He consistently hunted mid-range looks, shaking defenders with jab steps, fakes and hesitations, all things Diebler said have evolved in the sophomore’s game.
“He’s playing at a better pace with the ball in his hands,” Diebler said. “Earlier in the season he was a little sped up, and now he’s slowed down and is reading the game at a higher level.”
Mobley also hit four threes, which led the Buckeyes, and looks poised to be the multi-level scorer Ohio State needs as competition stiffens.
Christoph Tilly’s injury
One of the biggest storylines to come out of this game was forward Christoph Tilly’s absence from the second half.
Tilly, who had 12 points in the first half, was seen on the bench in a shooting shirt and briefly on the recumbent bike on the sideline during the second half.
Despite not playing, Diebler played down the injury, attributing it to “precautionary reasons.”
“He has a kind of a lower-leg, nagging thing, so we felt like we wanted to rest him,” Diebler said. “It’s just precautionary stuff. Don’t anticipate it being anything long-term.”
