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Ohio State will try to measure up against Villanova

Kaleb Wesson has posted double digit rebounds in both games this season.
Kaleb Wesson has posted double digit rebounds in both games this season. (Associated Press)

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Chris Holtmann and the Ohio State basketball team will have an early opportunity to build up its resumé when it hosts Villanova.

The Wildcats will bring a championship pedigree into the game, and with Jay Wright at the helm, Villanova promises to aim for another season of tournament relevance. The Wildcats finished last season with a 26-10 record and a second-round exit by way of Purdue.

“To have a team of this caliber to come in, it’s a great thing,” Holtmann said. “It’s a great thing for our program.”

The matchup will feature two teams inside the top 16, and it will be only the fourth meeting between the two schools. Ohio State holds the series edge 2-1, with the last two matchups being decided by a combined two points.

The Wildcats did lose their top-two scorers from last season, as Phil Booth (18.6 ppg) and Eric Paschall (16.5 ppg) entered into the NBA.

Despite the loss in scoring production, Villanova was able to put up nearly 100 points in its only game this season. Winning 97-54 over Army, the Wildcats saw huge production from their two big men. Jeremiah Robinson-Earl and Saddiq Bey combined for 46 points and 18 points in the game.

Robinson-Earl, a freshman for the Wildcats, was able to lead the team in both points and rebounds. Two sophomores, Bey and Cole Swider, were able to follow Robinson-Earl in the scoring column, with Swider dropping 18 points off the bench.

Youth will be a theme in the game, as Villanova has no rostered seniors and Andre Wesson, the only Buckeye senior that would see the floor, is out with an injury.

Despite the absence of senior leadership, Holtmann knows that Wright’s team will play with a tremendous amount of poise. He also expects the group to bring a physicality on defense that will make it difficult for the Buckeyes to get the ball to Kaleb Wesson in the post.

“They are an elite defensive team, but they are elite at keeping the ball out of the post,” Holtmann said.

Villanova has a tremendous amount of length that they will bring to the floor against Ohio State. With an average starting lineup height of over 6-feet-6-inches, the Buckeyes will have to battle on the glass and in the post.

At Butler, Chirs Holtmann knocked off Villanova when it was ranked No. 1 and again at No. 2.
At Butler, Chirs Holtmann knocked off Villanova when it was ranked No. 1 and again at No. 2. (USA Today Sports Images)

Holtmann stressed the importance of moving the ball in order to get Wesson the looks he needs in the post. He said that the team needs to be mindful that the Wildcats will be willing to switch different defenders onto Wesson, given the team’s top-to-bottom length.

Wesson is averaging 10.5 points and 12.5 rebounds so far this season.

The Buckeyes have already passed a physical test in Cincinnati, but this game will prove to be a whole different beast. With a great challenge, however, comes an opportunity to see where the Buckeyes measure up with the elite.

Holtmann is looking forward to learning some things about his team when they face off against one of the sport’s blue-blood programs.

“I hope to learn how we handle some adversity in the course of a game,” Holtmann said. “I hope to learn how we physically and mentally compare to them and what’s going to be required in a game like this. And then, I hope to learn how we respond.”

The Buckeyes will tip off against Villanova tonight at 7 p.m. on FS1.

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