Ohio State’s final preseason tune-up had a little bit of everything: a familiar face in the building, a strong showing from the Buckeyes’ new-look lineup, and enough encouraging moments to give Jake Diebler some real material heading into next week.
The Buckeyes beat Butler 82-73 on Sunday afternoon in Columbus, with former Ohio State coach Thad Matta watching from the arena and being honored at halftime. It was only the second time Matta had been back since leaving, and the recognition also tied in his 500 career wins from last season at Butler, his alma mater.
The day also carried meaning for the Ohio State and Diebler families, with Jon Diebler back at the Schott 15 years after ending his playing career in scarlet and gray.
On the floor, Ohio State treated the game more like a regular-season dress rehearsal than the outdoor exhibition against Cincinnati. Jake Diebler said before tip that he would manage substitutions and in-game situations closer to how he would in an actual game, and he opened with a lineup that could easily carry over into next week’s matchup with No. 25 BYU: Justin Pippen and John Mobley Jr. in the backcourt, Anthony Thompson and Amare Bynum at forward, and Andrija Jelavic at center.
The first half was a shot-making clinic. Ohio State and Butler combined to hit 13 of 28 attempts from three, and the Buckeyes were especially sharp, drilling eight of 14 from deep.
They took a 45-38 lead into the break, powered by freshman guard LJ Smith, who scored 12 points before halftime. He went 4-for-4 from beyond the arc and also blocked a shot.
Bynum was right there with him, putting up 11 first-half points on 5-of-6 shooting. His most eye-catching work came in transition, where he delivered three explosive fastbreak dunks and made Butler defenders choose between giving up the lane or getting run over by a 245-pound freight train.
Butler made its push early in the second half before Ohio State steadied itself and rebuilt the cushion. Mobley and Bynum were the Buckeyes’ most dependable scorers after the break, and a 12-0 run in the middle of the half turned the game firmly in Ohio State’s favor. Jelavic finished the burst with a layup, and Pippen added two free throws to make it 72-55 with 6:53 left.
From there, Ohio State closed it out and mixed in some deeper reserves over the final minutes. Bynum led the way with 23 points on 7-for-10 shooting, drew five fouls and didn’t commit one. Mobley finished with 17, Smith had 12, and Pippen added 10.
The final score mattered, but the bigger takeaway was how Ohio State’s returners looked compared with last season and how much Diebler can count on the newcomers. Sunday gave him some answers.
Smith was the one who seized the first half. If there had been any quiet debate about whether he belonged in the same conversation as Thompson among the freshmen, Smith made his case loudly.
He looked calm, quick, and ready to fire, and his release was as fast as advertised. Diebler said Smith’s lighter second-half workload was more about evaluating the back end of the bench than anything else.
“We were really good when he was on the floor (today),” Diebler said after the game. “He’s a hooper, I love coaching him.”
Diebler also said that Smith’s play would “certainly warrant more minutes” if he keeps producing like this.
Bynum, meanwhile, looks like he may be on the verge of something bigger. After getting zero votes in the preseason Big Ten men’s basketball poll, the sophomore has already started to look like one of the Buckeyes’ most dangerous pieces. On Sunday, he was everywhere - finishing through contact, running the floor hard, and repeatedly turning Ohio State breaks into highlight-reel finishes.
Even his quieter touches stood out. Bynum showed better footwork around the basket and looked like a more polished version of the player Ohio State had last season.
Jelavic didn’t deliver the flashiest line, but he did his part. He finished with seven points, five rebounds, two assists and two steals in 22 minutes, and when he shared the front line with Bynum, the pair did a solid job protecting the rim and making life harder for Butler’s guards.
Diebler has said his bigs need to rebound, defend and accept what the defense gives them, and Jelavic looked capable of handling that assignment. The junior and Kentucky transfer appears to be Ohio State’s starting center, as he played more than Ivan Njegovan and Josh Ojianwuna on Sunday.
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