Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio St Buckeyes Pick & Prediction NOVEMBER 4th 2024

Preview and Prediction

The Hall of Fame Series will kick off on Monday in Las Vegas with a match-up between No. 19 Texas and Ohio State. Both teams have undergone rebuilding processes, focusing on key players from the transfer portal.

In his first full season as head coach, Rodney Terry led the Longhorns to a 21-13 record in 2023-24, including a 9-9 record in their final season in the Big 12. Despite earning a seventh seed in the NCAA Tournament, Texas was eliminated in the second round by Tennessee, now a rival in the Southeastern Conference.

Terry has high expectations for his team this season, stating, "That first year we were really trying to build a culture. We were trying to instill in our guys the importance of hard work, trusting the process, and competing at a high level with a physical mindset. We set expectations and standards, and we stick to them."

Continuity will be crucial for the Longhorns this season, as they have two key returning players in reserve guard Chendall Weaver and forward Kadin Shedrick. The team has also added talented transfers from Oregon State, Arkansas, and Kansas State, as well as the highly-ranked freshman guard Tre Johnson.

Meanwhile, the Buckeyes are in their first full season under coach Jake Diebler, who took over after Chris Holtmann was fired in February. Last season, Ohio State finished with a 19-12 record and tied for ninth place in the Big Ten with a 9-11 conference record. They also made it to the NIT as a No. 2 seed, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals by Georgia.

Diebler recognizes the importance of building continuity early on in the season for his team, which has talent but lacks experience playing together. "We have a great combination of athleticism and skill in our front court," he said. "We're talented, we're versatile, we have multiple guys who can play different positions, but the inexperience is something we have to address. I want our guys to play with freedom, be aggressive, and have confidence. As a coach, it's important to create space for your players' talent to shine through."

Junior guard Bruce Thornton is the only returning starter for the Buckeyes this season, after earning all-conference honors last year with an average of 15.7 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. He will be joined by transfers from South Carolina and San Diego State, as well as players from Duke and Kentucky.

The Longhorns and Buckeyes will both be looking to start their seasons on a high note, with the help of their new additions and returning players. It will be an exciting match-up to kick off the Hall of Fame Series in Las Vegas.

PREDICTION

Texas Longhorns

Ohio St Buckeyes

Texas Longhorns vs. Ohio St Buckeyes Recap NOV 4TH 2024

Bruce Thornton scored 20 points and Ohio State upended No. 19 Texas 80-72 on Monday in the Hall of Fame Series at Las Vegas.

The Buckeyes never trailed and took a seven-point lead to halftime. Texas culled the deficit to three points with 7:34 to play, after which Ohio State produced a 10-1 run capped by a 3-pointer by Devin Royal.

Thornton then hit two buckets and a free throw to expand the Buckeyes' advantage to 12 points with 2:49 left, and Ohio State waltzed to the finish line.

Micah Parrish added 17 points for Ohio State, while Royal had 16 and John Mobley Jr. scored 14 points off the bench. The Buckeyes' reserves were the difference, outscoring Texas' bench players 33-10.

Freshman Tre Johnson poured in a game-high 29 points for the Longhorns, establishing a team mark for most points scored by a freshman in his debut. Arthur Kaluma and Kadin Shedrick each added 10 for Texas.

The Longhorns announced just prior to tipoff that guard Tramon Mark, expected to be one of the team's key players, would miss the opener with a right ankle injury.

The Buckeyes jumped up early, scoring the contest's first eight points over the opening 1:28. Texas swung back, getting back into the game as Johnson's fast break layup trimmed the deficit to 14-11 with 15:12 to play in the first half.

Ohio State kept its foot on the accelerator, building its advantage to 33-18 when Sean Stewart canned a pair of free throws at the 6:24 mark at the end of a 12-0 run.

The Longhorns used their defense to produce an answer as their 10-0 run, capped by a putback dunk by Kaluma with 2:29 left in the half, cut the Ohio State lead to just five points. Royal's pullup jumper with 1:24 left allowed the Buckeyes a 38-31 advantage at the break.

Parrish and Mobley led Ohio State with nine points before halftime. Johnson led all scorers, pouring in 15 points in his first collegiate half.

Mobley's second-chance 3-pointer five minutes into the second half pushed Ohio State's lead back to 10 points. But the Longhorns rallied again, clawing back to 57-52 on three free throws by Johnson with 9:42 remaining.