What did we learn about Ohio State's 'secret' scrimmage against Clemson?
The final test of the preseason is over.
On Nov. 6, the Ohio State men’s basketball team will open the season with a home game against Oakland at Value City Arena. The final result will count in the win/loss column, the box score will be added to the official archive and there will be no ambiguity around the outcome.
It won’t be the first time the Buckeyes will face another Division I foe this season, however. After having played a charity exhibition game at Dayton on Oct. 22, Ohio State again left Columbus for a second and final preseason game. Unlike the exhibition against the Flyers, which raised more than $500,000 for mental health initiatives, this game was played behind closed doors.
As NCAA rules permit, Ohio State played a “secret” scrimmage on Saturday. Teams are not allowed to publicize the game or its results, no reporters are allowed and no fans are permitted inside the arena. The point is to let teams work on whatever coaches want to work on in a controlled setting.
Here are a few things we’ve learned about Ohio State’s “secret” scrimmage.
Clemson beat Ohio State basketball in Nashville
The final score was Clemson 86, Ohio State 64. The two teams met at a neutral site.
Ohio State was short-handed
The Buckeyes are not expected to use a lengthy bench this season. After the Dayton exhibition, coach Chris Holtmann said it’s unlikely this year’s rotation will go more than nine players deep.
If it does prove to be a nine-man rotation this year, two players who will assuredly be part of it were not in uniform against the Tigers. Ohio State was without fifth-year graduate transfer Jamison Battle and first-year forward Devin Royal, although both will be back with the team shortly. Battle took a brief leave from the team to return home to Minneapolis for a family situation while Royal picked up an undisclosed slight knock in practice between the Dayton and Clemson games and was held out of game action.
The Buckeyes were already without first-year guard Taison Chatman, who is recovering from a preseason knee procedure that’s expected to sideline him until sometime in mid-to-late November.
It’s unlikely that Battle and Royal would have made a difference between Ohio State winning and losing to Clemson, however. Ohio State essentially stuck to a seven-man rotation.
The Buckeyes played big
Without Battle or Royal, both of whom are expected to log significant minutes on the wing this season, Ohio State got a look at playing its two primary bigs together. Second-year center Felix Okpara (6-11, 235 pounds) and fourth-year forward/center Zed Key (6-8, 250) both started and played long stretches together as the coaches evaluate whether that will be a viable look this season.
Key has trimmed down in part to try and expand his game from just around the basket, while Okpara has bulked up to help him better handle the physicality of the Big Ten. It’s not clear how well Key and Okpara played together and if they will spend much, or any, time together this season, but this game saw the two spend more time playing together than the Buckeyes had practiced to this point of the preseason.
The Buckeyes won the rebounding battle. After not playing in the Dayton exhibition as he returns from back spasms that limited him at the start of the preseason, first-year center Austin Parks did see a few minutes of playing time for Ohio State.
Playing Key and Okpara together was partially a result of not having Battle and Royal.
Ohio State’s backcourt had some struggles
The Buckeyes will rely heavily on sophomores Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle to take steps forward as consistent contributors this season in order to help the team return to the NCAA Tournament after missing out with a 16-19 record a season ago. This scrimmage was described as a learning experience for both, but especially Gayle, who had issues taking care of the ball.
The Buckeyes collectively did not shoot well.
Baylor graduate transfer guard Dale Bonner played well, as did Penn State transfer Evan Mahaffey.
Ohio State Buckeyes: Join the Ohio State Sports Insider text group with Bill Rabinowitz, Joey Kaufman Adam Jardy
Where are Ohio State and Clemson projected to finish?
While the Big Ten doesn’t do an official preseason poll, the Buckeyes were picked to finish seventh in the unofficial official media poll conducted jointly by The Dispatch and The Athletic.
Clemson was picked to finish fifth in the ACC. Fourth-year center PJ Hall, a first-team preseason all-ACC pick who also received some player of the year votes after averaging 15.3 points and 5.7 rebounds last season, led all scorers in the Ohio State scrimmage.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Here's what we know about Ohio State's 'secret' scrimmage vs. Clemson
