John Mobley, Jr. was electric from three-point range and finished with a career-high 26 points. (Press Pros Feature Photos by Sonny Fulks)
Ohio State is 6-0 for the first time since 2019, looking better and more versatile on offense. But the next five games against high-major opponents – four of them away from home – will say a lot about how well prepared they are for the Big Ten grind.
Columbus, OH – How good is the Ohio State basketball team?
Certainly not the biggest question across our state this week. That one will be answered Saturday in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
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All that can be definitively answered on November 25 is that the Buckeyes are talented enough to routinely dispatch mid-major teams like Mount St. Mary’s. Jake Diebler’s 6-0 team, led by John Mobley Jr.’s career-high 26 points, dominated the Mountaineers 113-60 Tuesday night, sending them home to Emmitsburg, Maryland with a 1-6 record.
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The Buckeyes showed two Sundays ago against Notre Dame that they could beat an average-at-best ACC team by one point without playing well on offense or their preferred fast-paced, under-control style.
What the Buckeyes (ranked No. 35 in the formula-driven Pomeroy Ratings) and their fans will learn over the next three-plus weeks will be far more enlightening. Their next five games are against No. 97 Pitt, No. 46 Northwestern, No. 14 Illinois, No. 75 West Virginia and No. 25 North Carolina. That’s akin to an average run of games in conference play. Only the Illinois game is at home.
At season’s end, the upcoming results will matter when the NCAA Tournament committee begins separating teams based on Quad 1, Quad 2, etc., wins. The number of victories will also matter as will any number of factors the committee esteems valuable.
Then the most important question will be answered: Will the Buckeyes earn their first NCAA Tournament bid since 2022?
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The short-term question – one the Buckeyes hope and pray doesn’t become a problem – is the health of 7-foot center Christoph Tilly, the senior transfer from Santa Clara who is averaging 16 points, five rebounds and almost four assists. He left the game with 1:16 left in the first half with 12 points and five rebounds and did not play in the second half.
Christoph Tilly finished with 12 points, all in the first half, and sat out the second half with a leg concern.
However, Diebler said the move was precautionary because of a lower leg issue Tilly has been playing through. Diebler does not anticipate a long-term absence.
The Mount (Pomeroy No. 280) entered Tuesday’s game with a puzzling resume. On Sunday, they lost 83-60 at Western Michigan, a team the Buckeyes dismantled 91-58 last week. In their previous game, they took Maryland to overtime before losing 95-90. Western Michigan was the norm.
The Buckeyes got shots they wanted almost every time down the floor, scoring on 70% of their possessions. Their execution was further proof that these Buckeyes run a smoother, basket-getting operation, one that doesn’t tempt the shot clock, than recent editions tried to run.
However, against Notre Dame and Western Michigan, they didn’t control the tempo and it showed in their lack of efficiency. The goal last week against Western Michigan and again against Mount St. Mary’s was to rediscover their preferred pace.
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“We got back to doing what was a real strength for us offensively that’s helped us to where we’re creating an advantage early in the possession,” Diebler said. “This team’s really good because of the basketball IQ, their connection and willingness to share it. They’re really good at maintaining that advantage throughout the possession.”
The Buckeyes gained control twice in the first half with a short Mount spurt in between.
Devin Royal scored 17 points in 30 minutes of playing time in the Buckeyes’ blowout win over Mount St. Mary’s.
Mobley Jr. did the early damage with a layup, 3-pointer and pull-up mid-range jumper. He made his first four shots. Two Tilly buckets, the second a 3-pointer, pushed the Ohio State lead to 29-15 halfway through the half.
The Mount responded with an 8-2 run to cut its deficit to 31-23. Then Tilly drove for two, Bruce Thornton (14 points) scored in the lane and made a 3-pointer for a 39-23 lead. By halftime the lead was 52-26 on a 21-3 run to close the half.
Mobley was 6 for 6 inside the 3-point line, an area he has been working on since last season to find ways to score. His mid-range game had a polished look to it.
“Not being able to get that shot to fall, not really having that good second level, so it’s just staying in the gym all summer, just working on that,” he said. “It’s open a lot for me because a lot of people want to run me off the line.”
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The way The Mount defended ball screens gave Mobley Jr. the opportunity to get open shots inside the arc. And Diebler saw a more poised, under-control attack by Mobley Jr.
“The last two games he’s playing with a better pace when the ball’s in his hands,” Diebler said. “Prior to that he was a little sped up. He’s playing with some jabs and some fakes better to get some leverage downhill.”
The way the second half began, the Buckeyes were just showing off.
Mobley Jr. finished strong at the rim with his left hand. Devin Royal, who scored 17 points, dropped in another mid-ranger. Mobley Jr. swished a 3-pointer. Royal thought about a 3-pointer, shot it anyway, got fouled and made the free throw.
With 15:51 left after the 17-5 rush, the Buckeyes led 69-31. If the Buckeyes hadn’t scored another point, they still would have won by nine.
Stuffing the stat sheet was all that remained. Njegovan got the loudest cheer on a 3-pointer from the top of the key on an assist from Gabe Cupps. Njegovan played the bulk of his 15-plus minutes in the second half. He made all seven shots he took, playing under control, and scored a career-high 15 points.
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“We just always have to stay ready and just be able to help the team to win,” he said. “And that’s all it is about right now.”
After the team gathers at Diebler’s house for Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday night, it will travel on the holiday to Pittsburgh, highly motivated to get to 7-0. Last year the Panthers came to Columbus and won at the buzzer.
“Can’t wait,” Mobley Jr. said. “We got a bad taste in our mouth from last year. We’re going in hungry, keeping our foot on the gas. We can’t wait … can’t wait.”
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