Ohio State Basketball: 5 Things Buckeyes Must Prove Early in 2014-15

The 2014-15 Ohio State basketball program is in a position that it hasn’t been in very often under Thad Matta.

It's a dark-horse contender.

The Buckeyes have plenty of young talent, but the loss of mainstays like Aaron Craft, LaQuinton Ross and Lenzelle Smith Jr. means many people are overlooking Matta’s bunch.

Shannon Scott discussed the possibility of sneaking up on people, via Rusty Miller of The Associated Press:

From my junior, sophomore and freshman years, we'd be hearing so much about Buckeye basketball, what we're going to bring to the table and all that stuff. I haven't really heard that much about it this year. Personally, I'm kind of a fan of that. We can just go out on the court now and play our game and prove everybody wrong. So it's going to be fun for us.

While surprising those without high expectations may be a long-term goal, there are certain things the Buckeyes must establish early in the season. Four of their first five games are against UMass Lowell, Sacred Heart, Campbell and James Madison, so the opportunity is there to set the tone early.

With that in mind, here are five things Ohio State must do in the first few games. 

Matta will have a number of questions to answer regarding his big-man rotation.

Who starts? Who plays the significant minutes down the stretch? Can Amir Williams and Anthony Lee play together? Will Trey McDonald see significant minutes at all? What about David Bell?

The Buckeyes were 216th in total rebounds per game last year, so this is incredibly important. Games against weaker opponents early in the season are the perfect testing grounds for different lineup combinations, so look for Matta to experiment a bit.

From a pure talent standpoint, Lee is the best option, but he is also athletic and versatile enough to play power forward. A Williams and Lee combination would be lethal on the glass, largely because Lee is a double-double threat every night, so this may be the pairing that sees the most playing time.

However, it wouldn’t be surprising if Matta at times used Lee as the center in a small-ball rotation. He is more than capable of running the floor and finishing in transition. 

One of the best parts about freshman D’Angelo Russell’s game is his versatility and ability to play either guard position.

With Scott at point guard, Russell will likely see plenty of action at shooting guard.

He is Ohio State’s best hope in terms of improving an offense that was 208th in the nation in points per game last year.

He makes plays with the ball in his hands, whether it is through his own perimeter shot, attacking the rim off the dribble or setting up teammates with precise passes. However, if Scott is the point guard, Russell will theoretically have the ball in his hands far less than he would otherwise.

These early-season games will give Russell a chance to settle into his role, whether that is a hybrid point guard who handles the ball more than a typical shooting guard or someone who simply looks to score off the ball.

Regardless of what that role actually is, Ohio State is going to need some impressive scoring numbers from the true freshman. 

We know Russell is going to play a major role for this team given the offensive deficiencies from a year ago, but early in the season is the best time for Matta to see what he has in the other freshmen as well.

Keita Bates-Diop, Jae’Sean Tate and even Bell will likely all see the floor in those presumed blowout victories.

Bates-Diop and Tate will be especially intriguing to watch because their games complement each other. Tate is a hard-nosed forward who can rebound and mix it up down low, despite his 6’5” size. Bates-Diop is lengthy and athletic and will score from behind the three-point line or by getting out in transition.

It will also be important for Marc Loving to establish himself early in the year.

Remember, he is only a sophomore and was inconsistent last season, so a few impressive games in a row would likely do wonders for his confidence as someone the Buckeyes will depend on this year.

A roster that features Russell, Scott, Sam Thompson, Lee, Loving, Tate, Bates-Diop and Kam Williams is more than capable of running the floor and wearing out an opponent.

There is athleticism all over the court with that group, and an Ohio State team that struggled to score in half-court sets last season could benefit from an uptempo approach.

Again, the best time to try new approaches to the game is early in the season before the Big Ten competition heats up, so it would not be a surprise if Matta told his guys to run early and often.

The Buckeyes should thrive on the defensive end once again, and if Scott, Russell and Thompson can create turnovers and get out in transition, it should solve some of the offensive woes from a year ago.

The early games may be blowout victories, but at least it could be an entertaining style of basketball for the fans in attendance. 

The Buckeyes are fortunate enough to play in the Big Ten, so nonconference strength of schedule isn’t as much of a concern as it would be in a weaker conference.

Still, there is no in between with the Buckeyes’ nonleague slate this season. There are three marquee contests against Louisville, North Carolina and Marquette, and 10 games that should be absolute layups.

The showdowns against the Tar Heels and Cardinals are both away from home, and it may be too much to ask a young squad to come away with victories in those. That means the Buckeyes need to crush the easier opponents to impress the selection committee if they do miss out on those early chances against North Carolina and Louisville.

A win over Marquette, 10 dominating victories against lesser competition and two close losses against two of the best teams in the nation away from home would be a formidable resume heading into Big Ten play.