When Ohio State scheduled Valparaiso for a game Tuesday in Columbus, the Buckeyes’ coaching staff likely saw the Beacons as an opportunity for a breather between a pair of heavyweights.
Instead, the Buckeyes (6-4) desperately need a confidence boost after last Saturday’s 91-53 shellacking at the hands of No. 2 Auburn in Atlanta, and with No. 4 Kentucky looming this Saturday in New York.
“We’re just trying to keep fighting, keep preparing for the next game,” Ohio State guard Michah Parrish said. “Each game is different, but you can’t worry about the last game. We’ve just got to be better with our execution.”
Valparaiso (5-4) is at the other end of the spectrum. The Beacons are coming off their highest point total against a Division I opponent in seven years in a 93-77 win over Central Michigan last Saturday.
The Buckeyes will have to keep an eye on the aptly named All Wright, whose 26 points vs. the Chippewas earned him his second Missouri Valley Conference freshman of the week honor this season.
Wright, whose full legal name is Andre All Wright Vargas, doubled his previous Valparaiso best with the help of shooting 8-for-8 from the free-throw line and draining four 3-pointers.
That’s the kind of outing Ohio State coach Jake Diebler hopes to see out of Bruce Thornton. The Buckeyes’ leading scorer (14.9 average) had just three points in 33 minutes against Auburn and made 1 of 8 field goals.
“We’ve got to be able to get him catches at different spots on the floor,” Diebler said. “It can’t always be up top in the middle third with the ball. We’ll get better at that quickly.”
Diebler played for Valparaiso from 2005-09, starting all 98 games over his final three seasons. He was then part of the coaching staff there from 2009-13, while current Valparaiso head coach Roger Powell Jr. coached the Beacons from 2011-16. Both were on Bryce Drew’s Vanderbilt staff from 2016-19.
“Jake Diebler is not just my friend, someone I coached with, he’s a Valpo legend,” Powell said. “Anybody at Valpo should be extremely excited for him, and the opportunity he has because he represents us.”
–Field Level Media
