BYU vs Ohio State Preview: Keys, What to Watch, Prediction
· Yahoo Sports
After a 3-0 exhibition/scrimmage slate, BYU has one of the best season openers on the college basketball calendar when they take on Ohio State Monday night at 7pm MT in Salt Lake City. The game is on FS1. We’ll get a matchup of two potential top 10 picks in next year’s draft when 5-star BYU freshman goes up against fellow Ohio State 5-Star freshman Anthony Thompson.
BYU and Ohio State by the Numbers
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BYU KenPom: 33
EvanMiya: 25
AP Rank: 25
Ohio State KenPom: 18
EvanMiya: 33
AP: Not ranked, 29 overall
KenPom Prediction: Ohio State 82, BYU 81 — BYU 50% win probability
Point Spread: BYU -3.5 (BYU favorite); this opened as BYU -1.5 and has had recent movement towards the Cougs
Point Total: 160.5
Ohio State Overview
The Buckeyes have many similarities to BYU. They are an offensive-powered team led by their backcourt. Ohio State lost their top player in 4-year starter Bruce Thornton, but return other top players and had a nice offseason in player acquisition. The Buckeyes have some backcourt questions, but they have firepower in their backcourt and wings.
Players to Watch
John Mobley Jr, Guard — The main player to watch is guard John Mobley Jr. The 6-foot-2 junior guard was second for the Buckeyes last year in scoring at 15.7 ppg. He shot 41% from three on 7 attempts per game. 66% of his field goal attempts were from three. Mobley is one of the top guards in the Big Ten and one of the best shooters in the country. Monitoring him will be the top thing on the scouting report for the Cougs.
Justin Pippen, Guard — The son of Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, Pippen was Ohio State’s top portal acquisition and teams with Mobley in the backcourt. Listed at 6-foot-4, the Cal transfer averaged 14.2 points, 4.6 assists, and 2 steals for the Golden Bears last season. Pippen wasn’t particularly efficient — shooting 37% from the field and 32% from three — but he got to the line 5 times per game and has the ability to heat up. His steal rate and assist rate were both top 100 nationally.
Anthony Thompson, Forward/Wing — A 5-Star recruit and top 10 prospect in the 2026 class, Thompson may be matched up with fellow top recruit Bruce Branch for a lot of the game. Thompson is a lefty wing scorer who is a potent shot creator with a huge wingspan. How well Thompson and Branch perform in their first regular season college game will be a factor in deciding who comes out on top.
Amare Bynum, Forward — Bynum is the Buckeyes other returning starter along with Mobley. Listed at 6-foot-8 and 245 pounds, Bymum as a freshman last year averaged 9.7 points, 4.9 rebounds on 51% shooting from the field and 31% from three. He had 23 points in Ohio State’s recent win exhibition win over Butler.
Ohio State Centers — The Buckeyes may go smaller with Bynum at center at times, and that could be their best lineup. Ohio State’s other two big don’t inspire a ton of confidence. The likely bet to start is Kentucky transfer Andrija Jelavic. The 6-foot-11 big started 20 games for UK, averaging 5.5 points and 4 rebounds. He’s shown flashes to shoot from outside, but shot 21-76 (27.6%) from three. Ohio State’s other true center is Baylor transfer Josh Ojianwuna, who redshirted last season for OSU due to injury. Ojianwuna is a load at 6-foot-10 and 270 pounds and could give BYU some troubles, but at his size isn’t mobile and could get exposed by Kohler on the perimeter. Kohler should have a clear advantage versus whoever OSU throws at him.
Prediction
This is a good first test for BYU and will likely end up a Quad 1 game for both teams. I think Ohio State’s backcourt will give BYU troubles. BYU got diced up by UNLV’s backcourt in the exhibition game, and OSU is much better. Mobley is a tough matchup and has the ability to go for 30+. Pippen is streaky, but he can get to the rim and combined with Mobley puts a lot of pressure on BYU’s ability to defend the three-point line and guard against dribble penetration.
The 5-star freshmen battle between Bruce Branch and Anthony Thompson is not only a top storyline because they are both potential top 10 picks in next year’s draft, but they may also be guarding each other and could be a big factor on who wins. Branch looked good in both exhibitions, but Thompson is a big, long body who could give Branch some trouble. You could say the same thing about Branch guarding Thompson, which is why this particular battle is so fascinating.
I like BYU for a couple reasons. Both guard lines I think will have success. We saw UNLV slice BYU up and Mobley is much more talented than the Rebels’ guards. The key for BYU will be if they can decrease his efficiency and keep him from raining in threes. Rob Wright can struggle against more physical guards, but Ohio State doesn’t have that. Rob should be able to get in the paint, which will open things up for him and the opportunity for him to distribute to others. Rob and Collin should both be able to have good games offensively.
The big differentiating spot for me is the frontcourts. Jaxon Kohler is a clear tier above any big that Ohio State has. When Ohio State guards him with the bruiser Ojianwuna, then Kohler and Rob should thrive in pick and pop situations. When OSU goes with Jelavic or Bynum, Kohler will have an advantage in the paint. This feels like a game where Kohler puts up 20 and 10.
In a game that has two of the best guards in the country and a five-star freshman on each side, I’ll take the team that has the better big man and more shooters.
Prediction: BYU 85, Ohio State 80