Ohio State Faces Pitt in Men’s Basketball Showdown on Friday Night

PITTSBURGH, PA – Ohio State will play its first road game of the season against the University of Pittsburgh on Friday evening at the Petersen Events Center, with tip-off scheduled for 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2, with Mike Corey and Terrence Oglesby calling the action.

The Buckeyes (6-0) are looking to build on their strong start to the season. They last achieved a 6-0 beginning in 2019, when they went on to start with nine wins. This year, Ohio State aims to break a three-year absence from the NCAA Tournament, their longest drought since 2003-2005. They secured a close victory against Notre Dame earlier in the month, winning 64-63.

“Our guys deserve a ton of credit because we’ve really pushed them to get back to doing what we do offensively,” said Ohio State coach Jake Diebler. Following a dominant 113-60 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Tuesday, he praised his team’s commitment to improving their defensive strategy.

Ohio State’s standout players include Bruce Thornton, who is averaging 21 points per game, and John Mobley Jr., contributing 16.8 points per game. They come into this match looking for revenge after a narrow overtime loss to Pitt last November, when Pitt triumphed 91-90 with a last-second 3-pointer.

Pitt (4-3) is hoping to turn around its fortunes after experiencing a disappointing loss to Quinnipiac, where they allowed the Bobcats to shoot 57.1% from the field. Panthers head coach Jeff Capel expressed his disappointment, stating, “I’m really disappointed in us, and it starts with me. We were not worthy of winning.”

As the game approaches, the Panthers need to focus on improving their overall team performance to secure a win over Ohio State. Capel emphasized the importance of playing complementary basketball, especially in defense, to translate into offensive success.

Cameron Corhen leads Pitt with 14.3 points per game, while Brandin Cummings contributes 12.4 points per game.