COLUMBUS, Ohio — For the second straight season, the Ohio State basketball team comes into January with a 10-1 non-conference record and ranked in the Associated Press Top 25. But unlike last season, the Buckeyes’ non-conference schedule allowed for a proper evaluation heading into the new year. They knocked off three ranked opponents — one on the road (North Carolina), one at home (Villanova) and one at a neutral site (Kentucky) — by an average margin of 18.7 points, while climbing to as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll. Head coach Chris Holtmann spent much of last season preaching that he’d find out more about his team in January. That still may be the case this season, with six ranked conference teams. But this is a team that has at least proven it can play — and often dominate — some of the best teams in the country.…
Continue Reading: How Ohio State basketball’s successful non-conference schedule prepared it for Big Ten season
