It was a fun night for the Ohio State Buckeyes basketball team in Las Vegas on Monday.
They kicked their season off with a battle against the No. 19 Texas Longhorns in the Hall of Famer Series.
While Ohio State did get some votes in the AP Poll, it didn’t end up cracking the top-25 teams in the country despite having one of the strongest backcourts in the Big Ten.
The Buckeyes might get their name on that list next week as they left Vegas with an 80-72 win over Texas.
While Bruce Thorton was huge and led the team with 20 points, it was the defense that spearheaded the win for Ohio State. It allowed just 31 points in the first half and took a 7-point lead into the break.
The Buckeyes forced nine turnovers. The most impressive part of the team’s defense was their ability to defend the perimeter. The Longhorns finished 7-of-28 from deep. If that defensive intensity continues, Ohio State could be a formidable opponent and certainly a strong contender in the conference.
OHIO STATE UPSETS NO. 19 TEXAS ‼️
The Buckeyes take home a wire-to-wire victory in the Hall of Fame Series Las Vegas 👏 pic.twitter.com/EuOAj5Npgs
— NCAA March Madness (@MarchMadnessMBB) November 5, 2024
This was a huge win and was among just a few upsets in the first real kickoff of college hoops.
The Buckeyes will take the floor again next Monday as they battle Youngstown State at home. That game can be viewed at 6 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network.