Quick Reaction to Ohio State's Season-Opening Win

Here is my instant analysis to Ohio State's season-opening win against Illinois State.

Final Score: Ohio State 94, Illinois State 67

Justice Sueing's had a fabulous debut. A lot of Buckeye fans were anxious to see how he'd fare after having to sit out last season and he was sensational. Sueing finished the game with 19 points on 8-of-9 shooting and eight rebounds. He finished at the rim, he played great defense, he played fast while under control. Really impressive debut for Sueing.

"I think it's safe to say @JusticeSueing's @OhioStateHoops debut has been successful."

Sueing has 17 points on 7-7 FG. 🔥 pic.twitter.com/YkDIvFiz4K

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) November 25, 2020

The Buckeyes dominated points in the paint, but the game wasn't really played with big men posting up. It featured far more slicing through the defense with guys driving and finishing at the rim. But the redounding margin (43-33) and points in the paint (50-14) heavily favored Ohio State.

Beyond the statistics, I love the energy and passion the Buckeyes played with. They were composed in chaotic sequences. They attacked loose balls with diving efforts on the floor repeatedly. They shared the ball well and played every player on the roster, aside from Seth Towns (knee injury). Towns was involved in a minor car accident on the way to the game today (all parties involved are okay), but he wasn't going to play today anyways. Everyone else saw the floor.

I really like Zed Key's potential. He's young and raw, but he's physical and plays unafraid. Considering Ohio State's biggest question mark coming into the season was who would play center, I think the 6-8 freshman from New York showcased himself nicely in his collegiate debut.

While the Buckeyes had a positive turnover margin, they were called for traveling an awful lot on Wednesday. I'm sure that will be a point of emphasis for Chris Holtmann's team before they take the floor again on Sunday against UMASS-Lowell.

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You may also like:

Justice Sueing Shines in Ohio State Debut

Ohio State vs. Illinois State First Half Notebook

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