Midway through January, Mike White had his Dawgs rolling. We’d beaten LSU and started to get a bubble look with a good finish to the season.
Then the rest of the season happened, leads squandered, shots missed, and easy buckets allowed, and losing 10 of their last 12 to close the regular season with a nightmare February destroyed any dancing dreams.
But the NIT came calling, and the young Dawgs have answered. A close win over Xavier, followed by a more controlling victory (our second this season) against Wake Forest on Sunday set up tonight’s 7 pm showdown in Columbus, Ohio.
The Dawgs (19-12) and Ohio St (22-13) can be seen on ESPN or ESPN+, or heard on your local Bulldog Sports Network radio affiliate at 7. And just who suits up for the Dawgs is still in question. Big man Russel Tchewa (with the game sealing block vs Xavier) missed Wake with illness and may or may not be back. Second leading scorer Jabri Abdur Rahim has had to miss the last six games with injury, while fellow F RJ Sunahara also missed. They did travel so there is hope they can suit up tonight.
If not, senior Frank Anslem-Ibe stepped in for Tchewa to give his best game of the season. Meanwhile freshman F Dylan James has filled in for Abdur-Rahim and stepped up as well, including hitting 4 of 5 3s in North Carolina to help us advance to tonight’s quarterfinal.
Veteran G Justin Hill continued his stellar 6th man work, and joined leading scorer Noah Thomasson to combine for 40 in that victory. With starting PG and freshman Silas Demery contributing several big plays too, and fellow freshman Blue Cain knocking down timely 3s. They’ve competed well all season with a bad month finally behind them.
For the Buckeyes, they had some struggles this season too. Which kind of goes without saying when you fire your coach mid season. But Jake Diebler has stepped in, and rebounded well enough to be given the full time job. And they’re young, with four sophomores and a senior starting the vast majority of their games.
6’4 G Roddy Gayle and 6’7 F Jamison Battle will pose key matchups for Georgia tonight as their second and third leading scorers, and only others averaging double digits aside from a familiar name if unfamiliar face.
Ohio St’s best player all year has been Bruce Thornton out of Milton HS in Atlanta. Yes, son of that Bruce Thornton, former Dawgs starting CB in addition to Lady Dawg Tiaunna Briggins as mom But instead of donning our red, black, and silver, he chose theirs for what will be his 70th start tonight as a sophomore (so every game). The young Thornton has averaged over 15 pts this year, solid shooting, defense, assist, turnover, all the numbers. He’s a very good player and a problem for Hill and Demery tonight. And no, I’m not upset he’s not a Dawg like mama and daddy, not at all.
So, tonight at 7, on ESPN, we look to make our third ever NIT semifinal (‘98 and ‘82). We will be in the comments below and I’ll settle for a result like the last time Georgia faced Ohio St….