On Tuesday the Buckeyes will face off against the Morehead State Eagles. Ohio State has looked great in their first three games of the season, so hopefully they can continue their strong performance against the Eagles. A fourth Ohio State victory would be a nice pre-Thanksgiving appetizer, and to make it even better, all the fans at the Schott could celebrate the win by heading across campus to jump in Mirror Lake!
Let’s take a look at the Morehead State team…
| School: | Morehead State University |
| Location: | Morehead, Kentucky |
| Founded: | 1887 |
| Student Population: | 7921 |
| School Type: | Public |
| Division: | NCAA |
| Conference: | Ohio Valley Conference |
| Stadium: | Ellis T. Johnson Arena |
| Seating: | 6500 |
| Built: | 1984 |
| Head Coach: | Donnie Tyndall |
| Year: | 5th |
The teams that Morehead State has faced thus far in the season are very familiar to Ohio State fans. The early season schedule for the Eagles started with Asbury and then had North Carolina A&T, UNC Wilmington, and Florida in order. Morehead State won their first two contests but dropped the games to both UNCW and Florida, putting them at 2-2 on the season going into Tuesday’s game against the Buckeyes. Morehead State played Florida tough, losing the game by only 6 and outscoring the Gators in the second half.
Big man Kenneth Faried, a 6’8 senior, has led the Eagles by averaging a double-double in points and rebounds at just under 18 points and 13 rebounds per game. Faried will likely be drafted into the NBA after the season and has received national attention. His most impressive performance came against Florida, where he logged a monster game with 20 points and 18 rebounds. Three other players – Demonte Harper, Terrance Hill, and Ty Proffitt – have averaged at or above double digits in points as well, giving the Eagles a balanced scoring attack.
Morehead State puts an experienced lineup onto the floor, featuring three seniors and two juniors. The team won the Ohio Valley tournament last year to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament, where they won the play-in game versus Alabama State to gain the #16 seed against #1 seed Louisville. The Eagles dropped the game against Louisville but have high hopes to make a return trip to the NCAA’s this year. According to coach Donnie Tyndal, Morehead State will feature a small unit on the floor at most times during the season, seeking to play an up-tempo, high-scoring style of game, which should play into the Buckeyes’ hands given the team we have this year. Although Ohio State clearly has a size advantage inside, Faried will present a great test for Jared Sullinger at this point in the season, being a high-talent, strong player to challenge our freshman’s abilities. However, our depth should be able to compensate for any success that Faried is able to have, gradually wearing down the Eagles and putting the game out of reach.
Here is the comparison of statistics for the starting lineups through the first three games of the season:
| Morehead State | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
| Kenneth Faried | 3 | 27.3 | 17 | 11.3 | 1 | 2.7 | 3 | 1.3 | 0.667 | 0.636 | 0 |
| Demonte Harper | 3 | 28.7 | 13 | 4.7 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 2.7 | 0.319 | 0.75 | 0.2 |
| Terrance Hill | 3 | 29 | 12.3 | 2.3 | 3 | 2.3 | 0 | 1 | 0.343 | 0.714 | 0.348 |
| Ty Proffitt | 3 | 28.7 | 9.7 | 3.3 | 0.7 | 1 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.364 | 0.9 | 0.308 |
| Sam Goodman | 3 | 30.3 | 8.3 | 5 | 2.3 | 1.3 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.55 | 0.333 | 0.5 |
| Ohio State | GP | MIN | PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | TPG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
| Jared Sullinger | 3 | 27.3 | 18.7 | 10.7 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 0 | 2.7 | 0.667 | 0.667 | 0 |
| David Lighty | 3 | 27.7 | 15.3 | 4.3 | 2.7 | 1.7 | 0 | 1.7 | 0.533 | 0.714 | 0.333 |
| Deshaun Thomas | 3 | 17.3 | 14.3 | 5 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0 | 0.7 | 0.5 | 0.857 | 0.3 |
| William Buford | 3 | 27.7 | 13 | 4.7 | 5.7 | 1.7 | 0.3 | 1 | 0.471 | 0.833 | 0.222 |
| Jon Diebler | 3 | 29.3 | 10.7 | 2 | 2.7 | 0 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 0.458 | 0 | 0.455 |
| Dallas Lauderdale | 3 | 22 | 6 | 8.3 | 0.3 | 0.3 | 4.7 | 1 | 0.692 | 0 | 0 |
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