Sport Day Primer: Mountaineers Face Highway Take a look at at Ohio State on Tuesday

COLUMBUS, Ohio – After posting a 2-0 homestand in opposition to Carolina Univ. and N.C. Central final week, the App State Men’s Basketball workforce is ready to journey to Columbus, Ohio, for a street matchup with B1G foe Ohio State on Tuesday. It will mark the second consecutive yr that App State will face a present B1G opponent (Wisconsin – Nov. 10, 2024). Tip off from Value City Arena is ready for six:30 p.m., and the sport shall be broadcast on B1G Network Plus.
 
Tuesday’s matchup at Ohio State will mark the Mountaineers’ lone recreation in opposition to a High-Major opponent in 2025-26, and the third recreation in opposition to a B1G opponent within the Dustin Kerns period (Michigan – 2019 and Wisconsin – 2024). App State has performed a minimum of one recreation in opposition to an Autonomy Five opponent each season because the 1990-91 season. In the Kerns period, App State has matched up with 11 Autonomy Five packages.
 
The Mountaineers will search for their first win over a present B1G opponent in slightly below 32 years on Tuesday. App State final beat a B1G opponent on Dec. 1, 1992, when it took down Nebraska 91-82 at Varsity Gym in Boone.
 
With wins over Auburn and Louisville, Kerns enters Tuesday’s recreation in opposition to Ohio State as considered one of simply three coaches in program historical past with a number of Autonomy Five victories. Currently, he trails solely Houston Fancher for essentially the most High-Major wins in program historical past. Fancher tallied 4 such wins in his 9 years as a head coach.
 
The Matchup 

• Who: App State at Ohio State
• Where: Value City Arena // Columbus, Ohio
• When: Tuesday, Nov. 11 // 6:30 p.m.

 
Tune In

• Watch: Watch (B1G Network Plus) | Harrison Hall (PxP), Mason Jarrell (Color), Gabe Eaker (Sideline)
• Listen: FLAGSHIP 97.3 (North Wilkesboro), 950 AM/92.7 FM (Greensboro), 790 AM/93.7 FM (Johnson City) | Matt Present (PxP) 
• Live Stats: appstatesports.com 

 
Last Time Out
App State led from the opening tip to the ultimate buzzer, dominating the North Carolina Central Eagles to publish a 76-54 win on the Holmes Center on Sunday. App State led for 38:46 of play and jumped forward by as many as 32 factors within the recreation.
 
The Mountaineers’ protection shined brilliant on Sunday, as they held the Eagles to 30 p.c from the sphere (15-50) and simply six 3-pointers. App State jumped out to a 20-point lead at halftime because of a stellar defensive exhibiting within the first 20 minutes, holding N.C. Central to simply 5 made subject targets on 23 makes an attempt.
 
App State unfold the wealth on Sunday as 9 totally different gamers scored a basket within the recreation. The Mountaineers have been led by a career-best day from Kasen Jennings, who tallied 22 factors to guide all scorers. Jennings set his earlier profession excessive in opposition to Central Michigan final Monday, however bested that with one other robust exhibiting. Along with Jennings, Andrin Njock was excellent in his minutes as he netted a career-high 11 factors on 4-4 capturing. Njock offered three highlight-reel dunks in opposition to the Eagles, whereas additionally being robust on the glass with seven rebounds.

Scouting the Mountaineers

App State enters play on Tuesday with a 2-1 report on the younger season and is on a two-game profitable streak. App State’s 2-1 begin marks its greatest three-game begin to a season since beginning 3-0 again within the 2022-23 season.

 

Entering play on Tuesday, App State has crashed the offensive glass onerous, giving it one of the best offensive rebounding common within the Sun Belt Conference at 15.3 a recreation. The Mountaineers tallied 17 offensive rebounds in final Monday’s recreation in opposition to the Chippewas and 18 extra in opposition to the Bruins final Wednesday. The Mountaineers’ 18 offensive rebounds in opposition to Carolina Univ. marked their most in a recreation since additionally tallying 18 in opposition to Georgia State on Feb. 3, 2024. The final time App State grabbed a minimum of 17 offensive rebounds in back-to-back video games was the primary two video games of the 2023-24 season (Oakland City and Northern Illinois). App State will look to publish 4 straight video games with 10 or extra offensive rebounds to open the season for the primary time since 2017-18.

 

Because App State’s offensive rebounding charge has been so excessive by way of the primary three video games, second-chance factors have turn out to be a serious contributor to its offensive assault. Entering Tuesday, App State has scored 59 second-chance factors (21 vs. Carolina Univ., 20 vs. Central Michigan and 18 in opposition to N.C. Central), good for 25.2 p.c of its complete factors scored this season. The Mountaineers hadn’t tallied back-to-back video games with a minimum of 20 second-chance factors since recording 24 in opposition to Central Penn on Dec. 5, 2023, and 20 in opposition to Queens on Dec. 13, 2023.

 

App State has proven the power to maintain the basketball at a excessive charge on the younger season as they lead the Sun Belt in fewest turnovers per recreation getting into Tuesday, averaging 9 per contest. The Mountaineers have turned the ball over simply 27 instances by way of three video games (9 vs. Central Michigan, 10 vs. Carolina Univ., eight vs. N.C. Central) and have gained the turnover battle in every recreation. App State additionally leads the Sun Belt in help/turnover ratio (1.63), and sees three gamers (Jennings, Alonzo Dodd and Jason Clarke Jr.) within the prime 25 of the league in that class.

 

Scouting the Buckeyes

Ohio State enters Tuesday’s recreation vs. the Mountaineers with a 2-0 report, posting residence wins over IU Indy and Purdue Fort Wayne. The Buckeyes tallied 118 factors in opposition to IU Indy to open the season, and 94 factors vs. Purdue Fort Wayne on Friday.

 

Because of the high-scoring contests to open the season, the Buckeyes enter Tuesday’s recreation with the ninth-highest scoring offense within the nation, averaging 106 factors a recreation. Additionally, Ohio State is capturing 64.8 p.c from the sphere, the second-best share within the nation.

 

Buckeye senior guard Bruce Thornton enters Tuesday because the nation’s chief in factors per recreation, averaging 32 per contest. Thornton tallied 38 factors in Friday’s win over Purdue Fort Wayne, the very best single-game tally since Jared Sullinger scored 40 vs. IUPUI in 2010. Overall, Ohio State sees 4 gamers who rating higher than 14 factors a recreation getting into Tuesday in Thornton, Christoph Tilly, John Mobley Jr. and Devin Royal.

Series History

Although App State and Ohio State haven’t got numerous historical past between each other, the 2 have met in some massive video games earlier than. The two groups final squared off on Dec. 16, 2017, in Columbus, however earlier than that, they met within the 2000 NCAA Tournament after the Mountaineers gained the Southern Conference common season and match title.

 

Ohio State owns a 2-0 lead within the sequence, with the Buckeyes grabbing an 80-67 win on their residence ground in 2017. Kerns has by no means confronted Ohio State in his teaching profession.

Next Up

Once motion concludes in Columbus on Tuesday, App State will keep on the street, touring to sq. off with Ivy League opponent Dartmouth on Sunday. Tip off from Leede Arena is ready for midday, and the sport shall be broadcast on ESPN+.