Ohio State Men’s Basketball started the 2026-2027 season with a game on the road at BYU. Despite the fact that they lost, it was interesting to see a couple of things. Ohio State wore all scarlet, and BYU wore all blue. Those colors looked nice together. Second, Ohio State has almost a completely remade roster, including former top-50 recruits Anthony Thompson and Curtis Givins.
Ultimately, they had too much of BYU forward Rob Wright. He led all scorers with 33 points. All five BYU starting players scored double figures in the win. Ohio State stellar recruit Anthony Thompson scored only two points in his regular-season debut. In this game, Ohio State men’s basketball dominated the boards and had more assists than BYU. However, they lost on the road. Do you think the Buckeyes will make the NCAA tournament?
Ohio State Men’s Basketball Loses to BYU 94-83
Ohio State Men’s Basketball began their season with a loss, 94-83, at BYU. Though the Buckeyes started this season among the ‘otheres receiving votes’ in the Associated Press poll, BYU was ranked, albeit 25th. So, this was a tough road game for the Buckeyes, though the loss raised familiar questions, despite the roster turnover. Here is how the game played out.
First Half
Ohio State Men’s basketball led this game throughout the first half. BYU made a few runs, but each time the Buckeyes had an answer. Robert Wright led all scorers with fourteen points. Justin Pippin made two late three-pointers for the Buckeyes. By virtue of those three-pointers, Ohio State had a halftime lead of 37-34.
Second Half
Byu hit a three-pointer at the beginning of the second half to tie the game at 37. BYU scored the next four points as well for a 10-0 run. BYU hit some more shots and came out on fire in the second half. Ohio State hung around for a while, but BYU pulled away for the 94-83 win. The second half was the Robert Wright show, as he had 19 points. He did have help from his teammates, Jaxson Kohler, Collin Chandler, and Tyler Beasley. It was tough to watch BYU pull away slowly.
This Game and the Next
Ohio State Men’s Basketball lost this game at BYU 94-83. The player of this game was Robert Wright, who scored 34 points for BYU. Ohio State needs more points from its stars, like John Mobley Jr. and Amare Bynum, if they are to compete with strong teams. Ohio State comes home to play Youngstown State on Friday. BYU plays on Friday also, as they host Omaha.
Conclusion: Five Questions for Ohio State
The team is taller, but can Ohio State rebound effectively this season? In this game, Ohio State Men’s Basketball outrebounded BYU 31-30. Can the team push the tempo? Ohio State has the personnel to play fast, but will they? Who will emerge to replace Bruce Thornton? Amare Bynum and Joh Mobley Jr. are leading candidates. Is Anthony Thompson a one-and-done player? He was a highly rated recruit, but only scored two points in this first game. Maybe the biggest question is: how do the parts on the Ohio State Men’s Basketball roster come together to form a whole? They have several players on the verge of stardom, but unless they play together as a team, they will not succeed.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
