LIVE UPDATESThe Ohio State Buckeyes defeat the Oakland G: olden Grizzlies 79-73 in their season opener.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (16-19, 5-15 Big Ten last season) will play the Oakland Golden Grizzlies (13-19, 11-9 Horizon League) at Value City Arena on Monday at 7 p.m.

Following a disappointing 2022-23 season, Ohio State hopes to rebound and win the Big Ten title as well as reclaim an NCAA Tournament berth.

They had one notable regular-season victory over then-No. 21 Texas Tech, but the 2023 New Year seemed to be a curse for Ohio State. They had several five-game losing streaks. However, they unexpectedly advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals, defeating both Iowa and Michigan State before falling to No. 1 Purdue.

Head coach Chris Holtmann, on the other hand, has expressed his excitement for a second chance with his sophomores, particularly guards Bruce Thornton and Roddy Gayle Jr. and forward Felix Okpara. Thornton led the Buckeyes down the stretch as leading scorer Brice Sensabaugh missed time near the end of the season.

Last season, Oakland was also on the losing end, with no ranked wins or victories over Power 5 opponents. The Grizzlies hope to turn things around this season as well, despite missing two of their top scorers from last year.