Ohio State Rolls Over North Carolina A&T in 2010-2011 Opener, 102-61

The 2010-2011 Ohio State basketball team is a talented bunch, and they showed as much in the utter dismantling of the North Carolina A&T Aggies tonight, 102-61. No, NC A&T isn't going to fool anyone as a Top 20 program, or even a quality Division 1 opponent, but they did serve as an opportunity for Thad Matta's crew to get their feet wet. While the Buckeyes were busy dangling their feet into the ocean, the Aggies were forced to walk the plank.

There were several interesting stories within this game, with the first being the starting lineup. There have been a lot of questions with regards to the Buckeyes' potential starting five, which were answered when last season's returning four starters David Lighty, Jon Diebler, William Buford and Dallas Lauderdale were matched with sensational freshman Jared Sullinger.

The biggest question with the lineup is that it leaves a rather large gap at the point guard position, with either Lighty, Diebler or Buford playing out of position to bring the ball up for the Bucks. The alternative lineup would include Aaron Craft starting at point, making somebody a fantastic sixth man. More on that later.

With all eyes on Sullinger, and apparently every member of the Aggies defense, the 6'9", 280-pound power forward found himself on the bench early with two fouls, having scored only three points, without a first half rebound. In his stead was fellow freshman Deshaun Thomas, who is often overlooked but nearly as lauded as Sullinger.

Thomas dominated the scoring in the first half for the Buckeyes, scoring 15 points and grabbing four rebounds. More impressive is how he scored the points. The 6'6" Thomas not only buried shots from outside but also found himself pounding the interior as well. While he can't handle the ball like Evan Turner, it's easy to see that there is a similar skill set with regards to attacking the basket. Thomas would end up as the high scorer, with 24 points (10-of-16 shooting, 2-for-3 from behind the arc) and eight boards.

Craft made his presence known immediately after the first TV timeout. What's clearly apparent is that Craft will be in the starting lineup sooner, rather than later. He immediately moved the team at a speed that nobody else was playing at and put the Aggies on their heels. He obviously has a high IQ, knows his fellow Bucks and can find and even create open shots for other players. He also showcased a nice shot selection. Craft scored eight points but even more impressive were his nine assists. The Buckeyes have found their point guard.

Big Dallas Lauderdale made his presence known out of the gate, blocking the first two shots the Aggies threw his way. In the first half, Lauderdale had eight points, eight boards and two blocked shots. The real fun for the Buckeyes center came late in the second half, when Mr. Wingspan put on a shot blocking display. When it was all said and done, Lauderdale had 12 points, 13 points and eight blocked shots. It's interesting to note that it was his first double-double, and I'd have to believe, not his last.

Sullinger wasn't near done, taking control of the game in the second half, as the acclaimed recruit would end with 19 points and scoop up 14 rebounds. He is a beast on the boards, and is Rodman-esque in his ability to get a hand on the ball. He has a nice touch around the hoop, and as he figures out the pace of the college game, he should dominate in what is likely his only season as a Buckeye.

Returning starter Buford had 11 points, Lighty had 10 and Diebler scored nine points.

Coming off a horrid season and missing their best player, it's hard to really gauge anything about the Buckeyes from this game because of the shortcomings of the Aggies. That will come on Tuesday night in Gainesville against a Top 10 Gators team. Still, this Buckeyes team seemed different from recent teams of the past.

This team decimated the Aggies' full court press. With three guards on the court nearly the entire game, it wasn't difficult to find the open player and keep out of double teams. It's obvious this entire team has some IQ. The shot selection was much better than in the past. It seemed that this version of the Buckeyes works a bit more for an open shot than just firing up threes.

This was particularly true when Craft was in the game. This team can also rebound. Sure, the Aggies are a short team, but Sullinger and Lauderdale are ball-hawks, and it appears as though Thomas has that Turnerish nose for the ball as well. If the Buckeyes are taking smarter shots, they could dominate the boards nightly. No, they aren't going to roll out a 60-22 margin as they did tonight, but expect the Buckeyes to control the boards in most of their games this season.

Thad Matta has a bevy of riches this season and may find himself with a better team than the one that made it to the Sweet 16, with arguably the best player in the country. He did a bit of experimenting tonight, often bringing in five fresh substitutes in the second half, while tinkering a bit with the lineup. This pattern will likely continue over the next month as the Buckeyes head towards conference play.

Tune in on Tuesday night, as the Buckeyes face off against the No. 11 ranked Florida Gators on their home-court. While this isn't the Florida team that won back-to-back national titles a few years back, this is a solid team and should be a good test for a very talented Buckeyes squad.

This article is also featured at the blog, Bleeding Buckeye Scarlet...