This season was supposed to be appetizer, something to give hope and maybe a clear indication of what was in store down the road for the Ohio University men’s basketball team.
It nearly became the main course, however.
Second-year Ohio head coach Saul Phillips vowed his team would win more games in its second season, but even he didn’t anticipate the jump the Bobcats made in 2015-16.
He thought his team was perhaps a year away from competing for a Mid-American Conference championship. His players thought differently.
With a blazing offense, Ohio overachieved and came closer to returning to the NCAA Tournament than anyone gave the Bobcats credit prior to the season.