When the Ohio Bobcats kicked off conference play Wednesday evening at Northern Illinois, they had a record of 9-3 – one less win then they had for the entire 2014 season.
(The original version of this story went to print long before that game was played, but Ohio lost 80-69 and is now 9-4. The Northern Illinois Huskies now stand at 12-2.)
“It feels fresh and new in a lot of ways, and I’ve made a really conscious effort not to rub last year in their faces,” Ohio head coach Saul Phillips said Monday. “It’s a different team; it just is.