Chris Holtmann wasn't quite sure what to expect in Ohio State's three-game stretch to begin the season with road games against Cincinnati and Creighton and a home matchup against Purdue Fort Wayne. He knew Mick Cronin and Greg McDermott would have their teams prepared for matchups with the young, inexperienced Buckeyes, and he believed the Mastodons might pose them with a stout challenge.
Ohio State (3-0) exited Cincinnati with an eight-point win and beat Purdue Fort Wayne by 46 points, then capped off the opening stretch with a 69-60 win against Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska, on Thursday as part of the annual Gavitt Games.