Ohio State basketball had its toughest test to date this season when it went on the road to play Pittsburgh on Friday night. The Buckeyes nearly shook off a rough first half to come back and win, but the Panthers had other designs. Pitt took just 3.7 seconds to get the ball down court and throw up a buzzer-beating three-pointer to send the Buckeyes home with their first loss of the season, 67-66.
As with any contest, there are some lessons and observations we can take away from the action. Unfortunately for Ohio State, you'd much rather learn those lessons with a close win vs. the alternative of losing one that got away.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementRegardless, here are three things we think we learned from what we saw from the Ohio State basketball team against Pitt on the road Friday night. There is some good and some not so good.
Christop Tilly will have to develop against more physical teams
Nov 28, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes center Christoph Tilly (13) shoots against Pittsburgh Panthers forward Cameron Corhen (2) during the second half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesWhen Ohio State went into the portal to grab seven-footer Christop Tilly from Santa Clara, it was thought that the program got the block player it needed to do the tough work down low to get easy baskets and rebounds it often lacked last season. And in the first few games, that looked to be true, especially with his ability to step away from the paint to knock down long-range shots.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementHowever, against Pitt, and prior against Notre Dame, it's pretty clear that he's not quite ready for the brawny ways of the Big Ten. Tilly made just 1-of-8 field goals against the Panthers, and often seemed bothered by the contact and physicality of the action in the lane. There's not much time to figure that out, but if Tilly is going to be the difference maker the coaching staff thought he could be, he's going to have to expect contact and learn to play with it. After all, that's the Big Ten on a nightly basis.
Ohio State needs Devin Royal to be the player he can be
The ceiling for Devin Royal is very high. We see it from time to time, but we also see him play a little tentatively at times. On Friday night, Royal was confident and decisive, and he nearly willed Ohio State to a victory. He's learning to play on the wing vs. having his back to the basket, and there are sure to be some growing pains, but if the Buckeyes are going to get back to the NCAA Tournament and make some noise in the Big Ten and nationally, they'll need Royal to be a complement to Bruce Thornton.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe former Mr. Ohio Basketball has so much skill and ability, and it would be nice if he just took things into his own hands a little more, as opposed to feeling his way out sometimes. Hopefully, what we saw from him on Friday night will be the start of him turning the corner this year and being what we all know he can be.
Pace of play for Ohio State
Nov 28, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes head coach Jake Diebler reacts on the sidelines against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first half at the Petersen Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn ImagesI'm not a Division I basketball coach; I only play one on television in my dreams. But it baffles me how this team often stands around waiting for someone else to make a play. More often than not, the team that is the aggressor in team sports can control things and put pressure on the opposition, but it doesn't seem like that's in the cards this year.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementIf this is going to continue to be a half-court, plodding offense the rest of the year, I don't know that we're going to see this team make the NCAA Tournament. There's enough athleticism on the team to play at a faster pace and have better player and ball movement, even in the half-court sets. Putting the team in that mindset also usually translates to a more aggressive mindset on the boards and on the defensive end. All in all, I just don't understand what we're watching, and it's totally different than what we saw when Diebler became the interim coach when Holtmann was let go.
I hope there is growth in this area because I fear that if not, it's going to be awfully hard to recruit kids who want to play in the type of setting we are seeing. But hey, maybe it's just me, and I hope I'm wrong.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Ohio State vs Pittsburgh: 3 things we learned from the Buckeyes loss
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