Buckeyes Open Jake Diebler Era With Statement Win Over No. 19 Texas, 80-72

John Mobley Jr.Forget growing pains, Jake Diebler's first Ohio State basketball squad started its season with some grown-man hooping on Monday night.

Flexing the energy Diebler advertised on both ends of the floor, the Buckeyes took down No. 19 Texas in a neutral-site game as part of the Hall of Fame Series, never trailing in an 80-72 victory.

TEAM 1 2 FINAL OHIO STATE 38 42 80 #19 TEXAS 31 41 72 Veteran guards Bruce Thornton and Micah Parrish paced the Buckeyes with 20 and 17 points, with sophomore forward Devin Royal following closely behind at 16.

Freshman John Mobley Jr. was the revelation of the evening for Ohio State, scoring 14 points in Las Vegas, where he spent multiple high school…