The Buckeyes will be home for the holidays as they begin winding down the year with the first of two mid-major stocking-stuffers over the next nine days.
Maine makes a voyage from the Northeast to lock horns with an Ohio State team that has yet to lose in five home games this season but is coming off an emotional overtime loss to North Carolina in a Madison Square Garden environment that Chris Holtmann likened to a high-level NCAA Tournament game. The Buckeyes haven’t struggled against lower-level competition so far, but their coach believes bouncing back from Saturday’s defeat – perhaps the most draining of the season – will go a long way in defining what he can expect from the team come the start of 2023.