Buckeyes draw rematch with Duke in Big Ten/ACC Challenge

COLUMBUS — Ohio State notched a season-defining win over then-top ranked Duke last November.

Chris Holtmann and the Buckeyes are now set for an early-season rematch after their thrilling victory over the Blue Devils. Ohio State will travel to Cameron Indoor Stadium to take on the Duke on Nov. 30, exactly one year after beating the Blue Devils on the Buckeyes home floor.

The game will be the headliner of the ultra-competitive Big Ten/ACC Challenge. The game is expected to be on ESPN.

Last season’s matchup between No. 1 Duke and unranked Ohio State started as an unmemorable contest that was teetering on blowout when the Blue Devils jumped out to a 15-point lead. But the Buckeyes clawed their way back into the game by using a 12-0 run to end the game after being down seven at the final media timeout.

Of course, that Ohio State team had two NBA Draft picks: Malaki Branham, who was selected in the first round by the San Antonio Spurs, and E.J. Liddell, who was taken in the second round by the New Orleans Pelicans. Duke’s roster last season featured five NBA Draft picks, so the Blue Devils will be retooling their rotation just like the Buckeyes.

Ohio State will have a young team — but it also has some veterans who are capable of helping lead.

“We’ve got a young group,” Holtmann said. “Hopefully if we can grow together and stay together, we’ll have a real chance.”

The Buckeyes will have plenty of promise from a talented group of freshmen: Bruce Thornton, Brice Sensabaugh, Flex Okpara, Roddy Gayle Jr. and Bowen Hardman. And they added veterans Tanner Holden, Sean McNeil and Isaac Likekele to bolster their roster and remain competitive nationally.

That blend of youth and experience will be tested early in the year when the Buckeyes travel to Duke for a rematch that carries plenty of early-season implications with it.