Freshman Jordan Dartis and Ohio returns to The Convo in preparation for Marshall.
Freshman Jordan Dartis, apparently, has something against the Atlantic Coast Conference.
Dartis scored 24 points in Ohio’s 90-81 loss to Florida State last Monday as the freshman has quickly acclimated to second-year coach Saul Phillips’ offensive system.
It’s yet to be determined, however, if Dartis has that same disdain for the Conference USA.
Ohio will matchup with Marshall (0-3) on Tuesday night, as Dartis and the Bobcats (3-2) will attempt to bounce back from a 1-2 outing in the Virgin Islands.
"Jordan Dartis apparently has something against the ACC, because he was just tremendous tonight,” Phillips said last Monday. “Twenty-four points for a freshman against a team with that length is really something. He doesn’t look anything like a freshman, in any way, shape, form. Again, he not only had to score for us — he had to put the ball on the deck and handle it against some pretty good pressure."
Flying back from St. Thomas, Virgin Islands for Thanksgiving break, American Airlines lost 23 of Ohio’s team bags. Come Tuesday, the Bobcats are hopeful they won’t have any extra baggage — and shouldn’t.
The Bobcats had eight days of rest in between their travels outside the country until Tuesday’s tipoff with the Herd.
“We are very much a work in progress,” Phillips said after Ohio’s trip to the Virgin Islands. “I get that, but a lot of positive came out of this weekend. We’re certainly going to double down and learn a lot more when we get them back to Athens and get them in the film room."
Ohio’s offense has received a facelift in Phillips’ second year with Ohio averaging 17 more points this season (84 points per game) in comparison to last year’s 67 clip in part of Dartis’ production off the bench.
Dartis has created a tandem with Houston transfer Jaaron Simmons to develop a backcourt willing to play inside-out, as Simmons’ ranks fifth in the nation with eight assists per game.
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Despite the uptick in offense, Phillips said transition defense — something the Bobcats struggled with earlier in the season against Radford — was a point of concern after their loss to the Seminoles.
Marshall averages 70 points per game, in only three games this season, with the Herd only scoring 88 points in the first half, a potential antidote for Phillips' concerns.
"Too many times we let (Florida State) out in transition, period," Philips said. "It’s easy to game plan that, but go ahead and try to do it against that length."
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