Ohio trampled UC-Clermont to the tune of 113-44 on Wednesday night. It was a game to test Ohio’s ability to play the right way and stay focused no matter what. Here’s what The Post noticed during the win:
Pay attention to A.J. Brown
Brown started practicing about two weeks ago after recovering from an injury, and now he led Ohio in scoring on Wednesday. Brown went 7-for-11 from the field and collected 18 points.
“I think he gives us great length and athleticism defensively, (he has) the ability to make shots,” Ohio coach Jeff Boals said. “The other day, one of his first possessions, Vance pass, catch, dribble, drive, dunk, and the more minutes he gets, the more he’ll get a good feel. He led us in scoring in Spain. (He’s) just a really good player.”
The freshman started to get acclimated in Ohio’s win against Eastern Illinois and after seeing a large chunk of minutes, he feels good.
“My teammates put me in good positions just to score even when I had two people on me (and) passed it out or when two people got on them,” Brown said. “I was just in the right position and they gave me the ball and I scored.”
Into the depths
The Bobcats have an incredible amount of depth off of their bench. Led by senior Ben Roderick, the bench is able to hold its own. Elmore James contributed 16 points — the second-most on Wednesday — in 21 minutes off the bench. In total, the bench contributed 69 points.
“We got a lot of guys, I think, double-figure minutes,” Boals said.
Aidan Hadaway also made big moves for the Bobcats. The freshman played the second-most minutes of any Bobcat and scored 10 points. He also contributed five rebounds.
There’s plenty more Bobcats who made an impact off of the bench. Each player brings something unique to the table. The Bobcats are versatile and it is going to help them through tough situations in their upcoming schedule.
A.J. Clayton is on the climb
Clayton finished the night with a double-double after collecting 15 points and 11 rebounds. Clayton tied his career best for rebounds, which he had rewritten in Ohio’s prior game against Alabama State, and his best for points, which he set a little over a week ago.
The sophomore had some big shoes to fill this season and he’s taken the role in stride so far. He had to adjust to eating more minutes and starting, but he plays like he’s a seasoned starter. Clayton has started to come into his own.
Redshirt news
Boals announced that the coaching staff has made the decision to redshirt I.J. Ezuma and Ben Estis for the season. Ezuma had been battling an injury as of late and his return time was unknown to the public. A reason for Estis’ redshirt was not given.
