After a five-year hiatus, Ohio (1-3) will once again head to Conway, South Carolina, to take on the Myrtle Beach Invitational and its loaded roster of mid-major programs. The invitational will take place between Thursday and Saturday, with each of the event’s eight teams playing three games against three different opponents.
Here’s everything to know ahead of the invitational.
Recent history
Ohio last participated in the Myrtle Beach Invitational in 2019. It took two games against Utah and Middle Tennessee and dropped one against Baylor. Then-sophomore Jason Preston, redshirt sophomore Ben Vander Plas and redshirt senior Jordan Dartis led the Bobcats that season.
In 2023, Liberty won the Myrtle Beach Invitational Championship in a 71-61 victory over Vermont. The Bobcats will have to go through a gauntlet of respectable mid-major programs if they wish to follow the Flames.
The bracket
Ohio will play in game one of the invitational Thursday at noon against Middle Tennessee (3-1), the same program it played its final game of the 2019 Myrtle Beach Invitational.
Depending on the result of its matchup, Ohio will then play the winner or loser of South Florida's (2-2) matchup with Portland (2-2) Friday at 11:30 a.m. or 2 p.m. Aside from Middle Tennessee, these are the only two teams Ohio can confidently plan for as the range of potential opponents widens following the second round.
The other participants in this year’s invitational are Bradley (3-1), Texas State (2-2), Princeton (4-1) and Wright State (3-2). Ohio will be the only team under .500 entering the tournament. The most dangerous team is Princeton, the Ivy League’s projected No. 1 team, led by Preseason All-Ivy First Team selectees Xaivian Lee and Caden Pierce.
Ohio notes
It is no secret the Bobcats have struggled out of the gate, especially offensively. This is for a variety of reasons; preseason All-Mid-American Conference First Team selectee AJ Clayton is still finding his stride. Additionally, preseason All-MAC Second Team selectee Shereef Mitchell, the team’s most productive offensive player thus far, has missed the last two games against Illinois State and Memphis for an unknown reason.
Ohio has seen big contributions in recent matchups from its trio of junior guards: AJ Brown, Elmore James and Ajay Sheldon. Brown leads the team in scoring with 14.0 points per game on 47.4% shooting from 3-point range, while James and Sheldon have both made an impact off the bench.
Mitchell’s return for the Bobcats has no set date, so Ohio will look for those three to continue contributing while getting more out of Clayton. Transfer guard Jackson Paveletzke has shown signs of being able to lead the struggling Ohio offense but has struggled with shooting and turnovers as he acclimates himself to a new role.
Middle Tennessee notes
The Blue Raiders are led by a balanced offensive attack featuring five players, averaging 11.3 points per game. Atop the list is senior Jestin Porter, an All-American Conference Second Team selectee in 2023-24. Porter leads the team in points and steals on the season.
Behind Porter in scoring is the team’s leading rebounder, graduate student Essam Mostafa. Mostafa appeared in 30 games for TCU last season and has flourished in his final season of eligibility, averaging 12.3 points per game and 8.3 rebounds per game.
The Bobcats will need to limit multiple offensive outlets for the Blue Raiders if they hope to bounce back from consecutive losses.
