Ohio will play Wilmington Saturday in its quest to defend its MAC title.
It's been almost seven and a half months since Ohio fans last saw the Bobcats in action, but the wait is almost over.
After winning both the Mid-American Conference and the MAC Championship, the Bobcats face high expectations coming into the 2015-16 season.
But coach Bob Boldon is just looking forward to playing opposition and seeing some variety.
"Playing other people is fun," Boldon said. "It's nice to see some new faces and a new system where they're going to run stuff that we don't run. So, you get to guard different stuff and kinda get an idea of where you're at. It's a nice measuring point to start."
Ohio has been utilizing intrasquad scrimmages in practice and during Bobcat Madness to gauge how the team looks. And after losing two keys players in Kat Yelle and Mariah Byard, Ohio welcomes five freshman and junior Taylor Agler into the squad to compete for spots.
That could add depth and Boldon made it known he would rotate his squad during the team's first exhibition game against Wilmington.
"We'll play everyone on Saturday," he said. "That'll probably be the last time we play everyone, then we'll start to trim it down. ... I think, as a whole, they've been doing a tremendous job, and you're gonna split hairs when you decide who plays on game night."
Managing talent is something Boldon has done quite well since coming to Ohio in 2013.
He took that 9-21 inaugural season and transformed Ohio into a respectable MAC opponent, going 27-5 and cruising to a 16-2 record in the MAC before falling to Arizona State in the first round of the NCAA Tournament last season.
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Now, Boldon will see how his Bobcats matchup with the Quakers, who are a Division III team that finished 13-14 in 2014 but could prove a reasonable challenge.
With senior Kiyanna Black and junior Quiera Lampkins returning to lead Ohio, it could be another successful year for Ohio behind Boldon's coaching. Just don't call his team "defending MAC champions."
"We’re not actively defending anything,” Boldon said. “Like, nobody can take it."
@kellenbecoats
