New IU Indianapolis coach Ben Howlett doesn’t know how the season opener at Ohio State on Nov. 3 will turn out, but he does know how the Jaguars will play against the favored Buckeyes.
That means the Jaguars will run the “system” that he brought from Division II West Liberty (W. Va.) where he took the Hilltoppers to the NCAA Tournament in each of his eight seasons.
“It refers to essentially we’re putting five out there and not pigeonholing them into a position,” he said. “All our guys are very skilled. They can all run, dribble, shoot, pass, guard multiple positions and from a defensive standpoint we’re going to pick up 94 feet for 40 minutes.
“We want to play like we’re down eight with two minutes left for 40 minutes.”
It’s sound like the type of urgency that Ohio State needs. The Buckeyes, 17-15 in coach Jake Diebler’s first full season in 2024-25, have not been to the NCAA Tournament since 2022.
Senior Bruce Thornton has been a part of the three consecutive misses and is eager to get there.
“I’m not going to sit here and lie to you that that’s not a goal of ours, but the main thing is to get better each and every day,” he said. “We’re making a big emphasis on just win the day. That’s the biggest thing to focus on.”
He led the Buckeyes with 17.7 points per game while adding 4.6 assists and 3.4 rebounds last season.
“He and I have talked, and we’re not satisfied with just how he did personally last year. We both have big goals for this team,” Diebler said. “But even for him personally, continuing to raise his level and finding a way to get better. I mean, he was an unbelievable player last year, but he wasn’t perfect. He’s still got some room to grow.”
While Howlett is new to the Jaguars, he has familiar faces as well.
“The good part about it is I brought along six guys from West Liberty,” he said. “They’re able to help me bridge the gap and try to teach these guys how we do things, how we practice, the intensity level it takes us to play the style of play we do.”
