Bucks, Gators get early test

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

A lot of teams would rather not have a huge test in their second game of the season.

But that’s just fine with No. 3 Ohio State and No. 7 Florida.

“I love playing a game like this,” Buckeyes preseason All-American Jared Sullinger said about tonight’s showdown. “They have a team that comes in and they like to transition and they like to shoot 3s, they like to score. And they’re also physical down low.

“This really determines what type of a team we are. Are we strong enough to handle the transition 3s back to back and then come down and score? Or are we just going to crumble?”

Both teams are defending conference champions. Both are also replacing three starters and have a talented group of freshmen.

They met in the second game for each last year, too. In that one, Ohio State’s veteran presence on the perimeter showed it was a perfect match with Sullinger, a callow freshman with 26 points and 10 rebounds, and the Buckeyes coasted in Gainesville, Fla., 93-75.

“Even though they beat us handily at our place last year, I still felt coming out of that game a lot of things, for us, got exposed that we had to address and get better at. It ultimately ended up being a good game for us,” Gators coach Billy Donovan said.

Donovan and Matta might not seem like kindred spirits. But they’re best friends, trading calls and getting together whenever possible — except for when they’re opposing each other.

“He’s one of the good guys,” Matta said of the coach that beat his Buckeyes in the 2006 NCAA title game.

“We bounce things off of each other through the course of the season. We always laugh because we like to get together and talk basketball, but when we’re playing each other we don’t want to divulge any secrets.”