It got a little hairier than it probably should have been, but the Ohio State Buckeyes defeated the Marshall Thundering Herd 84-74 on Monday.

The Buckeyes led by as many as 19 in the game, but allowed the Thundering Herd to whittle the margin to six with six minutes remaining before pulling away in the home stretch. In the process, they flexed their depth ahead of a showdown with UCONN. Here’s what Ohio State showed in its victory over Marshall:

Jimmie Williams proved his value

When you have a big number of backcourt adds and role shifts in an offseason, it can take everyone some time to find their footing. Jimmie Williams’ impact through two games was minimal, but the Buckeyes wouldn’t have won on Monday without him.

Williams scored 12 points in the first half and sparked Ohio State’s early 12-0 run on Marshall. His chances likely won’t be consistent game to game, but having a veteran wing you can rely upon when necessary is a weight off John Mobley Jr.’s shoulders.

Speaking of lessening the load on Mobley…

Ohio State has the depth it lacked in years past

It felt like Bruce Thornton, through much of his career, needed to do everything himself if the Buckeyes were going to win games. On Monday, Ohio State showed it doesn’t need a hero every night. Sometimes, its cast can handle the load.

Five different Buckeyes cracked double-digits in the scoring column against the Thundering Herd. A sixth, Justin Pippen, had nine points. Mobley will have to don the cape on occasion, but being able to take a breath and count on teammates at times is a luxury his mentor didn’t always get to enjoy.

Anthony Thompson took a step forward

When you’re as talented as Thompson is, you’re going to have flashes. Signs that you’re figuring things out. His first half vs. Marshall, where he had 10 points and four rebounds, was exactly that.

Thompson’s spurt of strong play is exactly what he and Ohio State needed before taking the trip to Hartford to battle UCONN. If he can replicate his effort over 40 minutes, the Buckeyes could have a shot on Friday against the Huskies.

Ohio State Record: 2-1 (0-0 Big Ten)

Next Up: at UCONN, Nov. 13 (7:30 p.m. ET, TNT)