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LGHL A rough weekend for teams bidding to host March Madness benefits Ohio State
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A rough weekend for teams bidding to host March Madness benefits Ohio State
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images
The Buckeyes lost in Maryland, but hope is not lost for First and Second Round games in Columbus.
On Thursday, Ohio State women’s basketball dropped to No. 16 in the NCAA Tournament committee’s top-16 rankings — which comprises the list of teams that would currently be seeded Nos. 1-4 were the March Madness bracket announced today. In the women’s tourney, that is extra important, because those 16 teams would all be in line to host the first and second rounds. That meant the margin for error was thin for the Buckeyes, needing a strong showing in the last game of the season, which more or less didn’t happen.
The Buckeyes traveled to College Park, Maryland and lost two starters to fouls and fell to the Terrapins on a last second shot in overtime.
Considering that the committee looks at not only AP rankings but also NET rankings and the quality of wins, the 'Buckeyes' loss to the Terps was a quad-one game, the highest difficulty and worth the most in the committee's eyes. It reduced Ohio State’s record in quad-one games to 4-4, which is important to remember when evaluating the teams competing for their spot in the rankings.
However, Ohio State fans do not have all hope lost. The Buckeyes received some help over the weekend.
Here’s a rundown of how close programs to the Scarlet and Gray in the NET and top-16 rankings played this weekend, and what it means for the Buckeyes. Note that rankings connected to teams reflect AP ranking on game day, not NET or top-16 committee seeding (unless mentioned).
A few hours after the committee released the 16 teams they see hosting, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the No. 7 LSU Tigers in an overtime thriller in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide have been in the top-25 of the Associated Press for all but two weeks this season, and sat ahead of the Buckeyes in the NET prior to the win. Defeating them only made their case stronger to slip into a top-16 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
That climb suffered a minor setback on Sunday, in Norman, Oklahoma at the hands of the No. 13 Sooners. Oklahoma sent the Crimson Tide home with a quad one defeat, putting Alabama at 5-7 in their toughest games this season. More losses than Ohio State, but Alabama also challenged themselves to four more quad one games in the regular season than the Buckeyes.
With the quality of opponent, the Crimson Tide stayed at No. 15 in the NET after the loss, three spots ahead of the Buckeyes.
Alabama heads into the SEC Tournament as the No. 6 seed. They will face the winner of the Florida Gators and the Auburn Tigers who play on the first day of the conference slate. The Crimson Tide beat the Gators twice in the regular season, and the Tigers once, and should Alabama win in the second round, it’s a rematch against the LSU Tigers in the quarterfinal in a highly anticipated rematch from only a week prior.
Ohio State benefits if Alabama is upset, obviously, but should they move on, there may be Buckeye fans cheering for head coach Kim Mulkey’s Tigers on Friday.
In a de facto Big 12 championship game, the Baylor Bears welcomed the Horned Frogs to Waco to not only lift a trophy but continue their winning streak that stretched to nine games heading into Sunday. The Horned Frogs weren’t interested in helping and center Sedona Prince had 16 points and 19 rebounds in a defensive battle that ended in TCU’s favor.
Like Alabama, the loss didn’t move the Bears down in the NET, staying set at No. 16. It gives Baylor a 3-4 record in quad one wins, giving Ohio State another advantage, although slight.
Baylor is the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals automatically, like the Buckeyes. Either the Cincinnati Bearcats, Arizona State Sun Devils or Iowa State Cyclones will face Baylor, with the Cyclones the No. 7 seed, waiting until day two to play the winner of the first two schools.
Speaking of the Iowa State Cyclones, center Audi Crooks helped Ohio State over the weekend.
The Iowa State Cyclones entered the 2024-25 season as the No. 8 team in the preseason AP Poll. After five weeks of defeats to start the season, the Cyclones left the poll altogether and have been on the periphery for most of the season, until Sunday.
With Kansas State center Ayoka Lee still sidelined with a foot injury, Cyclones star Audi Crooks had no equals inside the post and scored 36 points with 10 rebounds. Also, 17 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds for guard Emily Ryan made Iowa State too much for Kansas State, handing the Wildcats their third loss in the last four games.
The losses too have been big, each by double-digits, with Sunday’s the largest deficit of the three losses. It dropped K-State down six places in the AP Poll Monday, but only one spot to No. 9 in the NET. That’s with a 2-5 record in quad one games.
Despite the higher than expected NET ranking, what’s important is that Kansas State was No. 15 in the NCAA Tournament committee seeding, making them at direct competition with the Buckeyes for hosting duties.
K-State dropped to a No. 5 seed for the Big 12 Tournament. Should they get past UCF or BYU on day two, the Wildcats have to face the West Virginia Mountaineers, another team that’s putting together a resume to challenge for a top-16 spot in March Madness.
Those are not the only three teams to challenge for a spot, when looking at the AP and NET rankings. Here are a few other games that could impact seeding, with some helping and others hurting Ohio State’s chances following a Sunday loss to Maryland.
At this point, the best thing the Buckeyes can do is not hope for other teams to struggle alongside them. Ohio State potentially plays either the Michigan State Spartans, Iowa Hawkeyes or Wisconsin Badgers. Of those three, two of the teams showed they can defeat the Buckeyes, with the Badgers the lone side that seems to be on a lower tier of Big Ten talent.
Regardless of what happens with the non-Ohio State teams above, a loss in the Buckeyes’ first tournament game could be a final nail in the metaphorical coffin that is traveling for early March Madness games.
However, a win in the quarterfinals and a potential shock upset against the UCLA Bruins may be enough to save the airline miles for another day.
Continue reading...
ThomasCostello via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Purdy/Getty Images
The Buckeyes lost in Maryland, but hope is not lost for First and Second Round games in Columbus.
On Thursday, Ohio State women’s basketball dropped to No. 16 in the NCAA Tournament committee’s top-16 rankings — which comprises the list of teams that would currently be seeded Nos. 1-4 were the March Madness bracket announced today. In the women’s tourney, that is extra important, because those 16 teams would all be in line to host the first and second rounds. That meant the margin for error was thin for the Buckeyes, needing a strong showing in the last game of the season, which more or less didn’t happen.
The Buckeyes traveled to College Park, Maryland and lost two starters to fouls and fell to the Terrapins on a last second shot in overtime.
Considering that the committee looks at not only AP rankings but also NET rankings and the quality of wins, the 'Buckeyes' loss to the Terps was a quad-one game, the highest difficulty and worth the most in the committee's eyes. It reduced Ohio State’s record in quad-one games to 4-4, which is important to remember when evaluating the teams competing for their spot in the rankings.
However, Ohio State fans do not have all hope lost. The Buckeyes received some help over the weekend.
Here’s a rundown of how close programs to the Scarlet and Gray in the NET and top-16 rankings played this weekend, and what it means for the Buckeyes. Note that rankings connected to teams reflect AP ranking on game day, not NET or top-16 committee seeding (unless mentioned).
No. 19 Alabama - 84-91 defeat to No. 13 Oklahoma Sooners
A few hours after the committee released the 16 teams they see hosting, the Alabama Crimson Tide defeated the No. 7 LSU Tigers in an overtime thriller in Tuscaloosa. The Crimson Tide have been in the top-25 of the Associated Press for all but two weeks this season, and sat ahead of the Buckeyes in the NET prior to the win. Defeating them only made their case stronger to slip into a top-16 seed for the NCAA Tournament.
That climb suffered a minor setback on Sunday, in Norman, Oklahoma at the hands of the No. 13 Sooners. Oklahoma sent the Crimson Tide home with a quad one defeat, putting Alabama at 5-7 in their toughest games this season. More losses than Ohio State, but Alabama also challenged themselves to four more quad one games in the regular season than the Buckeyes.
With the quality of opponent, the Crimson Tide stayed at No. 15 in the NET after the loss, three spots ahead of the Buckeyes.
Alabama heads into the SEC Tournament as the No. 6 seed. They will face the winner of the Florida Gators and the Auburn Tigers who play on the first day of the conference slate. The Crimson Tide beat the Gators twice in the regular season, and the Tigers once, and should Alabama win in the second round, it’s a rematch against the LSU Tigers in the quarterfinal in a highly anticipated rematch from only a week prior.
Ohio State benefits if Alabama is upset, obviously, but should they move on, there may be Buckeye fans cheering for head coach Kim Mulkey’s Tigers on Friday.
No. 17 Baylor Bears - 48-51 defeat to No. 10 TCU Horned Frogs
In a de facto Big 12 championship game, the Baylor Bears welcomed the Horned Frogs to Waco to not only lift a trophy but continue their winning streak that stretched to nine games heading into Sunday. The Horned Frogs weren’t interested in helping and center Sedona Prince had 16 points and 19 rebounds in a defensive battle that ended in TCU’s favor.
Like Alabama, the loss didn’t move the Bears down in the NET, staying set at No. 16. It gives Baylor a 3-4 record in quad one wins, giving Ohio State another advantage, although slight.
Baylor is the No. 2 seed in the Big 12 Tournament, advancing to the quarterfinals automatically, like the Buckeyes. Either the Cincinnati Bearcats, Arizona State Sun Devils or Iowa State Cyclones will face Baylor, with the Cyclones the No. 7 seed, waiting until day two to play the winner of the first two schools.
Speaking of the Iowa State Cyclones, center Audi Crooks helped Ohio State over the weekend.
No. 14 Kansas State - 63-85 defeat to Iowa State
The Iowa State Cyclones entered the 2024-25 season as the No. 8 team in the preseason AP Poll. After five weeks of defeats to start the season, the Cyclones left the poll altogether and have been on the periphery for most of the season, until Sunday.
With Kansas State center Ayoka Lee still sidelined with a foot injury, Cyclones star Audi Crooks had no equals inside the post and scored 36 points with 10 rebounds. Also, 17 points, 10 assists and 7 rebounds for guard Emily Ryan made Iowa State too much for Kansas State, handing the Wildcats their third loss in the last four games.
A season-high 36 points
10th double-double of the year@AudiCrooks doing Audi Crooks things
️ ️ pic.twitter.com/joPmbMZZm7
— Cyclone Basketball (@CycloneWBB) March 3, 2025
The losses too have been big, each by double-digits, with Sunday’s the largest deficit of the three losses. It dropped K-State down six places in the AP Poll Monday, but only one spot to No. 9 in the NET. That’s with a 2-5 record in quad one games.
Despite the higher than expected NET ranking, what’s important is that Kansas State was No. 15 in the NCAA Tournament committee seeding, making them at direct competition with the Buckeyes for hosting duties.
K-State dropped to a No. 5 seed for the Big 12 Tournament. Should they get past UCF or BYU on day two, the Wildcats have to face the West Virginia Mountaineers, another team that’s putting together a resume to challenge for a top-16 spot in March Madness.
Other Happenings on the Top-16 Fringe
Those are not the only three teams to challenge for a spot, when looking at the AP and NET rankings. Here are a few other games that could impact seeding, with some helping and others hurting Ohio State’s chances following a Sunday loss to Maryland.
- Ole Miss 85-77 win over LSU - Ole Miss has a strong strength of schedule in the SEC, and sits at No. 12 in the NET after winning in Baton Rouge. While they aren’t an AP ranked team, a strong tournament run could turn heads.
- No. 18 West Virginia 85-69 win over Cincinnati - The Mountaineers have two ranked wins on the season against Oklahoma State and K-State, but sit at No. 11 in the NET and have one loss in the last five games, however, that loss came to TCU in a 21-point rout for the Horned Frogs
- No. 11 Tennessee 69-72 defeat to Georgia - Tennessee came in at 12 in the top-16 seeding, but has two tough defeats since the announcement. A lopsided 58-82 defeat to the No. 15 Kentucky Wildcats and a home defeat to the then 11-18 Georgia Bulldogs. It was a close defeat, only by three points, but it dropped the Vols down two spots to No. 14 in the NET. Could no wins in the SEC Tournament and a couple of wins by Ohio State swing momentum in the Buckeyes’ favor?
At this point, the best thing the Buckeyes can do is not hope for other teams to struggle alongside them. Ohio State potentially plays either the Michigan State Spartans, Iowa Hawkeyes or Wisconsin Badgers. Of those three, two of the teams showed they can defeat the Buckeyes, with the Badgers the lone side that seems to be on a lower tier of Big Ten talent.
Regardless of what happens with the non-Ohio State teams above, a loss in the Buckeyes’ first tournament game could be a final nail in the metaphorical coffin that is traveling for early March Madness games.
However, a win in the quarterfinals and a potential shock upset against the UCLA Bruins may be enough to save the airline miles for another day.
Continue reading...
LGHL KenPom gives Ohio State a 33% chance to close out season with wins over Nebraska, Indiana
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KenPom gives Ohio State a 33% chance to close out season with wins over Nebraska, Indiana
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes need to win out to make the NCAA Tournament and not mess with fate in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (16-13, 8-10), has two potential paths to the NCAA Tournament — one simple, and one messy.
The simple, yet difficult path is to win its final two regular season games — at home tonight against Nebraska, and on the road at Indiana this weekend. That would give Ohio State an extra Quad-2 win and an extra Quad-1 win, making them 11-13 against Quad-1 and Quad-2 teams this year. It would also put them at an overall record of 18-13, and an even 10-10 in Big Ten play.
Even if the Buckeyes were to lose in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, they would likely find themselves in Dayon as a First Four play-in game if this was to happen. Perhaps this would make the team play a little more free in the conference tournament, knowing they really do not need to achieve anything more to have their names called.
The messy path is to not win the final two regular season games, and instead win enough Big Ten Tournament games to beef up the resume and sneak in. If Ohio State splits the final two regular season games and ends the year 17-14, they would likely need to win two games in the conference tournament to feel safely in — this would put them at 19-15.
The issue with sweetening your resume with conference tournament wins is that — fair or not — they do not hold the same weight as regular season games. For example, the NCAA Selection Show starts moments after the Big Ten Tournament winner is crowned — how much are they really valuing this conference tournament if they have the order and process nailed down before a Big Ten champion is even crowned?
For what it’s worth, KenPom.com is currently giving Ohio State a 33% chance to run the table across these last two games and (likely) lock up an at-large bid. (.71 x .46)
According to the popular analytics site, Ohio State has a 71% chance to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Tuesday night, who have lost each of their last three games. Standout guard Brice Williams has continued to roll despite Nebraska’s troubles, averaging 21.3 points per game during the losing streak. The issue is that Nebraska may have relied on him too much, as the senior scored 33% of Nebraska’s points during that stretch.
After Nebraska, Ohio State will get four days off before heading to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers — another fellow NCAA Tournament bubble team. Assembly Hall is a tough place to win, and KenPom is giving Ohio State a 46% chance to win that one — just a bit less than a coin flip.
The Hoosiers had a rocky start but have since won four of their last five, including wins over Michigan State and Purdue. If Ohio State beats Nebraska tonight and Indiana beats Oregon, then Saturday’s game will essentially be a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament — the winner is in, the loser still has some work to do.
Combining those two probabilities brings us to 32.7% - for rounding purposes, we’ll go with 33%. They’ll be heavy favorites at home against Nebraska, but knocking off Indiana at Assembly Hall will be a brutally tough job. On top of the normal chaos and crowd at IU, it is also Senior Day for senior players like Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal —ctwo fan favorites — and the final home game for head coach Mike Woodson, who is expected to retire at the end of the season.
After getting railroaded by Northwestern two weeks ago, most fans would have been happy with “just win your last two games and you’re in” two weeks ago. Now, Ohio State really is just two wins away from punching their ticket, but 33% isn’t a super high likelihood of it working it out that way.
A dominant win over the Cornhuskers is the first step in beating those odds.
Continue reading...
Connor Lemons via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The Buckeyes need to win out to make the NCAA Tournament and not mess with fate in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team (16-13, 8-10), has two potential paths to the NCAA Tournament — one simple, and one messy.
The simple, yet difficult path is to win its final two regular season games — at home tonight against Nebraska, and on the road at Indiana this weekend. That would give Ohio State an extra Quad-2 win and an extra Quad-1 win, making them 11-13 against Quad-1 and Quad-2 teams this year. It would also put them at an overall record of 18-13, and an even 10-10 in Big Ten play.
Even if the Buckeyes were to lose in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, they would likely find themselves in Dayon as a First Four play-in game if this was to happen. Perhaps this would make the team play a little more free in the conference tournament, knowing they really do not need to achieve anything more to have their names called.
The messy path is to not win the final two regular season games, and instead win enough Big Ten Tournament games to beef up the resume and sneak in. If Ohio State splits the final two regular season games and ends the year 17-14, they would likely need to win two games in the conference tournament to feel safely in — this would put them at 19-15.
The issue with sweetening your resume with conference tournament wins is that — fair or not — they do not hold the same weight as regular season games. For example, the NCAA Selection Show starts moments after the Big Ten Tournament winner is crowned — how much are they really valuing this conference tournament if they have the order and process nailed down before a Big Ten champion is even crowned?
For what it’s worth, KenPom.com is currently giving Ohio State a 33% chance to run the table across these last two games and (likely) lock up an at-large bid. (.71 x .46)
According to the popular analytics site, Ohio State has a 71% chance to beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Tuesday night, who have lost each of their last three games. Standout guard Brice Williams has continued to roll despite Nebraska’s troubles, averaging 21.3 points per game during the losing streak. The issue is that Nebraska may have relied on him too much, as the senior scored 33% of Nebraska’s points during that stretch.
After Nebraska, Ohio State will get four days off before heading to Bloomington, Indiana to take on the Hoosiers — another fellow NCAA Tournament bubble team. Assembly Hall is a tough place to win, and KenPom is giving Ohio State a 46% chance to win that one — just a bit less than a coin flip.
The Hoosiers had a rocky start but have since won four of their last five, including wins over Michigan State and Purdue. If Ohio State beats Nebraska tonight and Indiana beats Oregon, then Saturday’s game will essentially be a play-in game for the NCAA Tournament — the winner is in, the loser still has some work to do.
Combining those two probabilities brings us to 32.7% - for rounding purposes, we’ll go with 33%. They’ll be heavy favorites at home against Nebraska, but knocking off Indiana at Assembly Hall will be a brutally tough job. On top of the normal chaos and crowd at IU, it is also Senior Day for senior players like Trey Galloway and Anthony Leal —ctwo fan favorites — and the final home game for head coach Mike Woodson, who is expected to retire at the end of the season.
After getting railroaded by Northwestern two weeks ago, most fans would have been happy with “just win your last two games and you’re in” two weeks ago. Now, Ohio State really is just two wins away from punching their ticket, but 33% isn’t a super high likelihood of it working it out that way.
A dominant win over the Cornhuskers is the first step in beating those odds.
Continue reading...
LGHL Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Nebraska: Game preview and prediction
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Nebraska: Game preview and prediction
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes have two games left in the regular season, and going 2-0 will go a long way to them making the NCAA Tournament
The Ohio State Buckeyes (16-13 overall, 8-10 conference) will host the Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-12 overall, 7-11 conference) at the Schottenstein Center in a do-or-die game for the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament hopes.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 1-1 record on their West Coast swing. They fell to UCLA last Sunday 69-61, but bounced back with an 87-82 win at USC to snap a three-game losing streak.
Nebraska is coming into this game on a slide of its own, losing three-straight to Penn State, Michigan and Minnesota. The Gophers defeated the Huskers at the buzzer to put a significant dent in their NCAA Tournament hopes. They also need a win in Columbus to stay alive for the 68-team tournament.
Luckily for Ohio State, they are back in the friendly confines of the Schottenstein Center, where they are 10-6 at home, compared to Nebraska who is 5-6 on the road.
The Buckeyes are 21-8 all-time against Nebraska and 17-6 since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten Conference prior to the 2011-12 season. However, Nebraska has won three of the last four meetings in the series. All time, the Buckeyes are 11-2 against the ‘Huskers in Columbus, including a win last season.
The Buckeyes are currently No. 36 in the NET rankings and No. 32 in KenPom and squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Ohio State will come into this contest healthy for the first time in a few weeks after the flu bug hit the team hard, forcing Aaron Bradshaw to miss time and both Sean Stewart and John Mobley Jr. to play through illness.
The first time these two teams played this season was a 79-71 win for the Huskers in Lincoln on Super Bowl Sunday. Micah Parrish led the Buckeyes with 30 points, while Brice Williams had 24 points, and Juwan Gary added 19 points for Nebraska. Nebraska is 1-4 since that win.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25896381/2197344490.jpg "Nebraska v Oregon")
Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images
For Ohio State, junior point guard Bruce Thornton leads the way, averaging 17.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He has been efficient all season as well, shooting 50 percent from the field, 84 percent from the free-throw line and 44 percent from three-point range.
Sophomore forward Devin Royal, who made the game-winning bucket and free-throw against USC, is averaging 13.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Freshman guard John Mobley Jr. is getting over the flu and is averaging 13.1 points per game on 40 percent shooting from three-point range. Senior forward and San Diego State transfer Micah Parrish is averaging 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
For Nebraska, Brice Williams has been one of the best players in the conference and is the fuel that makes the Huskers go. He is averaging 19.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He is second in the Big Ten in scoring behind Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli, who is averaging 19.9 per game.
Senior Juwan Gary is averaging 13.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian averages 10.5 points per contest while shooting 39 percent from three-point range. Gary scored 19 points the last time these two teams met.
Ohio State averages 78.5 points per game, eighth in the Big Ten, while Nebraska is No. 13 in the conference, scoring at 74.3 points per game. Both teams get their points in different ways, as Ohio State is third in the conference in three-point percentage, and Nebraska is No. 15 in the same category.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25896383/2201922548.jpg "COLLEGE BASKETBALL: FEB 26 Ohio State at USC")
Photo by Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The calendar has changed to March, and that means postseason basketball is coming. For Ohio State and Nebraska, it is already here, since the winner of this game will stay on the right side of the bubble and the loser will find itself on the outside looking in, barring a conference tournament run.
The Buckeyes are 1-0 in true must-win games this year. With the win over USC, they looked solid. Nebraska is on a slide, and they are a different team away from Pinnacle Bank Arena.
I think the Buckeyes will win this game and head to Assembly Hall to secure a tournament spot.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 73.3%
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
TV: Peacock
Continue reading...
justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Photo by David Dennis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
The Buckeyes have two games left in the regular season, and going 2-0 will go a long way to them making the NCAA Tournament
The Ohio State Buckeyes (16-13 overall, 8-10 conference) will host the Nebraska Cornhuskers (17-12 overall, 7-11 conference) at the Schottenstein Center in a do-or-die game for the Buckeyes’ NCAA Tournament hopes.
The Buckeyes are coming off a 1-1 record on their West Coast swing. They fell to UCLA last Sunday 69-61, but bounced back with an 87-82 win at USC to snap a three-game losing streak.
Nebraska is coming into this game on a slide of its own, losing three-straight to Penn State, Michigan and Minnesota. The Gophers defeated the Huskers at the buzzer to put a significant dent in their NCAA Tournament hopes. They also need a win in Columbus to stay alive for the 68-team tournament.
Luckily for Ohio State, they are back in the friendly confines of the Schottenstein Center, where they are 10-6 at home, compared to Nebraska who is 5-6 on the road.
The Buckeyes are 21-8 all-time against Nebraska and 17-6 since the Cornhuskers joined the Big Ten Conference prior to the 2011-12 season. However, Nebraska has won three of the last four meetings in the series. All time, the Buckeyes are 11-2 against the ‘Huskers in Columbus, including a win last season.
The Buckeyes are currently No. 36 in the NET rankings and No. 32 in KenPom and squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble.
Ohio State will come into this contest healthy for the first time in a few weeks after the flu bug hit the team hard, forcing Aaron Bradshaw to miss time and both Sean Stewart and John Mobley Jr. to play through illness.
The first time these two teams played this season was a 79-71 win for the Huskers in Lincoln on Super Bowl Sunday. Micah Parrish led the Buckeyes with 30 points, while Brice Williams had 24 points, and Juwan Gary added 19 points for Nebraska. Nebraska is 1-4 since that win.
Preview
For Ohio State, junior point guard Bruce Thornton leads the way, averaging 17.4 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game. He has been efficient all season as well, shooting 50 percent from the field, 84 percent from the free-throw line and 44 percent from three-point range.
Sophomore forward Devin Royal, who made the game-winning bucket and free-throw against USC, is averaging 13.3 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. Freshman guard John Mobley Jr. is getting over the flu and is averaging 13.1 points per game on 40 percent shooting from three-point range. Senior forward and San Diego State transfer Micah Parrish is averaging 12.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.
For Nebraska, Brice Williams has been one of the best players in the conference and is the fuel that makes the Huskers go. He is averaging 19.7 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. He is second in the Big Ten in scoring behind Northwestern’s Nick Martinelli, who is averaging 19.9 per game.
Senior Juwan Gary is averaging 13.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per game, while Wisconsin transfer Connor Essegian averages 10.5 points per contest while shooting 39 percent from three-point range. Gary scored 19 points the last time these two teams met.
Ohio State averages 78.5 points per game, eighth in the Big Ten, while Nebraska is No. 13 in the conference, scoring at 74.3 points per game. Both teams get their points in different ways, as Ohio State is third in the conference in three-point percentage, and Nebraska is No. 15 in the same category.
Prediction
The calendar has changed to March, and that means postseason basketball is coming. For Ohio State and Nebraska, it is already here, since the winner of this game will stay on the right side of the bubble and the loser will find itself on the outside looking in, barring a conference tournament run.
The Buckeyes are 1-0 in true must-win games this year. With the win over USC, they looked solid. Nebraska is on a slide, and they are a different team away from Pinnacle Bank Arena.
I think the Buckeyes will win this game and head to Assembly Hall to secure a tournament spot.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 73.3%
Time: 9:00 p.m. ET
TV: Peacock
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 82, Nebraska 72
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2026 CA DL Richard Wesley (Texas Verbal)
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Class: 2026
Position: DE
School: Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 250lbs
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School: Chatsworth (CA) Sierra Canyon
Height: 6-foot-5
Weight: 250lbs
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2026 AZ CB Camren Hamiel (Texas A&M Verbal)
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School: Goodyear(AZ) Desert Edge
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 175lbs
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Class: 2026
Position: CB
School: Goodyear(AZ) Desert Edge
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 175lbs
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