Keita Bates-Diop, Jaren Jackson Jr. claim weekly Big Ten honors
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

The Big Ten office released its latest weekly Big Ten men's basketball honors, and the winners were familiar names. Keita Bates-Diop claimed his third player of the week honor of the season, and his second straight, while Jaren Jackson Jr. took home his third freshman laurel.

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Ohio State football: How does Demario McCall fit into Buckeyes' plans in 2018? - Atlanta Journal Constitution
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football: How does Demario McCall fit into Buckeyes' plans in 2018?
Atlanta Journal Constitution
All week long, our Land of 10 reporters following the Buckeyes address pressing questions on the minds of the Ohio State fan base with our daily feature. To ask Austin Ward a question, follow along on Twitter and suggest a topic right here. Check back ...


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I know, or at least think I know, that the BIG is hot garbage this year, but I'm still starting to drink the kool aid. Watching a Buckeye basketball team that's getting the coaching that it needs to largely reach its potential, whatever that is (and with Keita being special and the possibility of Kam and Kaleb continuing to raise their games a bit more as the season progresses, it might be higher than any of us had imagined) is really refreshing, exciting, and fun. Also, while I know that they're getting better shots, it still seems clear that someone on staff knows how to teach shooting, which is helping a lot.

Ohio State men's basketball | Former Buckeye D'Angelo Russell reaches out from courtside - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Former Buckeye D'Angelo Russell reaches out from courtside
The Columbus Dispatch
After saying on a podcast that he didn't think he'd ever go back, Russell was seated courtside to watch the Buckeyes move to 6-0 in the Big Ten with a 68-46 win against Rutgers. With the Buckeyes leading 28-15 at halftime, he told The Dispatch that he ...
D'Angelo Russell attends Ohio State at Rutgers247Sports

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Ohio State football podcast: Basketball Buckeyes win again, becoming a juggernaut - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football podcast: Basketball Buckeyes win again, becoming a juggernaut
Landof10.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Get insight and reaction to Ohio State sports on the Inside the Shoe podcast brought to you by Land of 10. On the latest edition, Kyle Lamb recaps the Buckeyes' latest Big Ten basketball victory, a 68-46 suffocation of Rutgers on ...
Ohio State men's basketball | Postgame blog: Buckeyes turn tables on Rutgers with stingy defenseThe Columbus Dispatch
Buckeyes rout Rutgers for 6-0 Big Ten startWDTN
College basketball: Buckeyes pummel Rutgers, improve to 6-0 in Big TenThe Courier
cleveland.com -NJ.com -247Sports
all 56 news articles »

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BM5: Latest on Friday, Jean-Baptiste, Walker, Petit-Frere - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


BM5: Latest on Friday, Jean-Baptiste, Walker, Petit-Frere
247Sports
BM5: Latest on Friday, Jean-Baptiste, Walker, Petit-Frere. We have an extended version of the 5ish for you on MLK Day. The show is mostly about football recruiting, and we also discuss Greg Schiano, plus Buckeye basketball. Dave Biddle - 15 minutes ago ...

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Buckeyes play key roles in NFL's Divisional Playoff weekend - Gridiron Now
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Buckeyes play key roles in NFL's Divisional Playoff weekend
Gridiron Now
On the weekend of the NFL's divisional games, some former Buckeyes were among those turning in the most prolific performances. There was only one game which did not feature a former Ohio State player. That was the result of Nate Ebner's knee injury ...


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Ohio State offers 5 top 2019 prospects
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes had a busy weekend on the recruiting trail.

While the Ohio State coaching staff still has a few 2018 scholarships to play with before signing day next month, Urban Meyer and crew shifted their attention on the class of 2019 over the weekend.

Dishing out scholarship offers to some of the best junior recruits in the country, five class of 2019 standouts walked away with a chance to suit up in the Scarlet and Gray.

Who did the Buckeyes offer? Land-Grant Holy Land has your back.

4-star OT Ryan Jacoby


Class: 2019

Town: Mentor,OH/Mentor

Size: 6’4/260

Offers: Ohio State, Oregon, West Virginia, Iowa State, Toledo, Etc

Thoughts: “I was on the phone with Coach Meyer and he told me (about the offer). They said they are looking forward to building a great relationship and getting to know me and my family and get us on campus. It means a lot; I grew up watching and loving the team. They are definitely going to be up high on the list.”

4-star OT Xavier Truss


Class: 2019

Town: Warwick,RI/Bishop Hendricken

Size: 6’7/325

Offers: Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, Florida, Boston College, Etc

Thoughts: “I was in class and Coach Pantoni shot me a text asking if I could give him a call and speak to coach Meyer. When I got a minute I gave him a call and Coach Meyer talked with me for a minute confirming some things and then he pulled the trigger. I don’t think it honestly has even hit me yet. He said he was looking forward to having me out there and to send coaches down to Rhode Island to see me. Success and consistency come to mind when thinking of OSU football. I think that this offer will definitely open some eyes in the recruiting world.”

4-star S Demani Richardson


Class: 2019

Town: Waxahachie,TX/Waxahachie

Size: 6’1/190

Offers: Ohio State, Texas, Baylor, Georgia, Missouri, Etc

Thoughts: “Coach Grinch told me he wanted me to be a part of that team. He wants us to make sure we stay in touch. Considering they are a consistent winning program, it feels great. When I think about Ohio State, I think of winning.”

4-star QB Sam Howell


Class: 2019

Town: Monroe,NC/Sun Valley

Size: 6’1/217

Offers: Ohio State, Clemson, Arkansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Etc

5-star RB Trey Sanders


Class: 2019

Town: Bradenton,FL/IMG Academy

Size: 5’11/216

Offers: Ohio State, Alabama, Auburn, Georgia, Texas A&M, Etc


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Ohio State: Buckeyes basketball beats Rutgers; Michael Thomas catches 2 TDs in Saints' heartbreaking loss - Landof10.com
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Ohio State: Buckeyes basketball beats Rutgers; Michael Thomas catches 2 TDs in Saints' heartbreaking loss
Landof10.com
Ohio State football is the No. 1 topic in Wake Up every day — but we cover news, notes and analysis from across Buckeyes sports. Join us each morning to get caught up on everything you missed in the world of Ohio State football, recruiting, basketball ...
Ohio State men's basketball | Postgame blog: Buckeyes turn tables on Rutgers with stingy defenseThe Columbus Dispatch
Buckeyes rout Rutgers for 6-0 Big Ten startWDTN
Ohio State basketball stays unbeaten in Big Ten play, beats Rutgers 68-46cleveland.com
The Courier -NJ.com -247Sports
all 43 news articles »

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Cavaliers, Browns, Indians, Buckeyes among Greater Cleveland Sports Awards finalists (photos) - cleveland.com (blog)
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Cavaliers, Browns, Indians, Buckeyes among Greater Cleveland Sports Awards finalists (photos)
cleveland.com (blog)
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The 18th annual Greater Cleveland Sports Awards will take place at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Renaissance Hotel grand ballroom in downtown Cleveland. Nineteen area amateur and professional athletes will receive awards in a night that ...

and more »

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Buckeyes rout Rutgers for 6-0 Big Ten start - WDTN
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Buckeyes rout Rutgers for 6-0 Big Ten start
WDTN
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Keita Bates-Diop scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and Ohio State beat Rutgers 68-46 to remain undefeated in Big Ten play this season and tied atop the conference standings. Ohio State (15-4, 6-0) built up a 30-point lead ...
Ohio State men's basketball | Postgame blog: Buckeyes turn tables on Rutgers with stingy defenseThe Columbus Dispatch
Ohio State basketball stays unbeaten in Big Ten play, beats Rutgers 68-46cleveland.com
College basketball: Buckeyes pummel Rutgers, improve to 6-0 in Big TenThe Courier
NJ.com -247Sports -Land-Grant Holy Land
all 41 news articles »

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Ohio State men's basketball | Postgame blog: Buckeyes turn tables on Rutgers with stingy defense - The Columbus Dispatch
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Ohio State men's basketball | Postgame blog: Buckeyes turn tables on Rutgers with stingy defense
The Columbus Dispatch
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – For nearly three-quarters of Sunday night's game, the events on the court at the Rutgers Athletic Center looked like a broken video game. Rutgers, known equally for its stout defense and ugly offense, found itself without important ...
Ohio State basketball stays unbeaten in Big Ten play, beats Rutgers 68-46cleveland.com
Can Rutgers take 'one step forward' vs. surging Ohio State? | NJ.comNJ.com
Buckeyes rout Rutgers for 6-0 Big Ten startWDTN
247Sports -Land-Grant Holy Land -Scout
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Ohio State routs Rutgers, moves to 6-0 in Big Ten play
Brent Yarina, BTN.com Senior Editor via Big Ten Network

Keita Bates-Diop scored 20 points, grabbed nine rebounds and Ohio State beat Rutgers 68-46 to remain undefeated in Big Ten play this season and tied atop the conference standings.

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Ohio State basketball stays unbeaten in Big Ten play, beats Rutgers 68-46 - cleveland.com
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Ohio State basketball stays unbeaten in Big Ten play, beats Rutgers 68-46
cleveland.com
If you want to call what happened on Sunday night that, then the Buckeyes passed. Again. After a slow start, Ohio State found its way offensively while Rutgers remained mostly lost, and the Buckeyes left Piscataway, N.J., with a 68-46 win to stay ...
Ohio State men's basketball | Buckeyes 68, Rutgers 46The Columbus Dispatch
Can Rutgers take 'one step forward' vs. surging Ohio State? | NJ.comNJ.com
Ohio State continues roll with win over cold shooting Rutgers247Sports
Lima Ohio -Land-Grant Holy Land -Scout
all 37 news articles »

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Ohio State Basketball: Post-Game Overreaction by Jesse M. Brake
Richard Tongohan via our good friends at Men of the Scarlet and Gray
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here

It has been mere moments since Andre Wesson put the nail in the coffin against a solid Rutgers defense (not so much with the offense), and it’s occurred to me that there may be a good metaphor for this Buckeyes team. Early in the broadcast, the commentators were talking about Jae’Sean Tate and how he is a do-everything type of player, a Swiss Army Knife, and, while that is a good description of what Jae’Sean does for Ohio State, it is an even better metaphor for the Basketball Buckeyes as a whole.

This team is a Swiss Army Knife.

Now, I obviously don’t expect you to believe me without any evidence, so to prove it to you, so let me give you some numbers. (Prepare yourself for Too Much Information.) The Buckeyes’ offense is the 28th rated team in KenPom Adjusted Efficiency and their defense is rated 30th in Adjusted Efficiency. There are only 9 teams in the country— including Ohio State— that are rated in the Top 30 nationally in both categories.

According to teamrankings.com, the Buckeyes are 19th in Shooting%, 28th in Effective Field Goal % and 32nd in True Shooting % while remaining in the Top 75 in all defensive Shooting categories. They are in the Top 30% of all teams in Block Percentage, Top 20% in Rebound Rate, Assists per Game and Assist/Turnover Ratio and they are among the best in the nation at not allowing opposing teams to get easy points in the paint.

What all of those statistics mean is that this is an adaptable team. Against Michigan State, we saw this Buckeyes team not allow Sparty to penetrate the lane or get anything inside, forcing a team that was struggling shooting from the field to take a lot of outside shots. OSU also took advantage of Michigan State’s tendency to turn the ball over, forcing 12 TOs and making the most of transition scoring opportunities. They did all this while still playing their basic, high-effort man-to-man defense.

The next game, against a Maryland team missing important playmakers, they held firm on defense through a slow start shooting until they were able to get better, more open looks. From there, they scored and scored while the undermanned Terrapins had no offensive response. The Buckeyes tied the school record for most 3 Pointers made in a game with 17, and 8 different players made at least one shot from beyond the arc.

Tonight, against this stingy and plodding Rutgers defense, the Buckeyes slowed everything up and locked down the inside, forcing one of the worst shooting teams in the country to dribble around for 25 seconds and then throw up deep 2s and 3s all night.

With three unique victories against three completely different teams, Ohio State is showing itself to be a matchup nightmare. This team is showing itself to be a Swiss Army Knife that can find your weakness and take advantage of it, or that can beat you at your own game. They have CJ Jackson, who is just like the tiny knife on the backside of the tool, swooping in for layups, assists, and rebounds. They also have Keita Bates-Diop, the big main knife that will cut you to the bone if you’re not paying attention and can be used for many things. Not to mention they’ve got Micah Potter; he’s that curvy thing that looks like a bottle opener, but it can’t be because there’s already another bottle opener, so you just use it to pry things.

There’s a little something for every situation with these Basketball Buckeyes, and the more I see of this team, the more credit I give to the Coach. Holtmann has molded this team into something competitive and fun to watch, which brings me to my overreaction: Ohio State is not just a tournament team, they are a good tournament team, and they are a dark horse to make it to the Final Four THIS SEASON. If they can get past Purdue, they might even be able to win the Big Ten too.




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Ohio State rolls past Rutgers, 68-46
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes remain unbeaten in the Big Ten, and have now won 5-straight contests.

The Ohio State Buckeyes (15-4, 6-0) continued their winning ways against Big Ten competition on Sunday night, as they defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights, 68-46, at The RAC in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Once again, Keita Bates-Diop led the way for the Buckeyes. KBD put together a 20-point scoring output, while also grabbing down nine rebounds. His scoring and rebound total was the leader amongst both teams.

On top of Bates-Diop going off for double figures, two other Buckeyes broke that threshold, too. Kaleb Wesson put up 10 points, and had, like KBD, a nine rebound outing on the road. Kam Williams put up 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting from the field, while playing for 22 minutes.

By holding Rutgers to 46 points, Ohio State set their new season low for points allowed. However, two Scarlet Knights broke a 10-point output. Geo Baker tallied 14 points off of 5-of-15 shooting, while Corey Sanders put together a 13-point night off of a 6-of-14 evening from the field.

Knocking down shots were a constant theme for OSU in the second half. The Buckeyes ended the night with a 46.6 percent mark from the field, carried by a 55.2 percent field goal make percentage in the final 20 minutes of play. On the other side, however, Rutgers struggled from all points on the court. In the first half, the home team nailed an eye-opening 19.4 percent of their shots; of the 31 shots attempted, Rutgers hit just six of them. From three-point range, they went 1-of-10 in the first 20 minutes against the Buckeyes.

In the second half, Rutgers made 39.3 percent of their attempts, bringing their average for the game up to 28.8 percent. Even though they made more shots from inside and downtown, the Buckeyes pulled away without much trouble.

The win paces OSU to a 6-0 start in conference play, and a share of the lead atop the Big Ten standings with Purdue.

Here’s a quick breakdown on how this one went down.

The first half didn’t have a lot of thrills. In the first 10 minutes of action, the Buckeyes held a slim 11-9 lead over the Scarlet Knights. A few more minutes of play later, and the score was stuck in the low teens, as OSU lead 15-11 with a little over six minutes left in the first half.

By halftime, though, the Bucks pulled away courtesy of a 10-point half from Keita Bates-Diop. On the road, Chris Holtmann’s squad was well on their way to another Big Ten conference win, as they went into intermission with a 28-15 lead.

Whatever momentum they were riding in the first half, they cranked the meter all the way to maximum overdrive, as the Buckeyes pulled away in a hurry. The visitors scored the first 10 points, behind a combination of layups, dunks and jumpers from Kaleb Wesson, Jae’Sean Tate and Bates-Diop.

After a free throw by Souf Mensah broke up the 10-0 scoring run, the Bucks went back and scored four more points via Wesson and KBD. Issa Thiam did his part to knockdown a jumper to break up the OSU mini-run, however, that just allowed for another run to start off. Kam Williams went on a 6-point run by himself. Williams knocked down a jumper and a three-pointer—while also knocking down the and-1 off the three-point make.

Rutgers, though, was about to get something to go their way: a scoring run of their own. The home team went on a 14-0 break, making four three-point shots across their next five makes. A hot-hand against the Bucks brought the deficit down, but OSU still had command of the scoreboard, 48-32, with 10:45 left to play.

Baskets were then traded amongst the Buckeyes and Scarlet Knights, as Wesson and Corey Sanders put points on the board for their respective squads. C.J. Jackson then went to work by putting in a basket, and followed that up with a couple free throws over the next minute of action. With Jackson putting the free throws away, OSU held on to an insurmountable 60-37 lead.

Rutgers would close the gap by just a hair, but by the time the clock hit all zeros, Ohio State walked out of New Jersey with a 22-point road victory.

Up next for Ohio State will be Northwestern on Wednesday night. That one will once again be on the road, and will take place at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, Ill. Tip Off is scheduled for 9 p.m. ET, and will be broadcast on Big Ten Network.

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Best of the week that was: Ohio State’s Keita Bates-Diop, Michigan shine
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

As winter sets in, this much has become clear: Purdue is the Big Ten favorite. But don’t count out Michigan State. And it looks like Michigan and Ohio State will be factors. Here is the best of the week in Big Ten action.

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LitlBuck said:

You mean Dakich heard @OSU_Buckguy

Click to expand...

i will certainly admit that i was -- to put it lightly -- not so optimistic about dakich's impact and importance. to be precise, i'm pretty sure i said that i didn't think that dakich was good enough to be the back-up at any high-major (and most mid-majors). yeah, his limitations are still obvious and i do worry about him guarding a speedy point guard, but dakich has absolutely provided needed stability behind jackson.

i was surprised to find out that dakich was 7/10 from three this season before the last game. though expecting anything close to .700 going forward would be a mistake, i do wonder just how reliable he is from deep when no one is around. i mean, if he can be a .400-shooter behind the arc when completely uncontested, that would be huge.

Ohio State men's basketball | Pregame Reading: Buckeyes travel to face stingy Rutgers - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State men's basketball | Pregame Reading: Buckeyes travel to face stingy Rutgers
The Columbus Dispatch
Rutgers remains the Big Ten's lowest-ranked team, but there are reasons to believe the Scarlet Knights could present significant problems for the streaking Buckeyes. Aside from the earned impression that Rutgers is simply playing harder than in the ...
Can Rutgers take 'one step forward' vs. surging Ohio State?NJ.com
How to watch Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Preview, game time, live streaming onlineLand-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State Refuses To Take Rutgers LightlyScout
isportsweb.com (blog) -Scarlet and Game -247Sports
all 15 news articles »

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BuckeyeNation27 said:

Aww Jesus. Do we really need a thread for these fucktards?

Click to expand...

no

The New Orleans' Saints Postseason Run is Fueled By Four Former Buckeyes - Eleven Warriors
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


The New Orleans' Saints Postseason Run is Fueled By Four Former Buckeyes
Eleven Warriors
They don't wear Scarlet and Gray, but the New Orleans Saints are as Buckeye as it gets on a football field in mid January. The Saints' roster features four former Buckeyes – Michael Thomas, Marshon Lattimore, Ted Ginn Jr. and Vonn Bell – and all four ...

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Can Rutgers take 'one step forward' vs. surging Ohio State? - NJ.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Can Rutgers take 'one step forward' vs. surging Ohio State?
NJ.com
"We're a program that's one step forward, one step back, unfortunately. I'd like to be two steps forward all the time, but that's not where we are right now," Rutgers coach Steve Pikiell said. "We're playing the toughest part of our schedule early on ...
How to watch Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Preview, game time, live streaming onlineLand-Grant Holy Land
Ohio State favored by 6.5 over Rutgers247Sports
Should Ohio State men's basketball be ranked?Brinkwire (press release)

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Waxahachie (TX)
Ht: 6'1"
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How to watch Ohio State vs. Rutgers: Preview, game time, live streaming online
Brett Ludwiczak via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Ohio State will try and stay undefeated in Big Ten play when they hit the road to take on Rutgers tonight in New Jersey.

A win tonight could vault Ohio State into the Top 25, but first they’ll have to avoid the upset bug in East Piscataway when the Buckeyes take on the Rutgers Scarlet Knights. Ohio State will be looking for a bit of revenge against Rutgers, who defeated the Buckeyes 66-57 in last year’s Big Ten Tournament, which happened to be the last game former Ohio State head coach Thad Matta would coach for the school. The Buckeyes own a 4-2 all-time record against the Scarlet Knights, and are 2-0 against Rutgers on the Scarlet Knights’ home court.

In Thursday night’s game against Maryland, Ohio State looked like they might be dealing with a bit of a hangover from their big win last Sunday over Michigan State, falling behind the Terrapins by seven points early on. The Buckeyes used a 22-2 run to quickly erase the deficit and build a double-digit lead of their own.

Ohio State hit seven three-pointers in the first half to open up a 44-32 halftime lead over the Terrapins. Andrew Dakich hit three of those three-pointers, while Keita Bates-Diop added two triples. The Buckeyes wouldn’t let their foot off the gas, cruising to a 91-69 win over Maryland, and staying undefeated in Big Ten play.

What has been a big reason for Ohio State winning nine of 10 games since the start of December has been the guard play of the Buckeyes. Not only has C.J. Jackson tightened up his ball security, but Kam Williams has been taking better shots. The combination of the vision of Jackson and the streakiness of Williams, along with the veteran leadership of Michigan graduate transfer Andrew Dakich off of the bench has provided Ohio State with some stability at guard, which is something they have lacked the last couple of years.

Ohio State won’t be able to take Rutgers lightly, as the Scarlet Knights just took Michigan State to overtime in East Lansing. Steve Pikiell’s team was able to erase a 12-point deficit to the Spartans, and had a chance to pull the upset but Corey Sanders couldn’t get the final shot of regulation to fall. Rutgers hung tough in overtime, but in the end, Michigan State was just too tough to overcome at the Breslin Center.

Rutgers is a team that has played to the level of their competition at home so far this year. The Scarlet Knights shocked Seton Hall in the middle of December 71-65, and followed up the big win by losing to Stony Brook and Hartford at home over the next two weeks. Last Friday, Rutgers defeated Wisconsin 64-60 at The RAC to earn their first Big Ten victory of the year. If Ohio State isn’t careful, the tough defense that the Scarlet Knights play could slow down the momentum the Buckeyes have created since the beginning of December.

Steve Pikiell is in his second year as head coach of the Scarlet Knights. The former Stony Brook head coach took over after Eddie Jordan following the 2015-16 season. Pikiell has posted a 26-25 record so far during his time with Rutgers, and has a career head coaching record of 218-180. Before beginning his coaching career, Pikiell played point guard at UConn from 1987-1991.

Numbers to know

17


Ohio State hit 17 three-pointers in Thursday night’s win over Maryland, setting a school record for most three-pointers in a Big Ten game and most three-pointers in a home game. The only time the Buckeyes hit more three-pointers in a game came in 2005, when they hit 18 three-pointers at LSU.

6


With the win over Maryland, Chris Holtmann became the sixth Big Ten coach to start their first season in conference with at least a 5-0 record. The last time a Big Ten coach started their first season with at least a 5-0 record in league play came back in 1987, when Tom Davis went 6-0 at Iowa to start conference play.

5


Rutgers has been a force on the glass so far this year. The Scarlet Knights are fifth nationally in rebounding, averaging 42.44 rebounds per game. Rutgers is also fifth in the country in offensive rebounding, pulling down 14.56 offensive boards per game. The Buckeyes will have to account for Deshawn Freeman and Eugene Omoruyi, who have grabbed over 40 offensive rebounds each so far this year.

Cast of characters

Ohio State

Jae’Sean Tate


The senior from Pickerington had one of his best games for Ohio State on Thursday against Maryland. Not only did Tate score 13 points in the victory, but he added a career-high four blocks, and tied a career-high with six assists against the Terrapins. Currently at 1,326 career points, Tate could move up two more spots to 27th on Ohio State’s career scoring list with 13 more points, passing Jim Cleamons and Marc Loving.

Andrew Dakich


The graduate transfer from Michigan had a game he’ll never forget on Thursday night. Dakich hit three three-pointers on his way to a career-high 11 points in the win over Maryland. The previous high scoring total for Dakich on the year came against The Citadel when the senior scored 10 points. The guard also dished out four assists, marking the seventh game of the year in which he has registered at least three assists.

Rutgers

Corey Sanders


The junior from Florida almost willed Rutgers to an upset win on Wednesday over Michigan State, scoring a team-high 22 points in the loss. Sanders is leading Rutgers with 14.2 points per game this year. Currently, Sanders is tied for 29th on Rutgers’ all-time scoring list, with 1,109 career points. With 13 points tonight, Sanders will tie Jim Valvano for 28th on the school’s all-time scoring list.

Deshawn Freeman


Not only is Freeman Rutgers’ second leading scorer this year with 12.0 points per game, but he is also the team’s leading rebounder, pulling down 7.6 boards per game. Freeman has grabbed at least 10 rebounds in five games this season. The senior forward has registered 16 rebounds in two games this year, with one of those performances coming in the upset win over Seton Hall.

How to watch:


Game time: 7:00 p.m. ET

TV: Big Ten Network

Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM

Streaming: BTN2Go

Know your enemy: On The Banks

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No. 6 Ohio State hockey demolishes No. 13 Penn State, 5-1
Matt Torino via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Tommy Nappier made 30 saves en route to the easy victory.

Ohio State finally beat Penn State in a sport besides football. It took four tries, but the No. 6 Ohio State hockey team defeated No. 13 Penn State, 5-1, on Saturday night in their last regular season matchup against the Nittany Lions to earn a split of their weekend series.

Tommy Nappier got the start in net after Sean Romeo faltered on Saturday, allowing four goals, and stopped 30/31 shots against for a sterling .968 save percentage. Freddy Gerard added two goals and Tanner Laczynski three points to help Nappier’s cause.

OSU was swept by Penn State in Columbus earlier in the season and was handed their first loss of 2018 on Friday to snap a 6-game win streak since the holiday break. If the Buckeyes wanted to show that they were the class of the Big Ten the polls viewed them as, salvaging at least one against a top 15 rival seemed paramount.

That urgency showed early as OSU took a 1-0 lead just over five minutes into the game. After trailing for nearly 55 minutes on Friday, Ohio State took a lead at nearly the same interval into the game on a Tanner Laczynski tally. Freddy Gerard coasted in and got PSU goalie Peyton Jones to go down and commit before sending a cross crease pass to Laczynski with an open net in front of him.


Penn State was able to keep their initial lead for the last 55 minutes of Friday’s game; Ohio State would not be so fortunate on Saturday. Penn State tied it just over seven minutes later as Nikita Pavlychev tied it up.

However, Andrew Sturtz would not be around long to celebrate the tie and continue to torment OSU. He received a major penalty and game misconduct for kneeing at 13:43 of the first, giving the Buckeyes a five minute power play.

They’d take advantage.

Just 2:06 later, Tanner Laczynski started a nifty little possession, finding Ronnie Hein with his back to the net before Hein sent a cross crease pass to a streaking Gerard, who put it past an already prone Peyton Jones. Freddy’s sixth of the year would prove to be the game winner.


The Bucks wouldn’t be able to further capitalize on the major man advantage, but the damage was done. OSU outshot the Nittany Lions, 14-12, in the first and looked to keep pouring it on in the second frame.

They’d outshoot PSU, 14-9, in the second despite being up a goal going into the period— though they’d have two power plays courtesy of Nittany Lion mistakes. They’d take advantage yet again.

At 5:21 of the second, Nittany Lion Trevor Hamilton would be sent off for high sticking. Just over a minute later, at 7:03, Dakota Joshua made him pay. He tipped in a Gordi Myer shot from the point on the powerplay and it was 3-1 OSU.


Penn State would sure get a chance in the second, however. Wyatt Ege received a hooking penalty on James Robinson, who was awarded a penalty shot at 13:59 of the second. Nappier was aggressive and attacked the shooter, who didn’t have much room and didn’t try to skate around the 6-foot-3, 215-pound goaltender with a move. It didn’t end well for Robinson.


Jones would stop Ohio State on all of their attempts on him in the third, despite OSU having yet another man advantage, but luckily for Ohio State, not all of their shot attempts would come with a goalie in the net.

Penn State was unable to convert on any of their shots on Nappier in the third despite a powerplay of their own due to Hein taking a cross checking penalty at 8:10 of the third and had to pull Jones with just minutes remaining and down two goals.

Freddy Gerard would add his second of the game on an empty netter, with assists to Laczynski and Matthew Weis at 19:27, with Austin Pooley adding another, his second of the year, at 19:59.

Nappier’s first Big Ten win came at an opportune time as the Buckeyes improve to 8-5-1 in conference and show they can both outshoot and outscore Penn State for the first time this season. Nappier now has a .940 save percentage this season, albeit in limited action, while starter Sean Romeo has a pedestrian by comparison but objectively outstanding .924. Not since Christian Frey’s freshman season has OSU seen goaltending this consistently outstanding.

With the win, OSU jumps Penn State to No. 2 in the Big Ten standings, behind 12-0-0-0 Notre Dame, who stands as both No. 1 in the conference and, oh, the nation.

Possible goalie controversies and big bad Notre Dame notwithstanding, No. 6 Ohio State will have next weekend off before hosting rival Michigan, who stands at a disappointing 9-10-2 overall coming into Saturday night. Those are two games a top-10 team should win if they want a top two finish in the conference.

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