Dienhart: 2018 National Signing Day notebook
Tom Dienhart, BTN.com Senior Writer via Big Ten Network

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Ohio State has the top recruiting class in the Big Ten. It’s the seventh consecutive year the Buckeyes have sat on top of the Big Ten recruiting board, which just happens to parallel the arrival of Urban Meyer in Columbus.

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Ohio State lands nation's No. 1 offensive tackle Petit-Frere - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State lands nation's No. 1 offensive tackle Petit-Frere
247Sports
Chalk another big one up for Urban Meyer and the Buckeyes. The 247Sports Composite's top-ranked offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere will play his college football at Ohio State. A five-star recruit out of Tampa (Fla.) Berkley Prep, the 6-foot-6, 272 ...
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Javontae Jean-Baptiste commits to Ohio State: New Jersey DE chooses Buckeyes - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Javontae Jean-Baptiste commits to Ohio State: New Jersey DE chooses Buckeyes
Landof10.com
The Buckeyes hosted Jean-Baptiste as an official visitor on Jan. 19; he also visited Boston College (Dec. 8), Virginia Tech (Dec. 15), Nebraska (Jan. 12), and Texas A&M (Feb. 2). Ohio State made multiple in-home visits with Jean-Baptiste, primarily led ...
Open thread: Javontae Jean-Baptiste announcement, final pick247Sports
Javontae Jean-Baptiste commits to Ohio State: What it means for the Buckeyescleveland.com
4-star OLB Javontae Jean-Baptiste signs with Ohio State on National Signing DayLand-Grant Holy Land
Eleven Warriors -Rivals.com (press release)
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Ohio State just signed another elite recruiting class. Here’s what that does, and doesn’t mean.
Matt Brown 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 on a championship track. But nothing is certain in college football.

Two things are both true.

First, Ohio State signed another elite recruiting class today. At the time of this writing, it was actually the No. 1 recruiting class in the country, and whether it stays that way or if Georgia pulls ahead, it’s one of the very best recruiting classes in Ohio State history (on paper, anyway). Nearly every member of the 2018 recruiting class is a blue-chip prospect according to multiple recruiting services, and several, like defensive tackle Taron Vincent, safety Tyreke Johnson, and center Matthew Jones, are considered to be the best, or near the best in the country at their respective positions. This class solidifies elite talent at every position group at Ohio State, and will put them in a position to potentially compete for championships over the coming years.

Second, all of that was true for Ohio State last season, and a team full of lightly recruited two and three stars at Iowa beat them like a drum. If you’ve forgotten about this, just tweet about Ohio State recruiting today. I promise an Iowa fan will remind you.

It may seem like these two facts are incongruous with each other, incapable of existing in the same universe. But if we take some time here to be honest about what exactly today means, and doesn’t mean, I think it will all make a bit more sense.

First, let me be clear about something. Recruiting rankings matter, and anybody that tries to tell you otherwise either doesn’t understand recruiting, math, or is an Iowa or Nebraska fan. Only teams that recruit more blue-chip players than non-blue chip players win national titles. A blue-chip player is about 1,000% more likely to get drafted in the early rounds of the NFL Draft than a two-star. Five-stars are about 33 times more likely to be All-Americans in college than two-stars, and there are a LOT more two-star college football players. Teams with better recruits generally beat teams without elite recruits. The data goes on, and on, and on.

Yes, you can probably think of a few players in the NFL right now that were lightly recruited. Yes, there will probably be some awesome college football players next year, even some in the Big Ten, that were lightly recruited. But a few anecdotes doesn’t change the cold, hard, data. College coaches kill themselves and risk breaking every dang rule in the book to bring in elite recruits because the best way to make sure you keep winning games is to have elite recruits.

Ohio State does this, and they’re constantly in contention for a national title. Iowa doesn’t do this, which is why they’ve had two seasons of consequence over the last decade. Other schools who recruit at a similar level don’t even have that.

Signing talent like Ohio State’s 2018 class, or their loaded 2017 class, is the prerequisite for national title contention. But it’s not the only requirement.

This should go without saying, but maybe lately, it’s worth explicitly reminding folks about. Signing elite classes is not a guarantee of success. In fact, let’s take a quick look at the teams who have signed the top ten classes in this cycle. Ohio State, Georgia, Texas, Penn State, Miami, Alabama, Oklahoma, Clemson, Notre Dame and Auburn. If recent history is any indication, that’s probably not your postseason AP Poll. In fact, one of those teams could dramatically underperform. After all, Tennessee, Florida, Florida State and Texas have all recruited at a high level over the last few years, and all of them have sucked in recent memory.

Part of this process is luck. You need to stay healthy, your players to stay academically eligible, and enrolled in school. You can sign all sorts of great recruits, but if key players at key position groups get hurt or bail, there’s no guarantee of elite results. Ohio State has been relatively fortunate in this regard. It’s relatively rare that a player projected to make an immediate impact on the two deep has left campus, and while injuries have happened, they haven’t obliterated depth charts like at other programs. Maybe this continues. Maybe it doesn’t.

Part of the process is coaching. At a program like Ohio State, where assistants are constantly being poached, maintaining that success becomes even more difficult, as you need to make strong hires year after year. We’ve seen the Buckeyes struggle with this at times, and it gave us an offense too talented to sputter out in third gear against good defenses multiple times. Now, the Buckeyes have two offensive coordinators, have an important position coach opening on the defensive side of the ball, and might need to replace another eventually, even though reports today indicate that’s not likely to happen this year. Missteps can compound over time and can undo or hamper excellent recruiting.

And part of the process is culture. Can you deprogram a group of kids who have been told they’re amazing over the last several years, and teach them to compete in an environment where nearly everybody else on the depth chart was as celebrated of a recruit? Can you teach players who didn’t necessarily grow up rooting for the program, who may not have that built-in emotional investment, to create it? In a meeting room where everybody, from players to assistants, could feasibly eye a looming payday, can you keep everybody focused on the task at hand, and playing for each other, even when adversity strikes?

That’s the key question. At Florida, Urban Meyer assembled recruiting classes just as good as the ones he’s building now at Ohio State, only to have No. 2 and No. 3 erode much of what he built with that talent acquisition and development. It’s why the Jimbo Fisher era ended at Florida State. That maintenance is very hard to do.

Can Ohio State take another step forward this season? We won’t know in February. There are still hires to make, after all, and a slew of things will need to happen this offseason.

But Ohio State fans can celebrate knowing that players with enormous potential, championship potential, will be headed to Columbus.

The road to another championship starts on Signing Day. Without the right players, you can’t get there. Ohio State passed that first step today, just like they did last year.

But nothing is guaranteed. Without that luck, without the coaching, and without that culture, there are no guarantees. Anything can happen on any given day.

Just ask Iowa.

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Open thread: Javontae Jean-Baptiste announcement, final pick - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Open thread: Javontae Jean-Baptiste announcement, final pick
247Sports
Open thread: Javontae Jean-Baptiste announcement, final pick. Defensive end Javontae Jean-Baptiste is set to announce his college choice this morning. My final pick. Bill Kurelic - 58 minutes ago; 23; Tools. Edit; Slot to 247Sports Home; Slot to Ohio ...
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Eleven Warriors -Rivals.com (press release)
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4-star OLB Javontae Jean-Baptiste signs with Ohio State on National Signing Day
Geoff Hammersley via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


There was big competition for Jean-Baptiste, but the Buckeyes won out over programs like Nebraska and Texas A&M.

The Ohio State Buckeyes bring in another big-time recruit, as four-star outside linebacker Javontae Jean-Baptiste (Oradell, NJ / Bergen Catholic) has signed with the Scarlet and Gray. Following his press conference, head coach Urban Meyer noted that the OLB prospect had signed and sent in his LOI to the Buckeyes.

Meyer told the Big Ten Network after his press conference, “Jean-Baptiste out of New Jersey signed with us.”


It came down to the wire for Jean-Baptiste, as it seemed that the Nebraska Cornhuskers were deemed as the likely landing spot for the 6-foot-5, 215-pounder. However, things changed after Jean-Baptiste’s last visit with Nebraska on Jan. 12. Since then, the No. 16 OLB in the class took an official visit to OSU on Jan. 19, and head coach Urban Meyer and defensive coordinator Greg Schiano met with the New Jersey native on Feb. 1.

Ohio State wasn’t just in contention with Nebraska for the four-star; the Texas A&M Aggies, who are know head coached by Jimbo Fisher, held an official visit with JJB on Feb. 2, according to 247sports.

In total, 23 schools made offers for Jean-Baptiste to be part of their respective program. In the end, though, the Buckeyes emerged as the victors for the No. 6 prospect in all of New Jersey. JJB will now join Dallas Gant as the two OLBs in Ohio State’s 2018 recruiting class.

Scouting report

Highlights

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Urban Meyer discusses Ohio State’s historic recruiting class, signing a contract extension
Matt Tamanini via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


There should be some more BOOMs to come, but the 2018 class is already stacked.

December’s FBS Early Signing Period definitely changed the landscape for college football recruiting, but the new calendar has not impacted Urban Meyer and his staff, as the OSU class will certainly end the day in the Top-5 in terms of recruiting rankings, and still have a chance to take home the top spot.

On Wednesday morning, with a handful of big commits still left to announce their decisions, Meyer addressed the media to discuss the class, changes on his coaching staff, recent transfers, and his 2018 team.

Early Signing Period

• The head coach said that the timing of the early signing period was difficult on the staff, but that it made the January recruiting period much easier to manage.
• He added that the only thing that matters is if the change benefits the student-athlete. If it does, then it is something that should be kept. Specifically whether the student-athlete was able to visit all the programs they were interested in and were able to evaluate all their options.
• Meyer said that he hasn’t had time to evaluate the implementation of the early signing period, but that it shouldn’t be up to the coaches to make the decision.
• “Its been tough,” Meyer said of how you handle situations when recruits come to campus early, and their position coach leaves for another opportunity.
• Meyer said that Schiano has picked up the slack with the defensive backs now that Kerry Coombs has headed to the NFL.
• Meyer said that what he’s found out is that having early enrollees has proven to help players get on the field early. He said it’s a tough situation, but it’s worth it.

National Signing Day

• Meyer noted that they have signed 26 players, and that it is a class that fits with Ohio State in terms of academics, character, and talent.
• During his round of appreciation, Meyer thanked his players. He specifically pointed out 5-star Nicholas Petit-Frere is “a relationship person” and J.K Dobbins having talked about his relationship with strength coach Mickey Mariotti, helped solidify Nick’s decision.
• Meyer also thanked athletic director Gene Smith, who Meyer said has never said “No” to anything in terms of protecting players. “He allows me and my staff to fully invest in our players,” Meyer added.
• Because of the lighter load in January, Meyer said that they were able to be laser-focused on a handful of big recruits, including Nicholas Petit-Frere. “It’s a much different process now.”
• Meyer said that the coaching staff will celebrate a little bit tonight, and then move on to the next year’s class. He said that they don’t recruit to have the No. 1 recruiting class, but it’s something that they keep an eye on. “Successful teams have great players,” Meyer admitted.
• The head coach said that because of the shrunken pool of recruits following the early signing period, instead of worrying about positional needs, you somewhat have to just start looking at the best players available.
• Meyer said that with official visit periods happening in the spring and summer, Meyer is concerned that more recruits will commit in June, long before their senior season starts.
• He said that he gets paranoid about maintaining the level of recruiting. How do you ensure that next year’s class is as good as this one, he said?

Coaching Changes

• Meyer praised and thanked his staff, and said that you can’t coach at a school like Ohio State if you can’t recruit, and all of the OSU coaches can do that.
• It was reported just before Meyer’s press conference began that defensive coordinator Greg Schiano will be staying in Columbus, instead of jumping to the New England Patriots.
• The head coach was able to confirm that Schiano will be staying at Ohio State, despite having “dozens” of offers.
• Meyer said that Schiano is “essential to our program.” He added that he is one of, if not the best, recruiter on the staff.
• “That took my breath away a little bit,” Meyer said of Kerry Coombs heading to the NFL. Meyer said that he was shocked by the move, by that Coombs will be a life-long friend, and wishes him the best.
• Meyer added that they should be able to announce a replacement on the coaching staff within the next week or so.
• Meyer said that he started studying Alex Grinch last summer, and when it became official that they would be able to add an 11th coach, it made sense. Meyer said that Grinch is a high-energy guy, which is very important to be a part of the Ohio State program.
• He added that the fact that Grinch and his wife are Ohio natives was a big deal in bringing him to OSU.
• Meyer said that he tries to create an environment at OSU that takes care of its coaches. He said that they don’t get in bidding wars to keep coaches, but they do try to include some enticements when it comes to keeping people on the staff.
• The head coach added that the dynamic between Ryan Day and Kevin Wilson won’t change much now that Day also has the offensive coordinator title.
• He said that there are no dictators on the staff. All coaches have an ownership of the units that they work with.
• “I dont know where that’s coming from,” Meyer said of the rumors of his retirement. He said that he is prepping to sign an extension with OSU soon. He knows that it is something that other schools bring up during recruiting, but he said that it’s not coming from him or anyone in the program.

Depth Chart

• During the early-enrollee press conferences before Meyer stepped to the podium, we got some news on a JuCo transfer.

• Meyer said that Jackson’s attitude has been great, and they anticipate him being ready for spring practice.
• He also added that every day will be an evaluation day in terms of determining who will be the No. 1 QB in the spring.
• He also said that when it came to Mike Weber staying in school, he mostly listened to what Weber wanted, and agreed that he needed another year in school.

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Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes may lock up mythical recruiting national title - Landof10.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football podcast: Buckeyes may lock up mythical recruiting national title
Landof10.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Get insight and reaction to Ohio State football on the Inside the Shoe podcast, brought to you by Land of 10. In the latest edition, Ryan Ginn joins Kyle Lamb to preview the late signing period for college football. With as many as ...
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4-star DE Tyreke Smith signs with Ohio State on National Signing Day
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


This in-state recruit wasn’t easy to get, but should be well worth the effort for the Buckeyes.

The Early Signing Period changed the recruiting game a bit near the tail-end of 2017, and players who planned on announcing their commitment during one of the high school All-Star games would have to wait until after many of their classmates had already signed on the dotted line. This was the case for four-star DE Tyreke Smith, who made his announcement during the Under Armour All-America game in early January.

Well, today, Smith made things official on National Signing Day, sending in his signed Letter of Intent to Urban Meyer and staff in Columbus. The dual-threat on offense and defense can do it all. In his senior season, he not only notched 11 sacks and 70 total tackles, but also claimed eight catches for 192 yards and four touchdowns.


Despite roster spots dwindling, Smith was one player for which Ohio State certainly would have kept a roster spot available for until NSD. Despite getting tight on scholarships, the Cleveland Heights recruit will keep a pipeline with the school that produced second-year Buckeye receiver Jaylen Harris, and could be another way to keep recruits from Ohio in-state.

With Larry Johnson’s Rushmen package taking a hit thanks to the NFL Draft, Smith will be a key factor in rebuilding the defensive front. Already a big 6’3, 260 pounds, the weakside defensive end ranked No. 4 among DEs in the 2018 class, and No. 60 overall, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings.

Scouting Report

Highlights

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Ohio State football recruiting: Five-star Nicholas Petit-Frere commits to Buckeyes - CBSSports.com
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State football recruiting: Five-star Nicholas Petit-Frere commits to Buckeyes
CBSSports.com
It's not quite a full-fledged National Signing Day "surprise," but let's say Ohio State was happy with a late push on one of the top uncommitted recruits for 2018. Offensive tackle Nicholas Petit-Frere signed his National Letter of Intent with the ...


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Ohio State Football | Buckeyes add nation's No.1 tackle to 2018 class - The Columbus Dispatch
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Football | Buckeyes add nation's No.1 tackle to 2018 class
The Columbus Dispatch
There was a lull at the start, due mainly to snowy weather, but when Ohio State's second 2018 national letter of intent signing day finally got rolling about 10 a.m. on Wednesday it picked up steam in a hurry, gaining the nation's No.1 offensive tackle ...
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Bonus Coverage of No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 14 Ohio State tonight on BTN
BTN Communications via Big Ten Network

As part of tonight’s Super Wednesday doubleheader coverage presented by U.S. Cellular, BTN will provide an additional live presence at Mackey Arena before, during and after the matchup between No. 3 Purdue vs. No. 14 Ohio State. The battle at the top of the Big Ten Conference, tipping off at 8:30 p.m. ET on BTN, features two teams with the best combined league record (23-1) through at least 24 conference games in the past 20 years. Pregame Digital Content Follow along on Periscope as BTN contributor Andy Katz takes you inside shootaround for both Ohio State (noon – 1 p.m.

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Really impressive kid. Great person from obviously a great family.

Pretty good interview on ESPNU just now. Seems like a fun kid.

3-star WR Chris Olave signs with Ohio State on National Signing Day
Charles Doss via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Just over a week after verbally committing to OSU, Olave is now officially a Buckeye.

Soon after picking up his scholarship offer from the Ohio State coaching staff, three-star wide receiver Chris Olave had the following to say to Land-Grant Holy Land about his opportunity to suit up in the Scarlet and Gray.

“This offer is unreal. Growing up watching college football, Ohio State was always a powerhouse and still is. Knowing I have an offer from one of the top programs in the nation is unbelievable. This offer means a lot for my recruitment. They’re definitely one of my top schools from here on out and I’ll take a deep look into OSU.”

A few months later, Olave will live out his dreams of playing on the college level, as he’s put pen to paper, signing his national letter of intent with Urban Meyer, Ryan Day, Zach Smith, and the rest of the Ohio State coaching staff days after dishing out his verbal pledge to the Buckeyes.


A speedster from Mission Hills High School in San Marcos, California, the 6’1 and 170-pounder — who chose OSU on January 28 over scholarships from the likes of USC, UCLA, and Utah — will help give the Buckeyes four more dynamic playmaking options, joining fellow class of 2018 signees L’Christian “Blue” Smith, Kamyrn Babb, and Cameron Brown on the now stacked Ohio State wide receiver depth chart.


Although, it might be pretty tough to walk right in and grab a spot in the Buckeyes rotation as a true freshman, with Parris Campbell, Terry McLaurin, Johnnie Dixon, K.J. Hill, Binjimen Victor, and others returning, Chris has gone above and beyond to prove doubters wrong in the past.

Missing his entire junior campaign due to transfer rules, Olave, the 69th wide out, and 396th overall prospect in the country, according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings, bounced back to put together a season people will talk about for years to come. Hauling in nearly 100 receptions from University of Utah quarterback signee Jack Tuttle, he finished his senior year with a San Diego Section-record 1,764 yards and 26 touchdowns to help lead the Mission Hills Grizzlies to an overall record of 12-1 and a near state championship title.

Scouting Report

Highlights

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4-star DT Tyler Friday signs with Ohio State on National Signing Day
Alexis Chassen via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


Just weeks after making a verbal commitment, Friday joins a stacked 2018 class for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State continued to add star power to their 2018 recruiting class, with the official addition of defensive tackle Tyler Friday. Just weeks after giving his verbal pledge to the Buckeyes, Friday put pen to paper and sent in his National Letter of Intent during the traditional February signing day.


The four-star DT out of New Jersey is among the top 100 recruits from this year’s class (No. 93), ranking No. 6 among all defensive tackles and No. 4 at any position from the Garden State.

Holding offers from 20 schools, Friday only took three visits before ultimately choosing Ohio State, over the likes of Georgia, Michigan, Penn State and other top-tier programs. Despite being heavily recruited by SEC-rival Alabama, even through Tuesday, Friday was firm in his commitment to Urban Meyer and his staff, and will now head to Columbus.


Even though he’s listed as a defensive tackle, he’ll probably get his first chance at a spot in the depth chart at defensive end — and he’ll definitely have a shot to earn playing time as a true freshman. With Friday, and four-star Tyreke Smith, officially part of Ohio State’s 2018 class, replacing talent leaving for the NFL isn’t quite as concerning.

Scouting Report

Highlights

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Ohio State National Signing Day tracker - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State National Signing Day tracker
247Sports
Today is a big day for the Buckeyes, National Signing Day. Urban Meyer is set to put the finishing touches on “Supreme 18,” which could be Meyer's first No. 1 recruiting class since he has been at Ohio State. As the day begins the Buckeyes have 22 ...
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Full Bios: Introducing OSU's #Supreme18 recruiting class - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Full Bios: Introducing OSU's #Supreme18 recruiting class
247Sports
Welcome to the National Signing Day Part 2 for college football's 2018 recruiting calendar! The NCAA instituted an early signing period for the 2018 recruiting cycle. On Dec. 20, Ohio State signed 21 prospects for this year's class. The “traditional ...

and more »

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Ohio State Football Recruiting: Grading the Buckeyes 2018 class - FanSided
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Ohio State Football Recruiting: Grading the Buckeyes 2018 class
FanSided
The Ohio State football program will look to build off another strong year by adding top-tier recruits to the 2018 team. The Ohio State football program remains among the best in the nation. It barely missed the recent College Football Playoff ...
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Full Bios: Introducing OSU's #Supreme18 recruiting class - 247Sports
via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


Full Bios: Introducing OSU's #Supreme18 recruiting class
247Sports
Welcome to the National Signing Day Part 2 for college football's 2018 recruiting calendar! The NCAA instituted an early signing period for the 2018 recruiting cycle. On Dec. 20, Ohio State signed 21 prospects for this year's class. The “traditional ...

and more »

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How to watch No. 14 Ohio State vs. No. 3 Purdue: Preview, game time, live streaming online
Meredith Hein via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here


The Buckeyes face their toughest test of the season as they travel to West Lafayette tonight.

The No. 14 Ohio State Buckeyes men’s basketball team is heading into its toughest contest of the year as they face the No. 3 Purdue Boilermakers in West Lafayette, Ind., tonight.

Bragging rights are on the line, too, as the Boilermakers sit atop the conference standings with a perfect 12-0 conference record. Ohio State is just behind—their lone loss to Penn State is the only blemish on an 11-1 conference record. After the Boilermakers face Ohio State tonight, they head to East Lansing, Mich., to battle Michigan State on Saturday. Win the pair, and the championship is all but won for the Boilermakers. Drop one, and Purdue could lose out on the top spot in the conference tournament. If Ohio State wins, they’ll hold the tiebreaker over Purdue and have an inside shot at the No. 1-seed.

The Buckeyes are winners of two straight after falling to Penn State. Sunday, Ohio State completed a comeback win over Illinois, overcoming a double-digit first-half deficit for the 75-67 win. Keita Bates-Diop was once again the hero of the hour, leading the Buckeyes in scoring with 35 points and 13 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season. Ohio State earned the win without Kam Williams, its best three-point shooter, who was suspended indefinitely prior to the matchup. The Buckeyes will be without Williams once again this evening.

Purdue is currently riding a 19-game win streak, and is undefeated at Mackey Arena this season. Most recently, the Boilermakers pulled out a narrow win at Rutgers Saturday. Led by seniors Vincent Edwards and Isaac Haas, Purdue survived a second-half surge by the Scarlet Knights--a team that has won just two conference games.

Matt Painter is in his 13th season as head coach at Purdue, and is the second-longest tenured coach in the Big Ten behind Tom Izzo. He holds a 288-144 overall record with the Boilermakers. Painter has taken Purdue to the NCAA Tournament nine times with three Sweet 16 appearances, including one last season.

The Boilermakers lost just one player from last year’s starting lineup. Unfortunately for them, that player was Caleb Swanigan, last season’s Big Ten Player of the Year, who was selected with the 26th overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.

Painter is just 8-16 against the Buckeyes, but Purdue holds the all-time series advantage 86-83. Ohio State dropped its last game against Purdue last season 76-75 in Columbus. Overall, the Buckeyes are 813-714 against current members of the Big Ten.

Numbers to know

4


How many times Keita Bates-Diop has won Big Ten Player of the Week honors this season. In a closely-contested match against Illinois, the junior forward recorded a career-high 35 points--nearly half of Ohio State’s point total on the day. He also hit 13 free throws--another career high. This season, Bates-Diop leads the Big Ten in scoring with 20.2 points per game. He is also third in the conference in rebounding with 8.9 boards per outing. Tonight, Bates-Diop will be going up against Vincent Edwards, who, along with fellow Boilermakers Isaac Haas and Carsen Edwards, has one Player of the Week honor this season. Bates-Diop is also a strong contender for Big Ten Player of the Year. If he wins, he would be the first Buckeye to receive the honor since Evan Turner in 2010. Moreover, he was added yesterday to the late season Wooden Award watch list as one of the top-20 players in the country.

1.6


Purdue’s assist-to-turnover ratio, which is the best in the Big Ten and fourth in the NCAA. The Boilermakers are led by shooting guard Dakota Mathias, whose individual ratio is a mind-dumbing 3.3, good for 10th in the country. The Boilermakers are averaging just 11 turnovers per game. Mathias himself gives the ball up 1.4 times per game, but makes up for it with 4.4 assists per outing. While Ohio State’s 12 turnovers per game does not seem that far off from Purdue’s average, the Buckeyes coughed the ball up a whopping 15 against Illinois, with six coming from Bates-Diop alone. Ohio State currently boasts a 1.2 assist to turnover ratio, which has improved since the start of the season, but still reflects the turnover issues that Ohio State has faced. Against a team like Purdue, which does not make a lot of mistakes, the Buckeyes will have to play a much cleaner game than what they demonstrated against the Illini.

42.8%


Purdue’s average from three-point range. That’s third in the NCAA and best in the Big Ten. The Boilermakers average 10 threes per game, and are led by senior guard P.J. Thompson and Mathias, both of whom are shooting above 45 percent from the perimeter. While the big men often get the credit at Purdue for their role in the paint, they have the added bonus of opening up the outside threat which poses a matchup problem for defenses. Ohio State, meanwhile, is shooting a respectable 35.5 percent from range on the season, but has already struggled in their single game without Kam Williams, their leading three-point shooter on the season. Against Illinois, the Buckeyes went just 3-for-16 from behind the arc.

Cast of characters

Ohio State

Kaleb Wesson


The freshman, who most recently started at center, is the Buckeyes’ most formidable big man on the floor this season, and he will have a lot to contend with this evening from Purdue’s front court. Wesson, a two-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week, has been one of the most reliable shooters on Chris Holtmann’s squad, connecting on more than 58 percent of his shots from the field. While his minutes are not as significant as Bates-Diop, Jae’Sean Tate or C.J. Jackson, he is still averaging in double figures this season. He is also one of the hottest players in college basketball at the moment. Against Indiana, Wesson was a perfect 7-for-7 from the field. That mark came after a 4-for-4 performance in Ohio State’s loss to Penn State. The freshman has come a long way during his first season with the Buckeyes, and tonight will be a chance to see just how much he has improved.

Jae’Sean Tate


While Wesson, Bates-Diop and Jackson have all emerged as vastly improved players this season, senior forward Jae’Sean Tate has quietly filled a supporting role that has been crucial to the Buckeyes’ success thus far. Last season, Tate led Ohio State in scoring with 14.3 points per game. This year, however, Tate has taken a step back as more of a role player, as the likes of Bates-Diop, Wesson and Jackson have all stepped up to pick up the pieces that Tate often carried alone previously. The senior is averaging 12.8 points per game this season, while his minutes have decreased from 32 to 30 per game. However, his field goal percentage has remained consistent, shooting greater than 55 percent from the field this season.

Purdue

Vincent Edwards


The senior forward from Middletown, Ohio is Bates-Diop’s top competition for Big Ten Player of the Year honors this season. Last week, like his Ohio State counterpart, Edwards played through illness to push his team to victories against Rutgers and Maryland. He recorded a team-high 18 points against the Scarlet Knights and, despite vomiting on his arrival in New Jersey for the game, played for 36 minutes. While he is behind Carsen Edwards (not related) in scoring, the big man has made adjustments heading into his final season as a Boilermaker and has become a force down low along with Isaac Haas. Edwards is shooting nearly 50 percent from the field, including 41 percent from three-point range, and is highly-efficient on the offensive side of the ball. Against No. 25 Michigan last month, Edwards scored 30 points on 9-for-11 shooting. Ohio State will have its hands full with the pair of Edwards and Haas down low.

Isaac Haas


In a word, the senior center from Alabama is enormous. Seriously. He is 7-foot-2, 290 pounds, and, in his fourth year with the program, is finally the allegorical big man on campus with the departure of Caleb Swanigan. While there is little to knock from his first three seasons with the Boilermakers, Haas has come into his own this year, truly owning Purdue’s front court while averaging 14.5 points per game. Given his size and strength, few have been able to defend him one-on-one, and he creates a severe mismatch for defenses who attempt a double-team--something that has been a vast improvement in his play from previous seasons. A threat in the paint, Haas is shooting greater than 61 percent from the field on the season, and has been Vincent Edwards’ go-to outlet below the basket. Coincidentally, Haas has not attempted a single three-point shot his entire college career, but is surrounded by a myriad of sharpshooters from distance whom the Buckeyes will need to contend with.

How to watch


Game time: 8:30 p.m. EST

TV: BTN

Radio: 97.1 WBNS-FM

Streaming: BTN2Go

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via Google News using key phrase "Buckeyes".


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247Sports
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