ScriptOhio
Everybody is somebody else's weirdo.
For months, Ohio State had its opponent for the weekend.
As part of the annual CBS Sports Classic, the Buckeyes were fully prepared to take on North Carolina at Cleveland's Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. Not even the pandemic shifted those plans – until Tuesday.
WHO WHERE WHEN TV
UCLA (5-1) Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse (Cleveland, Ohio) 4:30 p.m. CBS
That night, head coach Chris Holtmann was alerted to a conflict of sorts between Kentucky and UCLA – the other two schools contracted to participate in the event – over the COVID-19 protocols. Abiding with the Pac-12's daily antigen testing, UCLA's standards are more stringent than the SEC's. So, a switch from the Tar Heels to the Bruins in order to align UCLA with a Big Ten opponent under stricter coronavirus protocols was proposed to Holtmann. Wednesday morning, Holtmann called Roy Williams to confirm he'd be fine with the decision as long as it kept the event in tact, and he was.
That afternoon, the CBS Sports Classic made the opponent change official. So, on short notice, No. 20 Ohio State (5-1) will take on UCLA (5-1) at 4:30 p.m. Saturday as it looks to bounce back from its first loss of the season.
THREE THINGS TO WATCH HEALTH IMPROVING?
Ohio State was missing four players in its 67-60 loss to Purdue, and it'll likely be without three again on Saturday.
Ibrahima Diallo's "still recovering" from a concussion and won't play. Mid-year enrollee Meechie Johnson traveled with the team to his home town of Cleveland yet won't debut as a Buckeye until January at the earliest. Seth Towns continues to work his way back from a knee injury that has kept him out for over 1,000 days. Holtmann doesn't have a timeline for his return, saying it "could be in a month or it could be in a couple days."
But most importantly, E.J. Liddell is expected to play versus the Bruins. His return from mononucleosis was first reported by CBS Sports' Jon Rothstein and confirmed by Eleven Warriors. It's unclear how many minutes he'll play after dealing with fatigue since being diagnosed. He participated in Friday's practice but was limited. The absence of the team's leading scorer and rebounder was felt in Wednesday's game, and his return to the court will be a big deal alongside Kyle Young – who's dealing with ankle soreness – and Zed Key.
UCLA's frontcourt will challenge the healthy bodies on the Buckeyes' roster. Cody Riley, a 6-foot-9, 255-pound starting forward, records 8.8 points and five rebounds per game. Coming off the bench is long-armed Jalen Hill, a 6-foot-10, 245-pound center who's averaging 8.8 points, 7.8 rebounds and 1.75 blocks per game.
Prediction: Ohio State 71, UCLA 67
