Jami Jurich
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Ohio State men’s basketball vs. Indiana State: Game preview and prediction
Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
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Hot off a 20-point win over ranked Kentucky, the Buckeyes will try to capitalize on their momentum as they welcome Indiana State to Columbus.
After more than a week off for the Christmas Break, Ohio State is back in Columbus this afternoon to finish out the season’s non-conference play against Indiana State.
The Buckeyes (8-4 overall, 6-1 at home) head home after a marquee 20-point win, 85-65, over No. 4 Kentucky—only the second loss of the year for the Wildcats—after a lights-out performance from junior guard Bruce Thornton.
Indiana State (8-4 overall, 2-1 away) currently sits atop the Missouri Valley Conference after carrying a five-game win streak into the Christmas Break and into their matchup with the Buckeyes. This is also their final non-conference matchup this year.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Buckeyes have already faced two other MVC opponents this season (Evansville and Valparaiso) and won both those contests.
The Sycamores are averaging 84.4 points per game, with a 50.5% percent field goal average (12th in the country).
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25808710/usa_today_25043726.jpg "NCAA Basketball: CBS Sports Classic-Ohio State at Kentucky")
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Carried not just by Thornton’s career-best performance, but also by a spectacular defensive effort and a sharing of the offensive load, the Buckeyes’ win over Kentucky was perhaps their best collective effort to-date this season.
Thornton had a career-high 30 points in the Madison Square Garden outing, followed by freshman John Mobley Jr., who had 15 points and three assists in his second collegiate start.
Also stellar for the Buckeyes was Aaron Bradshaw, who returned to the court off the bench against his former team and made his first five shots to finish with 11 points and two steals.
Though Kentucky, the nation’s top-scoring offense heading into the game against OSU, narrowly led the Buckeyes early (8-7 at the first media timeout, 21-20 shortly thereafter), an 8-0 Ohio State run put the Buckeyes ahead, and they carried a 39-30 lead into the break after holding the Wildcats to its lowest-scoring half of the season so far.
Ohio State continued to keep Kentucky at arm’s length in the second half, opening with a 6-0 run and never giving up the lead. The Wildcats shot a season-worst 29.8 percent.
On the season, Thornton currently leads the Buckeyes in scoring, averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game. Mobley is putting up 12.9 points per game, while Devin Royal is also scoring in double-digits, with 14.9 points per game. Royal also leads the team in rebounds with 7.8.
Meechie Johnson Jr., who has been a major presence for the Buckeyes with an average of almost 29 minutes per game, has missed the last two games and has not yet announced a return date as takes an indefinite leave of absence to handle a personal matter.
But even without Johnson, the Buckeyes looked to be in a rhythm we hadn’t yet seen from them this season against the Wildcats, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
On the other side, the Sycamores also seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect point in the season. Their most recent win, which extended their win-streak to five, was a 101-53 thumping of the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy, at home in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Indiana State shot 58.3% in the contest, marking their second-best outing of the season (their best was 60.7% versus Tarleton State), and they made a season-high 42 field goals. Sophomore Jahni Summers led the way for the Sycamores with a season-high 22 points, including 6-of-9 from three-point range.
In addition to heating up on offense, Indiana State also managed to contain turnovers, recording just nine in the game (the fewest in a single outing this season).
Three Sycamores are averaging double-digit points per game, led by guard Samage Teel who is good for 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-leading 4.3 assists per game. He also leads the team in steals. Forwards Jaden Daughtry and Markus Harding are averaging 10.4 points and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Harding leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game, and Daughtry is also adding 4.6 rebounds per game.
As a team, Indiana State is fifth in the country in effective field goal percentage, and their average of 11-made three pointers per game is the 12th-best in the nation.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25808714/usa_today_24900460.jpg "Syndication: Evansville Courier and Press")
MaCabe Brown / Courier & Press / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
It’s time for teams to get serious about their postseason prospects heading into January, and the Buckeyes rose to the occasion against Kentucky. Now, against Indiana State, they should have no trouble building on their pre-holiday momentum to extend their win streak to three.
It should prove a good opportunity for Ohio State to get back in the swing of things after the holidays and work out any remaining kinks in advance of their upcoming home game against No. 18 Michigan State.
The Buckeyes have proven they have the potential to be a spoil, but whether they have the potential for even more will come down to how deep they can dig and how consistent they can be into January.
While Indiana State won’t give this game away, it’s unlikely they’ll keep it close past the first half. They haven’t really faced a team of the Buckeyes’ caliber yet this season, and given the recent momentum we’ve seen from Ohio State, Indiana State, ultimately, will be mismatched on the road here.
The Buckeyes will have to be careful not to get caught looking ahead to Michigan State, which could open the door for the Sycamores to lock in offensively and give OSU some trouble, but if the Buckeyes remain as cohesive and well-rounded as they did against the Wildcats, this should be a solid home win for them.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 94.7%
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
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Jami Jurich via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
John Jones-Imagn Images
Hot off a 20-point win over ranked Kentucky, the Buckeyes will try to capitalize on their momentum as they welcome Indiana State to Columbus.
After more than a week off for the Christmas Break, Ohio State is back in Columbus this afternoon to finish out the season’s non-conference play against Indiana State.
The Buckeyes (8-4 overall, 6-1 at home) head home after a marquee 20-point win, 85-65, over No. 4 Kentucky—only the second loss of the year for the Wildcats—after a lights-out performance from junior guard Bruce Thornton.
Indiana State (8-4 overall, 2-1 away) currently sits atop the Missouri Valley Conference after carrying a five-game win streak into the Christmas Break and into their matchup with the Buckeyes. This is also their final non-conference matchup this year.
It will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs. The Buckeyes have already faced two other MVC opponents this season (Evansville and Valparaiso) and won both those contests.
The Sycamores are averaging 84.4 points per game, with a 50.5% percent field goal average (12th in the country).
Preview
Carried not just by Thornton’s career-best performance, but also by a spectacular defensive effort and a sharing of the offensive load, the Buckeyes’ win over Kentucky was perhaps their best collective effort to-date this season.
Thornton had a career-high 30 points in the Madison Square Garden outing, followed by freshman John Mobley Jr., who had 15 points and three assists in his second collegiate start.
Also stellar for the Buckeyes was Aaron Bradshaw, who returned to the court off the bench against his former team and made his first five shots to finish with 11 points and two steals.
Though Kentucky, the nation’s top-scoring offense heading into the game against OSU, narrowly led the Buckeyes early (8-7 at the first media timeout, 21-20 shortly thereafter), an 8-0 Ohio State run put the Buckeyes ahead, and they carried a 39-30 lead into the break after holding the Wildcats to its lowest-scoring half of the season so far.
Ohio State continued to keep Kentucky at arm’s length in the second half, opening with a 6-0 run and never giving up the lead. The Wildcats shot a season-worst 29.8 percent.
On the season, Thornton currently leads the Buckeyes in scoring, averaging 16.1 points and 5.1 assists per game. Mobley is putting up 12.9 points per game, while Devin Royal is also scoring in double-digits, with 14.9 points per game. Royal also leads the team in rebounds with 7.8.
Meechie Johnson Jr., who has been a major presence for the Buckeyes with an average of almost 29 minutes per game, has missed the last two games and has not yet announced a return date as takes an indefinite leave of absence to handle a personal matter.
But even without Johnson, the Buckeyes looked to be in a rhythm we hadn’t yet seen from them this season against the Wildcats, and it couldn’t have come at a more perfect time.
On the other side, the Sycamores also seem to be hitting their stride at the perfect point in the season. Their most recent win, which extended their win-streak to five, was a 101-53 thumping of the University of Health Sciences & Pharmacy, at home in Terre Haute, Indiana.
Indiana State shot 58.3% in the contest, marking their second-best outing of the season (their best was 60.7% versus Tarleton State), and they made a season-high 42 field goals. Sophomore Jahni Summers led the way for the Sycamores with a season-high 22 points, including 6-of-9 from three-point range.
In addition to heating up on offense, Indiana State also managed to contain turnovers, recording just nine in the game (the fewest in a single outing this season).
Three Sycamores are averaging double-digit points per game, led by guard Samage Teel who is good for 17.5 points, 4.9 rebounds and a team-leading 4.3 assists per game. He also leads the team in steals. Forwards Jaden Daughtry and Markus Harding are averaging 10.4 points and 10.3 points per game, respectively. Harding leads the team with 5.1 rebounds per game, and Daughtry is also adding 4.6 rebounds per game.
As a team, Indiana State is fifth in the country in effective field goal percentage, and their average of 11-made three pointers per game is the 12th-best in the nation.
Prediction
It’s time for teams to get serious about their postseason prospects heading into January, and the Buckeyes rose to the occasion against Kentucky. Now, against Indiana State, they should have no trouble building on their pre-holiday momentum to extend their win streak to three.
It should prove a good opportunity for Ohio State to get back in the swing of things after the holidays and work out any remaining kinks in advance of their upcoming home game against No. 18 Michigan State.
The Buckeyes have proven they have the potential to be a spoil, but whether they have the potential for even more will come down to how deep they can dig and how consistent they can be into January.
While Indiana State won’t give this game away, it’s unlikely they’ll keep it close past the first half. They haven’t really faced a team of the Buckeyes’ caliber yet this season, and given the recent momentum we’ve seen from Ohio State, Indiana State, ultimately, will be mismatched on the road here.
The Buckeyes will have to be careful not to get caught looking ahead to Michigan State, which could open the door for the Sycamores to lock in offensively and give OSU some trouble, but if the Buckeyes remain as cohesive and well-rounded as they did against the Wildcats, this should be a solid home win for them.
ESPN BPI: Ohio State 94.7%
Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
TV: Big Ten Network
LGHL score prediction: Ohio State 88, Indiana State 65
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