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Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs Purdue: Game Preview and Prediction
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Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
This is the first game for the Buckeyes since the firing of head coach Chris Holtmann.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team will play its first game since the firing of head coach Chris Holtmann, and it will be a tough debut for interim head coach Jake Diebler, to say the least. The Buckeyes (14-11, 4-10) welcome the No. 2 ranked Purdue Boilermakers (23-2, 12-2) into Columbus for the first and only regular season matchup between the two teams this season.
It has been a long week for the Buckeyes since Ohio State fired Holtmann on Wednesday. Diebler has taken over and has said that they have had some good practices since the news hit, but any news like this would have a huge impact on the team moving forward.
The Buckeyes have six games left, plus the Big Ten Tournament. For the second-straight season, it looks like they will play in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, meaning they are in the last four in the standings.
Purdue is coming into this game on a nine-game winning streak. The Buckeyes are on the opposite end, as they have lost 9 of their last 11 games. The Buckeyes have had a disastrous 2024 so far, as they are 4-10 in the Big Ten after going 5-15 in the conference last season.
Ohio State will honor the 1998-99 team on Sunday. Led by Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn, that team was the first to compete in the Schottenstein Center and finished the year ranked No. 4 in the Coaches Poll.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25202562/usa_today_22216570.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Clare Grant/The Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK
Purdue is led into this matchup by 2023 National Player of the Year, Zach Edey, who also leads the race this season. He is averaging 23.3 points, 11. 8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 61.3 percent from the field. He is the heavy favorite to repeat as both Big Ten POY and National POY.
Sophomore point guard Braden Smith is averaging 12.8 points , 7.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, and has been one of the best point guards in the country this season. Lance Jones, a transfer from Southern Illinois, is also averaging 12.8 points per game and has been a huge spark for Purdue this season.
Fletcher Loyer is averaging 10.7 points per game. Mason Gillis, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Myles Colvin, and Caleb Furst have also all been solid producers for the Boilermakers team and aiding in their depth.
Purdue has bounced back from its defeat against 16-seed Farleigh Dickinson in the best possible way, with its only losses coming at Northwestern and at Nebraska — two of the toughest places to play in the conference this season.
For Ohio State, Bruce Thornton leads the way, averaging 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. Roddy Gayle is averaging 14.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and Jamison Battle is averaging 13.7 and 5.2, respectively. Felix Okpara averages 6.4 points, 6.7 boards and 2.5 blocks per game.
Thornton, Gayle, and Okpara came into the season with a lot of expectations surrounding them and, at times, have all individually looked very solid. However, they have all been inconsistent, and it has hurt the overall team since the depth has been lacking as well.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25292266/usa_today_22534921.jpg "NCAA Basketball: Minnesota at Purdue")
Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
The future is full of unknowns for the Buckeyes. With the firing of Holtmann, it is unclear who will stay for next season for the Buckeyes. The transfer portal did open up for all players for 30 days after Holtmann was fired, and according to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch, none of the players will exercise that option until the season ends, at the earliest.
The Buckeyes are entering a new phase, but the first game is coming against one of the best teams in the country. I do think they have the talent to keep this close, but Purdue will pull away in the second half and win fairly easily. This is at home, so anything is possible, but Edey is just too much to handle.
ESPN BPI: Purdue 85.9%
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
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justingolba via our friends at Land-Grant Holy Land
Visit their fantastic blog and read the full article (and so much more) here
Robert Goddin-USA TODAY Sports
This is the first game for the Buckeyes since the firing of head coach Chris Holtmann.
The Ohio State men’s basketball team will play its first game since the firing of head coach Chris Holtmann, and it will be a tough debut for interim head coach Jake Diebler, to say the least. The Buckeyes (14-11, 4-10) welcome the No. 2 ranked Purdue Boilermakers (23-2, 12-2) into Columbus for the first and only regular season matchup between the two teams this season.
It has been a long week for the Buckeyes since Ohio State fired Holtmann on Wednesday. Diebler has taken over and has said that they have had some good practices since the news hit, but any news like this would have a huge impact on the team moving forward.
The Buckeyes have six games left, plus the Big Ten Tournament. For the second-straight season, it looks like they will play in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament, meaning they are in the last four in the standings.
Purdue is coming into this game on a nine-game winning streak. The Buckeyes are on the opposite end, as they have lost 9 of their last 11 games. The Buckeyes have had a disastrous 2024 so far, as they are 4-10 in the Big Ten after going 5-15 in the conference last season.
Ohio State will honor the 1998-99 team on Sunday. Led by Michael Redd and Scoonie Penn, that team was the first to compete in the Schottenstein Center and finished the year ranked No. 4 in the Coaches Poll.
Preview
Purdue is led into this matchup by 2023 National Player of the Year, Zach Edey, who also leads the race this season. He is averaging 23.3 points, 11. 8 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game. He is shooting 61.3 percent from the field. He is the heavy favorite to repeat as both Big Ten POY and National POY.
Sophomore point guard Braden Smith is averaging 12.8 points , 7.2 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game, and has been one of the best point guards in the country this season. Lance Jones, a transfer from Southern Illinois, is also averaging 12.8 points per game and has been a huge spark for Purdue this season.
Fletcher Loyer is averaging 10.7 points per game. Mason Gillis, Trey Kaufman-Renn, Myles Colvin, and Caleb Furst have also all been solid producers for the Boilermakers team and aiding in their depth.
Purdue has bounced back from its defeat against 16-seed Farleigh Dickinson in the best possible way, with its only losses coming at Northwestern and at Nebraska — two of the toughest places to play in the conference this season.
For Ohio State, Bruce Thornton leads the way, averaging 15.8 points, 4.2 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. Roddy Gayle is averaging 14.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and Jamison Battle is averaging 13.7 and 5.2, respectively. Felix Okpara averages 6.4 points, 6.7 boards and 2.5 blocks per game.
Thornton, Gayle, and Okpara came into the season with a lot of expectations surrounding them and, at times, have all individually looked very solid. However, they have all been inconsistent, and it has hurt the overall team since the depth has been lacking as well.
Prediction
The future is full of unknowns for the Buckeyes. With the firing of Holtmann, it is unclear who will stay for next season for the Buckeyes. The transfer portal did open up for all players for 30 days after Holtmann was fired, and according to Adam Jardy of the Columbus Dispatch, none of the players will exercise that option until the season ends, at the earliest.
The Buckeyes are entering a new phase, but the first game is coming against one of the best teams in the country. I do think they have the talent to keep this close, but Purdue will pull away in the second half and win fairly easily. This is at home, so anything is possible, but Edey is just too much to handle.
ESPN BPI: Purdue 85.9%
Time: 1 p.m. ET
TV: CBS
LGHL Score Prediction: Purdue 84, Ohio State 75
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