Jami Jurich
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Ohio State Men’s Basketball vs. Rutgers: Game Preview and Prediction
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Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK
Can the Buckeyes finish the regular season on a four-game win streak, or will they restart their recently-snapped road loss streak?
Despite the many bumps in the road this year, Ohio State looks to end the regular season the way they started all the way back in November—by winning 4-of-5. Last stop: Piscataway, New Jersey, where they will face Rutgers.
In the wake of head coach Chris Holtmann’s firing after the Feb. 13 loss to Wisconsin, OSU seems to have found its stride. They’ve gone 4-1 under interim head coach Jake Diebler, winning their last three consecutive games. They upset No. 3 Purdue in Diebler’s first game as interim head coach. And they snapped their program-record 17-game road loss streak against Michigan State with a buzzer-beater.
Sunday’s trip to Jersey Mike’s Arena will be the Buckeyes’ first road game since their win in East Lansing. It’s a notoriously loud arena, making it a tough place to play on the road, and we can expect it to be even louder, as Sunday marks the Scarlet Knights’ senior night. The Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them.
But while OSU finds itself clawing its way out of its winter doldrums, Rutgers has found itself in a slump as of late, something OSU would do well to capitalize on.
The Buckeyes have had a week to rest since they thrashed the Michigan Wolverines last Sunday, 84-61, in Columbus.
Led by Bruce Thornton, who put up 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists against the Wolverines, OSU jumped to an early 10-2 lead (in part thanks to four Thornton free throws. He went 10-for-10 on frees in the game).
Eight first-half points from Thornton, coupled with eight from Zed Key, sent the Buckeyes into halftime with a 32-27 lead. But Thornton wasn’t the only Buckeye who was hot on Sunday.
To open the second half, the Buckeyes jumped out to a 10-0 run, thanks in large part to four points from Roddy Gayle, who finished the game with 15. Michigan got within six before OSU hit two consecutive threes and took it home from there. Dale Bonner also went 4-for-4, for 10 points.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25327282/usa_today_22686863.jpg "Syndication: The Columbus Dispatch")
Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes outshot the Wolverines by a decisive 56.3 percent (a season-high) to just 36.4 percent. Now, they’ll look to put the pressure on the Scarlet Knights in similar fashion. A win on Sunday would position OSU to get as high as a No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament (if Minnesota and Penn State both also lose Sunday), while a loss could send them down to a No. 11 seed.
Rutgers (15-15, 7-12), for its part, has lost five of their last six, with their only win in that time coming against Michigan, 82-52. They return home after losing two on the road, most recently falling to Wisconsin, 78-66, despite leading, 47-40, with under 15 in the game.
The Scarlet Knights are led by Jeremiah Williams, who put up 16 points against Wisconsin and is averaging 13.3 points per game, and by Clifford Omoruyi, who is averaging 10.7 points and 8.5 rebounds. Against Wisconsin, Gavin Griffiths came off the bench to put up 14 points, including four three-pointers.
In the team’s last matchup, a Jan. 3 showdown in Columbus, Ohio State came away with a 76-72 victory, on the back of Thornton and Jamison Battle. Thornton put up 24 points in that matchup and tied his career-high with seven assists. Battle finished with 22 points, including six three-pointers.
It was the last time the Buckeyes hit double-digit threes this season, making 11 as a unit.
The last time the teams faced off in New Jersey, the game went into overtime, with the Knights edging out OSU, 76-72, in the end.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25327284/usa_today_22718418.jpg "Syndication: Journal Sentinel")
Mark Hoffman/Milwaukee Journal Sentinel / USA TODAY NETWORK
The Buckeyes have something to prove — that the season isn’t a wash. That they’re more than their slump. That maybe, just maybe, Holtmann wasn’t the right guy for the job and they had the skills all along.
Rutgers also has something to prove—at home on senior night, no less.
This Rutgers team is mismatched. They rank No. 4 in the country on defense according to KenPom, something Ohio State will have to account for offensively. But on offense, the Scarlet Knights are just No. 276, and as a team, they’ve sunk fast in recent weeks.
Add to that the fact that Rutgers’ Mawot Mag is questionable, having missed five of the last seven games with a calf injury. He’s an enormous defensive presence for the Knights, so if he has to sit, it would further crack open the door for a Buckeye victory.
Though the Buckeyes have won just one true road game this season, they are playing their best basketball, and Rutgers’ home record is only 5-4 against Big Ten teams. While it’s a long shot, a win on Sunday, a stellar tournament performance from the Buckeyes could get them an at-large bid in the tournament, so there is a lot on the line for them beyond just pride.
I expect that motivation, along with their newfound confidence, to keep the Buckeye train on its tracks and take OSU into Victory Station against Rutgers.
ESPN BPI: Rutgers 53.7%
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
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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
Brooke LaValley / USA TODAY NETWORK
Can the Buckeyes finish the regular season on a four-game win streak, or will they restart their recently-snapped road loss streak?
Despite the many bumps in the road this year, Ohio State looks to end the regular season the way they started all the way back in November—by winning 4-of-5. Last stop: Piscataway, New Jersey, where they will face Rutgers.
In the wake of head coach Chris Holtmann’s firing after the Feb. 13 loss to Wisconsin, OSU seems to have found its stride. They’ve gone 4-1 under interim head coach Jake Diebler, winning their last three consecutive games. They upset No. 3 Purdue in Diebler’s first game as interim head coach. And they snapped their program-record 17-game road loss streak against Michigan State with a buzzer-beater.
Sunday’s trip to Jersey Mike’s Arena will be the Buckeyes’ first road game since their win in East Lansing. It’s a notoriously loud arena, making it a tough place to play on the road, and we can expect it to be even louder, as Sunday marks the Scarlet Knights’ senior night. The Buckeyes will have their work cut out for them.
But while OSU finds itself clawing its way out of its winter doldrums, Rutgers has found itself in a slump as of late, something OSU would do well to capitalize on.
Preview
The Buckeyes have had a week to rest since they thrashed the Michigan Wolverines last Sunday, 84-61, in Columbus.
Led by Bruce Thornton, who put up 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists against the Wolverines, OSU jumped to an early 10-2 lead (in part thanks to four Thornton free throws. He went 10-for-10 on frees in the game).
Eight first-half points from Thornton, coupled with eight from Zed Key, sent the Buckeyes into halftime with a 32-27 lead. But Thornton wasn’t the only Buckeye who was hot on Sunday.
To open the second half, the Buckeyes jumped out to a 10-0 run, thanks in large part to four points from Roddy Gayle, who finished the game with 15. Michigan got within six before OSU hit two consecutive threes and took it home from there. Dale Bonner also went 4-for-4, for 10 points.
The Buckeyes outshot the Wolverines by a decisive 56.3 percent (a season-high) to just 36.4 percent. Now, they’ll look to put the pressure on the Scarlet Knights in similar fashion. A win on Sunday would position OSU to get as high as a No. 9 seed in the Big Ten Tournament (if Minnesota and Penn State both also lose Sunday), while a loss could send them down to a No. 11 seed.
Rutgers (15-15, 7-12), for its part, has lost five of their last six, with their only win in that time coming against Michigan, 82-52. They return home after losing two on the road, most recently falling to Wisconsin, 78-66, despite leading, 47-40, with under 15 in the game.
The Scarlet Knights are led by Jeremiah Williams, who put up 16 points against Wisconsin and is averaging 13.3 points per game, and by Clifford Omoruyi, who is averaging 10.7 points and 8.5 rebounds. Against Wisconsin, Gavin Griffiths came off the bench to put up 14 points, including four three-pointers.
In the team’s last matchup, a Jan. 3 showdown in Columbus, Ohio State came away with a 76-72 victory, on the back of Thornton and Jamison Battle. Thornton put up 24 points in that matchup and tied his career-high with seven assists. Battle finished with 22 points, including six three-pointers.
It was the last time the Buckeyes hit double-digit threes this season, making 11 as a unit.
The last time the teams faced off in New Jersey, the game went into overtime, with the Knights edging out OSU, 76-72, in the end.
Prediction
The Buckeyes have something to prove — that the season isn’t a wash. That they’re more than their slump. That maybe, just maybe, Holtmann wasn’t the right guy for the job and they had the skills all along.
Rutgers also has something to prove—at home on senior night, no less.
This Rutgers team is mismatched. They rank No. 4 in the country on defense according to KenPom, something Ohio State will have to account for offensively. But on offense, the Scarlet Knights are just No. 276, and as a team, they’ve sunk fast in recent weeks.
Add to that the fact that Rutgers’ Mawot Mag is questionable, having missed five of the last seven games with a calf injury. He’s an enormous defensive presence for the Knights, so if he has to sit, it would further crack open the door for a Buckeye victory.
Though the Buckeyes have won just one true road game this season, they are playing their best basketball, and Rutgers’ home record is only 5-4 against Big Ten teams. While it’s a long shot, a win on Sunday, a stellar tournament performance from the Buckeyes could get them an at-large bid in the tournament, so there is a lot on the line for them beyond just pride.
I expect that motivation, along with their newfound confidence, to keep the Buckeye train on its tracks and take OSU into Victory Station against Rutgers.
ESPN BPI: Rutgers 53.7%
Time: 2 p.m. ET
TV: BTN
LGHL Score Prediction: Ohio State 74, Rutgers 68
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