Game Preview: No. 13 Ohio State vs. Penn State
No. 13 Ohio State (12-4) begins an unexpected two-game homestand on Wednesday evening when Penn State (5-6) comes to Columbus. A two-week pause over at Michigan (Penn State’s original mid-week opponent) allowed the Buckeyes and the Nittany Lions to reschedule their previously postponed game from January 6. The homestand will conclude on Sunday afternoon when Michigan State comes to town.
Location: Columbus, Ohio
Game Time: 7 p.m.
TV Coverage: Big Ten Network
Radio Coverage: 97.1 The Fan
Ohio State added to its already impressive resume with yet another top-15 win last Saturday on the road at Wisconsin. The Buckeyes led for the entire game, never once allowing Wisconsin to even up the score. While a once 13-point lead dwindled to four by the final media timeout, Ohio State prevailed for the victory.
Ohio State Overview
It’s officially the halfway point of the Big Ten schedule. After getting off to a rocky 2-3 start, Ohio State has turned things around and won four out of its last five games. The lone loss in that span came at the hands of Purdue, thanks to a last-second 3-point shot; otherwise, the Buckeyes would be pretty close to perfect.
The Big Ten is the deepest conference in the country, though, so a 6-4 record at the halfway mark has Ohio State only tied for fifth. However, the Buckeyes have some control over their own destiny with four more games against three of the top four teams in the Big Ten - Iowa twice, Michigan and Illinois - and they’ve performed well in the biggest games. With some help from other teams too, Ohio State could still see itself climbing the leaderboard.
That said, they can't get caught looking past Penn State. Just because the Nittany Lions' record isn't great doesn't mean Chris Holtmann and company are focused more on the upcoming weekend game against Michigan State. Last time these two teams met, Penn State handled the Buckeyes from start-to-finish.
C.J. Walker saw his first action against the Badgers after missing four games and, boy, did his presence on the floor give the Buckeyes a lift. He played almost 24 minutes off the bench and contributed eight points, two rebounds, three assists and one steal. Whether Walker returns to the starting lineup against the Nittany Lions remains to be seen, but Ohio State will definitely need him on the floor down the stretch.
E.J. Liddell notched 20 points for the second time in three games. The sophomore is clearly rising to the occasion with both of those performances coming on the road against top-15 teams in Illinois and Wisconsin. As the team’s second-leading scorer, Liddell draws a lot of attention from his defenders - rightly so - and he has remained steady and consistent, two qualities that generally spell success for the team.
Despite making only one shot from the floor against Wisconsin, Duane Washington Jr. contributed to the win in plenty of other ways. First things first, he drew five fouls and turned those fouls into points with a perfect 6-for-6 clip from the free-throw line. Additionally, he dished out a team-leading four assists. Ohio State found a way to win without Washington’s offense for one game but it can’t keep doing that for long.
Penn State Overview
After some time off due to COVID-19 issues within the program and an 0-5 start to the Big Ten schedule, Penn State got back on track with two wins last week. Even in their losses, though, the Nittany Lions have shown that they can hang with any team in the conference.
Penn State’s leading scorer, Myreon Jones, has been a picture of consistency this season, scoring double-digits in every game but one. Officially, he also boasts the second-best 3-point shooting percentage in the conference at 41.2 percent. One stat that really sticks out about Jones, though? He is incredibly disciplined on defense as he’s only committed 17 fouls in 330 minutes this season.
Izaiah Brockington steals some of the attention from Jones as the two tend to trade off being the team’s leading scorers from game to game. He was in a little bit of a slump, but has played well the last two games, shooting almost 43 percent from the floor.
John Harrar is one of the best rebounders in the Big Ten and he’s almost unstoppable on the offensive glass. His 3.8 offensive boards per game ties for the best mark in the conference and ranks 10th nationally and Harrar has pulled down 23 in the last four games.
Ohio State Keys
- Adapt to survive - Wednesday’s game only got scheduled three days ago. Before then, Ohio State thought its next game was Sunday against Michigan State. Unpredictability and schedule changes are the nature of the 2020-21 season, though, and the best teams will be able to adapt to the changes and overcome them to survive.
- Crash the boards - The Buckeyes own a rebounding margin of +4.4 on the season, but Harrar’s skills on the offensive glass present a unique challenge. If the Buckeyes can keep him in check, they’ll be able to limit second-chance points and, hopefully, get out and score in transition.
- Take care of the basketball - Penn State averages 8.6 steals per game, best in the Big Ten. Ohio State will need to keep its passing lanes clear in order to not give the Nittany Lions any chances at loose balls.
Matchup to Watch
Penn State’s Myreon Jones vs. Ohio State’s Justin Ahrens
Which sharp-shooter will win this battle? All signs point to Ahrens, who is shooting at a 50.7 percent clip from beyond the arc, which gives him the pure statistical edge in the matchup. Jones has also been a little streaky over the past six games, seesawing between hot and not. He shot 3-of-5 from the 3-point line against Northwestern on Saturday so, if his recent performances are any indication, Jones would be due for an “off” night.
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