Indiana looks to build on its win against Northwestern and get over .500 in Big Ten play when they play host to a struggling Ohio State this Saturday.
Indiana basketball came back from a 10-point second half deficit at home on Wednesday against an underwhelming Northwestern team to win by three points. While the Hoosiers secured the win and brought their conference record to 2-2 and overall record to 12-3, there are concerns surrounding this Hoosiers squad.
Perimeter shooting and turnovers remain the primary weaknesses for this team. Wednesday was no different as Indiana tallied 16 turnovers and shot just 3-of-14 from deep. If Indiana wants to have any chance to beat the Buckeyes at home on Saturday both of these areas need to be improved.
Ohio State will be the toughest team Indiana has played since they beat Florida State in early December. And, the Buckeyes will be extremely motivated and prepared for this game after starting conference play just 1-3. OSU gives up just 58 points per game, which ranks 11th nationally.
Ohio State is similar to Indiana in that they play inside out through their team’s best player, big man Kaleb Wesson. Wesson averages 14.7 points and 9.2 rebounds a game and is third on the team in assists per game (2.1). The match-up between he and Trayce Jackson Davis, who is coming off another 20+ point game, could be indicative of the result of the game. Look for the Hoosiers to feed TJD early and often to try to get Wesson into foul trouble.
Outside of Wesson, Duane Washington Jr. and highly touted freshman DJ Carton are the primary creators for the Buckeyes. Both guards average double-digit points per game, 11.4 and 10.0 points respectively, and can create their own shot. Perimeter defense will need to be a priority for Indiana as the Buckeyes shoot 38 percent from three.
It will be interesting to see how deep Archie Miller goes into his bench for this game. In light of Archie’s recent comments to the media about his uncertainty in the current 11 man rotation, it’s quite possibly some rotation players find themselves on the bench for the entire game, which could impact the game as Ohio State goes nearly 11 deep almost every game.
Key Storylines:
Indiana
Can the Hoosiers put together a complete game? It sounds so simple, but lately it has not been the case for Indiana. There seems to have been at least one five to ten minute stretch in each of the last few games where they find themselves unable to put together anything offensively. Against Northwestern they had a stretch over five minutes where they had double the amount of turnovers than points. Can Al Durham and Justin Smith build on their solid games on Wednesday? If Indiana can play hard and play smart, they’ll have a chance to win. If they continue to have mental lapses and force things, it could get ugly. Rumors are Bob Knight will make a return, which could be a huge boost to the Hoosiers.
Ohio State
Can the Buckeyes get going again offensively? During their current three game losing streak the Buckeyes have shot just 19-of-71 (26 percent) from three and have shot over 40 percent just one time when they shot 40 percent in the loss against Wisconsin. Prior to this three game skid, Ohio State looked like one of the most dangerous offensive teams in the country. If they can get back to hitting from deep and feeding Wesson inside, they could walk out of Assembly Hall with a win.
Key Players
Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis (15.2 ppg, 8.3 rpg), Devonte Green (12.0 ppg, 2.5 apg), Justin Smith (12.2 ppg, 5.5 rpg), Al Durham (11.3 ppg, 2.8 apg)
Ohio State
Kaleb Wesson (14.7 ppg, 9.2 rpg), Duane Washington Jr. (11.4 ppg, 2.7 rpg), DJ Carton (10.0 ppg, 2.7 apg), Andre Wesson (8.4 ppg, 3.8 rpg)