Indiana Basketball vs Ohio State: Know your opponent, preview, and prediction
By Adam Childs
The Indiana basketball team travels to Ohio State on Saturday looking for the season sweep of the Buckeyes.
The Indiana Hoosiers (15-6, 5-5) are trying to halt a two-game losing streak when they head to Columbus on Saturday to take on the Buckeyes. After a big upset win at home against Michigan State, the Hoosiers blew a late lead to Maryland on Sunday and lost at Penn State on Wednesday night.
Ohio State (13-7, 3-6) is coming off a win against Northwestern on Sunday, but that was just their second win in their last eight games. Once considered possibly the number one team in the country, the Buckeyes have really struggled to score and win games since entering the heart of the Big Ten part of their schedule.
It looked as though the Hoosiers may have figured out their second-half woes in their win against Michigan State and loss to Maryland, but it reared its ugly head in their loss at Penn State. Indiana was tied with the Nittany Lions at halftime but scored just 21 second-half points as they lost the game 64-49.
The Buckeyes will be shorthanded on Saturday as freshmen point guard DJ Carton announced he was taking a leave from the team to deal with mental health issues. Carton was the third leading scorer for Ohio State at 10.4 points per game and he had just had his best game of the year scoring 17 in their win against Northwestern. He had played in all 20 games this year for the Buckeyes and will be tough to replace.
This game is going to be a battle of two teams that have struggled to score points for a large portion of the year. The loss of Carton for the Buckeyes is even bigger given their lack of scoring. The Hoosiers are still looking for consistency from anyone other than Trayce Jackson-Davis. If they can get production from their guards and especially from the outside they will be in good shape in this game. If not they will be in trouble.
The Hoosiers have been playing better basketball than the Buckeyes lately until their second half against Penn State. It is tough to win on the road especially this year in the Big Ten, but the loss of Carton might be too much for the Buckeyes and it gives the Hoosiers a great opportunity to pick up a big road win. Both teams need this game badly. Look for a low scoring defensive battle and the team that can hit the most outside shots will win the game. Keep an eye also on the turnovers as both teams struggle to take care of the ball.
This game is going to be a close game to the very end but the Hoosiers come away with a rare road win.
light. Related Story. 3 Keys To Game vs Ohio State
Key Storylines
Indiana
Can the Hoosiers bounce back from two straight tough losses and get a big road win? Indiana has just one road win and that was against Nebraska, can they finally beat a good team on the road? Will Indiana avoid their second-half slumps? Who will step up from the outside for the Hoosiers to free up Jackson-Davis and Joey Brunk down low? Can the Hoosiers complete the season sweep of the Buckeyes?
Ohio State
Can the Buckeyes get a win over a quality opponent for the first time in a month? Will turnovers continue to plague Ohio State? Can someone outside of Kaleb Wesson strike fear in the Hoosiers? Can the Buckeyes reach 70 points? Will they be able to slow down Jackson-Davis again (only 6 points in the first meeting)? Can Ohio State protect their home court? How will they deal with the sudden departure of point guard DJ Carton?
Key Players
Indiana
Trayce Jackson-Davis (14.0 ppg, 7.9 rpg), Justin Smith (11.6 ppg, 5.6 rpg), Devonte Green (10.4 ppg, 34.1% 3pt), Al Durham (10.0 ppg, 36.5% 3pt)
Ohio State
Kaleb Wesson (13.9 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 40.9% 3pt), Duane Washington Jr.(11.2 ppg, 42.9% 3pt), Andre Wesson (9.6 ppg, 44.6% 3pt)
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