Records
Ohio State 20-9 (10-8), Illinois 20-9 (12-6)
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Thursday, March 5
Game Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Value City Arena, Columbus, OH
Network: ESPN
There may be no shot at a Big Ten regular-season title, but this one still means a ton. It’s senior night at the Schott and the Buckeyes will be looking to send Andre Wesson and Danny Hummer off with a win.
In the case of Wesson, he’s turned himself into a very, very valuable member of this team that has an all-around game that creates matchup nightmares. Hummer may not be on the court a lot, but a guy like him is a leader by example and in practice.
Aside from senior night, there’s still a lot to determine as far as seeding goes in the very congested middle of the Big Ten standings. Ohio State currently sits in seventh place, but is just one game out of fifth, and two games out of fourth where Illinois is hanging around.
But below the Buckeyes, there are four teams still in striking distance to overcome OSU for a better position in the Big Ten Tournament. Chris Holtmann and crew would like to keep the positive momentum going towards all that comes with playing in March.
Odds via BetMGM. Access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Thursday at 2:00 p.m. ET.
Next … The Ohio State game plan
Ohio State cliff notes game plan
This is going to be a game of conflicting tempos. Illinois wants to play fast and speed things up, while Ohio State will need to try and get into half-court sets on offense, and keep the Illini from running out with easy baskets on the other end.
And remember, the Buckeyes don’t exactly have a lot of depth to work with right now with D.J. Carton still on the mend, Kyle Young nursing an ankle injury, and Alonzo Gaffney dealing with something that has yet to be shared healthwise.
That means OSU might want to get into more zone on defense so that the man-to-man guarding and breaking down off the dribble Illinois likes to do won’t wear the team out. Rebounding is tough out of a zone, so each guy has to find a man and limit second-chance points.
On offense, the template is set. Play through Kaleb Wesson when you can, but look for the outside shot. Ohio State continues to lead the Big Ten in 3-point shooting, and it’ll have to have its perimeter players spot up and knock down the long ball when Illinois is in scramble mode on defense.
Next … Key Player And Prediction
Key Player For Ohio State
Justin Ahrens. Probably not the guy you would think of to determine the outcome of this one, but with the pace Illinois likes to play with, Ahrens will probably have to be used more than other games. His game is spot up and bomb away, and I look for the Illini to try and neutralize the other three-point shooters. He might find open shots more than any other player, and if and when he does, he has to deliver.
How It’ll All Go Down
Ohio State might be favored in this one, but this game spells trouble to me. With how thin the Buckeyes are, I don’t know that the pace the Illini are going to play with is something that OSU can withstand for the entire game. Look for this game to be close early on, but as it gets deeper into the contest, some turnovers and run-outs by Illinois will make all the difference because of a tired Ohio State squad.
Final Score
Illinois 74, Ohio State 66
Line
Ohio State … -5.5
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