Records
Ohio State 17-10 (7-9), Iowa 21-6 (10-6)
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Tuesday, February 26
Game Time: 7:00 PM
Venue: Value City Arena, Columbus, Ohio
Network: BTN | You can also tune in online with FuboTV. (Try it for free)
It seems like every game over the last couple of weeks for the Buckeyes has been a must-win, and it doesn’t change now with the Iowa Hawkeyes coming to town. Ohio State is sitting more squarely on the bubble as each game goes by, and a loss here could end up being a fatal wound to NCAA Tournament hopes.
Iowa took it to the Buckeyes with their length, athletic ability, and penchant for knocking down shots in Iowa City in the second half, and there’s no doubt it’ll be a tough matchup again.
A win would be just what the doctor ordered here.
Next … The Ohio State Game Plan
Ohio State cliff notes game plan
Though it would be nice to employ some zone against Iowa to protect Kaleb Wesson’s conditioning and penchant for committing fouls, it’s not something that falls in line with how you’d want to play Iowa.
Guard Jordan Bohannon has been on fire from deep, and guarding space will only give him gaps and room to hit shots from beyond the arc. But you have to pick your poison because the front line of Iowa has the toughness and athletic ability to create mismatches on the inside as well.
Ohio State will have to play solid man-to-man defense, mix a little bit of zone in, and rotate guys through on the post while locking down Bohannon on the outside. The defense has to force dribble drives rather than open looks from the perimeter.
Offensively, Ohio State is what it is right now. It’ll try to run things through Wesson, and if he’s unable to be effective, then he’ll have to look to draw double-teams and kick the ball back outside for open shots.
Next … Key Player And Prediction
Key Player For Ohio State
C.J. Jackson. All indications point to Jackson being ready to go in this one. He was out last game due to an injury he sustained against Northwestern, but according to head coach Chris Holtmann he practiced Monday. The Buckeyes no doubt missed his ability to score against Maryland, but he’ll also need to be strong with the ball and not turn it over. The Buckeyes need as many possessions as they can get because the Hawkeyes shoot it well and can really crash the boards.
How It’ll All Go Down
This was a tough game the first time around in Iowa City. The story was a familiar one. The Buckeyes turned the ball over 21 times and it resulted in far too many extra possessions for the Hawkeyes. Kaleb Wesson will struggle going against the Iowa front-line, but Ohio State will be more solid with the ball, keep it close and win a close one in a desperate situation.
Final Score
Ohio State 68, Iowa 64
Line
Ohio State -2
