Aside from one blip so far, the Ohio State basketball team has gotten off to a fantastic start. There are wins against Cincinnati and Villanova at home, and a blowout win over North Carolina at the Dean Dome. The lone blemish is the loss on the road in The Barn at Minnesota.
Now the Buckeyes are headed out to the desert to take on an athletic and talented Kentucky Squad. The Wildcats have looked inconsistent at times this year, but there’s no doubt they have the horses per usual to beat anyone in the country.
Ohio State has put together quite the resume early on here in the 2019-2020 season, and a neutral court win over SEC and national power Kentucky would only bolster the belief that this team can do damage both during the regular season and beyond.
We’are about to roll the dice in Las Vegas.
Records
Ohio State 10-1, Kentucky 8-2
All-time series record
11-9 Kentucky leads
Last meeting
Ohio State won 74-67 in 2015
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Saturday, December 21
Game Time: 5:15 PM
Venue: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas, NV
Network: CBS
Next … The Ohio State Game Plan
Ohio State cliff notes game plan
While Ohio State has played with a little more temp than past seasons because of the upgrade in depth and talent available this year, that’s not a game it wants against Kentucky. The Wildcats also have a deep bench and will go use eight or nine guys. They also have the athletes to match up in all positions.
What might be a little different in this game is what role you see Kaleb Wesson play. Ohio State loves to run the offense through him on the block when things are going right, but he could face significant resistance getting business going down low against the 6-11 Nick Richards. Look for Wesson to stretch him out away from the basket on this one, unclog the middle and allow the guards and other forwards to penetrate, or matchup underneath. Don’t be surprised if you see Wesson and E.J. Liddell in at the same time often, with Liddell doing the work in the paint.
Defensively, I doubt you see much different than what we’ve seen in the past, except you’ll likely see more help when the ball enters the post than what we saw against Minnesota. The team has to rally in the lane and take its chances on the perimeter to limit the points down low and the potential foul issues of Wesson.
Next … Key Player And Prediction
Key Player For Ohio State
Luther Muhammad. I think Muhammad could be huge in this one, but not for his offense. He’s probably going to get the task of staying with Kentucky’s sophomore guard Ashton Hagans. It’s hard to focus on one player in blue, but if Muhammad can limit the scoring and effectiveness of Hagans, then some of the scoring will have to come from elsewhere, something the Wildcats aren’t entirely comfortable with.
Of course, any points Muhammad can fill the basket with is nice too, but he’ll be tasked with getting in the shirt of the star guard in this one.
How It’ll All Go Down
There are some cracks in the dam at Ohio State. Turnovers have started to become an issue, and sloppiness has crept in far too often as of late. The athleticism and quickness of Kentucky will bother the OSU guards and create more turnovers than anyone would like. Ohio State will clamp down defensively, but the depth and inside-outside game of the Wildcats will be just a little too much for the Buckeyes out in Vegas.
Final Score
Kentucky 74, Ohio State 69
Line
Coming …
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