Records
Ohio State 17-9 (7-8), Maryland 20-7 (11-5) 4th in the B1G
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Saturday, February 23
Game Time: 2:00 PM
Venue: Xfinity Center, College Park, MD
Network: ESPN | You can also tune in online with FuboTV. (Try it for free)
Let the gauntlet begin. Ohio State is just one game below .500 in the league and by all accounts and measures still in the NCAA Tournament. It’s margin of error is razor thin however coming down the stretch, and finding wins won’t be easy.
The game at Maryland kicks off four of five against the upper half of the league, and all teams that are soundly going dancing come March. To make matters worse, it’s on the road against a team that handed it to the Buckeyes in Columbus just a few short weeks ago.
Can Ohio State find a way to keep this one close and steal it at the end? If so, it might be the biggest win on a resume that could use some beefing up.
Next … The Ohio State Game Plan
Ohio State cliff notes game plan
The Buckeyes won’t be able to go toe-to-toe, and athlete-for-athlete with this Maryland team. It is long, athletic and can score from almost any position on the floor. The Buckeyes will need to slow this one down, play a scrambling defense and try to win ugly by making it a quagmire.
Offensively, they has to go inside, run half-court sets and try to get as many good looks as possible without turning the ball over. Maximizing the number of possessions in this one is a must.
Defensively, Chris Holtmann has started to play more zone and don’t be surprised if that continues. It might be hard to rebound and close out on shooters in the zone, but it’ll give big-man Kaleb Wesson a chance to stay fresh and stay out of foul trouble. He has to stay on the floor and be effective for Ohio State to have a chance to pull off the upset.
Next … Key Player And Prediction
Key Player For Ohio State
Kaleb Wesson. Maryland guard Anthony Cowan might be leading the team in scoring, but it’s big man Bruno Fernando that’s the heart and soul of this team. He is long, athletic and brawny, and leads the team in rebounds and blocks, but also provides rim-protection down low that gave OSU issues in Columbus. He can also score in bunches at times — just behind Cowan in points per game.
Kaleb Wesson has to make him work in the post on both ends. The Buckeyes’ big man must also take it to him on offense, body him up on the boards and make it a physical game down there. Maybe it tires him out, maybe it gets him in foul trouble. Either way, he has to muster enough desire and determination to make Fernando work.
How It’ll All Go Down
This is a tall order for Ohio State. It’s a bad matchup at several key positions and it’s going to be a tough assignment to go on the road and beat a team that clearly outmatched the Buckeyes in Columbus. Ohio State will play hard, but won’t be able to score enough to keep pace with a team that is still in shouting distance of first place in the league. Maryland wins rather easily at home to move the Buckeyes more squarely on the bubble.
Final Score
Maryland 71, Ohio State 58
Line
Maryland – 6.5
