Records
Ohio State 18-8 (12-8), Minnesota 14-14 (6-14)
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date: Thursday, March 11
Game Time: 2 p.m. EST (approximately)
Venue: Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis, IN
Network: Big Ten Network
OK. Here we go. It’s March and it’s time for all the madness to begin. Before we get into the NCAA Tournament though, it’s time for some mayhem in the Big Ten Tournament for Ohio State.
The Buckeyes have lost four straight games, but that matters little now. It’s really like a brand new season, with each win a one-and-done scenario. Ohio State now nows its opponent, and it comes in the form of the No. 13 seed Minnesota Golden Gophers. They were playing some really good ball when they beat OSU by seventeen points early in the season, but since then have fallen on hard times because of scattered play and injury.
Somehow, someway, Minnesota found a way against Northwestern on Wednesday, and Ohio State will need to be at the top if its game to move on to face Purdue with a win in the quarterfinals.
The stage is set, now it’s time to put on the show.
Next … The Ohio State game plan
Ohio State Cliffs Notes game plan
The template is set on the way to beat Minnesota. You have to put significant on-ball pressure on star guard Marcus Carr and look to help out if he breaks down his defender off the dribble. Teams that have been able to guard out on the perimeter have been able to throw Carr off his game and disrupt the Gopher offense. There has to be a real effort on the ball with guys rotating in and out to be fresh on him with man-to-man, in-your-face defense.
On offense, Ohio State has to take better shots coming down the stretch. Everything has been fine with the inside-outside game, with the guards and wings looking to penetrate, playing through E.J. Liddell and the post, and then moving the ball to the open guy. However, when things are tight down the stretch, as long as the players with the ball in their hands make better decisions and get good shots, this one can end up in the win column with a good closing stretch.
NEXT … Key Players For Both Teams
Key Player For Ohio State
Guard, C.J. Walker – E.J. Liddell and Duane Washington have to play well, but this one is going to begin and end with how well C.J. Walker guards Marcus Carr. In this one, anything Walker can provide on the offensive end is a bonus, his efforts need to be targeted on playing great defense to cut the head off the snake of a team that’s going to be tired and banged up.
Key Player to Know for Minnesota
Guard, Marcus Carr – Do you sense a theme? It’s not like the Gophers don’t have other guys that can step up, it’s just that Carr is the most likely star that can will his team to a win. Minnesota is dealing with injuries and coming off of a hard-fought game against Northwestern the night before. In that scenario, a team generally needs someone to put everything on his back and ride out with a win. That’s Carr, and Ohio State has to be really interested in stopping him. He’s burned OSU in the past and it can’t happen here.
NEXT … The prediction
How It’ll All Go Down
Ohio State is a reeling ball club that’s looking to notch its first win in five games to get some momentum back. Minnesota will play hard and with a lot of energy at first as it plays for its postseason life. However, OSU will be the fresher and healthier team in this one and pull away with a much better effort at the end of the game. OSU gets back in the win column and moves on to face Purdue on Friday.
Final Score
Ohio State 71, Minnesota 60
Line
Ohio State -10
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Ohio State basketball’s complete history in the Big Ten Tournament
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