Records
Ohio State 12-4 (5-2), Minnesota 11-5 (2-5)
Broadcast, TV, Game Time
Date | Thursday, Jan. 27
Game Time | 8:00 p.m. EST
Venue | Williams Arena, Minneapolis, MN
Network | ESPN
Ohio State gets back in action on the court as it travels on the road to face a Minnesota Golden Gophers team trying to pull itself out of a midseason swoon. The Gophers started out hot, winning its first seven games of the 2022 season, but have found wins hard to come by in Big Ten play, dropping four of the last five.
You can forgive the Buckeyes if they are a little rusty. After spending three weeks in COVID-19 protocols, they got the season going again in early January only to miss the past week again because of rising cases within the Nebraska program. So, we don’t really know how sharp OSU will be, but the body of work says the Buckeyes are the better team.
However, anytime you go on the road in the Big Ten, it’s a tough ballgame and simply escaping with a win is more than enough. Ohio State desperately needs a win to stay among the leaders in the conference if it plans on having any dreams of a Big Ten title and high NCAA Tournament seed.
Next … The Ohio State game plan
Ohio State potential game plan
E.J. Liddell also shoots threes in case anyone was wondering! Pretty much can do whatever you want when it comes to basketball, really.#GoBucks #Team123 pic.twitter.com/seK9eCvGrB
— Ohio State Hoops (@OhioStateHoops) November 2, 2021
You’re not going to see a whole lot different from Ohio State on offense unless point guard Jamari Wheeler can’t go. He’s a game-time decision with a foot injury he’s been dealing with, but we say he ends up on the court.
As usual, everything will go through All-American candidate E.J. Liddell. He’ll post up, get in the lane for mid-range jumpers, and step outside as a matchup nightmare for Minnesota. From there, the wings and guards will spot up and dribble-drive around him to create space and easy looks. As the defense tries to collapse on Liddell, it’ll be important to knock down the three-ball on the perimeter as he finds open guys.
On defense, look for Ohio State to pressure the ball a little more than normal. Minnesota will only go about six or seven players deep, so running guys out there and making the Gophers work to get into their sets and spend a lot of energy could benefit the Buckeyes in the long run. As shots go up though, defenders have to find and locate their man to box out and rebound. Ohio State is the better shooting team and if it can limit turnovers and keep the second-chance points to a minimum, it should have the advantage.
NEXT … Key Players For Both Teams
Key Player For Ohio State
Guard, Justin Ahrens – Ohio State’s three-point sharpshooter has been a bit off lately, and his ability to knock shots down on the perimeter is key to how far this team can go. Hopefully, Ahrens can find the mark in this one and get back to form because nothing kills home-court advantage like hitting bombs as a compliment to doubling defenses on a player like Liddell.
Key Player to Know for Penn State
Payton Willis? More like, Payton Thrillis, am I right?
GOPHER WIN 😤. @UnlimitedRange0 // @GopherMBB pic.twitter.com/moJOlHBxz6
— Minnesota on BTN (@MinnesotaOnBTN) January 22, 2022
Guard, Payton Willis – The Minnesota guard doesn’t lead the team in scoring (he’s second at 16.5 ppg), but it all starts with him. He leads the team in assists and has the ability to break down defenders off the dribble, get his own shot, or find others. He also leads the team in 3-point field goal percentage, so he has to be accounted for.
NEXT … The prediction
How It’ll All Go Down
I fear Ohio State’s lack of competitive play recently could be a problem in this one, especially on the road. We saw some tired legs from the long layoff before, and though being able to practice helps, there’s no substitute for live, game action. The Buckeyes have been a much different and less active team away from home this year. Minnesota, behind the home crowd at a tough environment in Williams Arena, will pull a white-knuckler.
Final Score
Minnesota 68, Ohio State 64
Tipico Line
Ohio State -6.5 (All Betting Lines are Courtesy of Tipico Sportsbook)
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