A tradition unlike any other: Ohio State visiting Penn State on Senior Day.
"It seems like we’re invited to their Senior Day every year," Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta joked Tuesday. "It’s amazing how many times we’ve been invited over there on Senior Day."
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| at Penn State (15,14, 3-13) | Bryce Jordan Center | 6 p.m. | BTN |
Last year in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions pulled off a 65-63 upset over Ohio State. The Buckeyes, who still have a shot at earning a double-bye in next week's Big Ten tournament, are hopeful that's not going to be the case this year.
Ohio State is playing good basketball after suffering back-to-back losses for the first time all year. The Buckeyes have won two straight and will face a middling Penn State squad which has lost five in a row.
For Ohio State, the game is crucial. For the Nittany Lions, it's more about pride at this point and defending their home court on Senior Day.
Opponent Breakdown
Per usual, it's been a struggle for Penn State this season. After starting the year 12-1 in the non-conference, the Nittany Lions have won just three of their first 16 Big Ten games.
If there has been one bright spot for Penn State this year, though, it's been senior guard D.J. Newbill. The 6-foot-4 guard leads the conference in scoring at 20.4 points per game and can score in a variety of ways. Newbill, at home on his Senior Day, has the potential to go off against the Buckeyes. Newbill was limited to 16 points on 5-of-13 shooting in the first meeting.
"He’s obviously a great scorer. He can drive both ways, he can shoot the ball," Ohio State senior forward Sam Thompson said. "He does a real good job of getting to the free-throw line and he gets his teammates involved. He’s really, kind of, that team’s engine."
Five of Penn State's last seven losses have come by eight points or less so it has had opportunities to win games, just hasn't found a way to get things done.
"I think you look at their team and it’s a very, very good basketball team," Matta said. "It's always been a challenge over there."
Buckeye Breakdown
Ohio State's return home was certainly kind as the Buckeyes got back to their winning ways on their home floor. Now, they travel again to play their final true road game of the season.
Led by D'Angelo Russell, Ohio State overcame a 12-point halftime deficit Sunday to defeat Purdue. Kam Williams knocked in a pair of free throws with 3.7 seconds remaining to seal the deal and give the Buckeyes a 65-61 win. Russell scored 17 of his game-high 28 points in the second half and Thompson added 14 for Ohio State.
The win kept the Buckeyes alive for a potential double-bye in the Big Ten tournament. Even if it can't secure that double-bye, though, a loss to the Nittany Lions would hurt the Ohio State's seed in the NCAA tournament.
"It comes down to two things and that’s execution and toughness. We know that if we are the tougher basketball team we’re going to win the game," Williams said. "To do that, we have to execute for 40 minutes and when we execute the film and the stats show that our offense and our defense is second to none. I feel like if we capitalize on those two things we have a great shot at winning.”
How It'll Play Out
Penn State usually seems to be a difficult place to play for Ohio State under Matta, despite the fact he's only lost there once.
The Buckeyes have a significant edge at just about every position and that was apparent the first time these two teams played.
Playing on the road during an opposing team's Senior Night is sometimes a tricky task, but with that said Ohio State should be able to find a way to pull out a win in this game. Penn State is a bad team and if the Buckeyes are going to make any noise in March, they've got to continue to build momentum and cruise to a win in a game like this one.
“It’s too late for letdowns now. Everyone in that locker room understands that it’s too late for letdowns," Thompson said. "We can’t, in the month of March, come out and lay an egg the way that we did a few weeks ago at Michigan. We all have a sense of urgency about us, we all know what’s at stake and it’s our job just to go out and execute.”
