When Ohio State found out its first opponent in the Big Ten tournament was Penn State, the first thing Buckeyes head coach Thad Matta did with his group was pop in the film from the only meeting this season between the two teams.
"We were trying to refresh our guys' minds," Matta said Wednesday.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 10 Penn State (16-15) | Bankers Life Fieldhouse (Indianapolis, Ind.) | 6:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
The refresh was necessary because that game against the Nittany Lions came way back on Jan. 25. Ohio State played 10 games in between that first matchup with Penn State and Thursday — when the two teams will meet at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.
Both teams are a bit different now, but in a one-and-done scenario like the Big Ten tournament is, it's a game both teams need to win. The matchup between the No. 7 and No. 10 seeds tips off at 6:30 p.m.
"Coach always says come tournament time it’s a grind," Buckeyes redshirt sophomore guard Kam Williams said. "We win one game we’re right on to the next one. I think if we just have a tough mindset, stay competitive and stay on our toes we’ll be in pretty good shape.”
Opponent Breakdown
If we're being honest, Penn State wasn't a very good basketball team the last time it played Ohio State. The Nittany Lions were out of sync, all over the place and shot just 33 percent from the floor and made only 4-of-25 attempts from 3-point range. The Buckeyes won comfortably, 66-46.
But the Penn State team that will take the floor Thursday night isn't the same one that played on that January evening in Columbus. The Nittany Lions turned a corner, it seems, in mid-February and are playing some of their best basketball of the season right now.
Penn State is 5-3 in its last eight games. In that stretch, the Nittany Lions have wins over both Iowa and Indiana. Penn State ended its regular-season with an 86-79 double-overtime win over Illinois.
"They’re just a good basketball team. They had two good wins against Iowa and Indiana like back-to-back," Ohio State point guard JaQuan Lyle said of Penn State. "They’ve shown that they could play good basketball. They’re just making shots so we’ll have to play good defense and play together.”
The key to slowing down the Nittany Lions is containing senior forward Brandon Taylor and sophomore guard Shep Garner. Taylor averages a team-high 16.3 points and 6.5 rebounds per game. Garner — who suffered an ankle sprain in the first meeting between these two teams — averages 14.5 points per game and shoots it at 36 percent from 3-point range.
“I think Garner and Taylor, those guys are scoring a very, very high level," Matta said. "I think from the standpoint of the other guys are falling into their places."
"The big wins they’ve had over Iowa, Indiana out there they just sort of outworked them and made plays down the stretch. I think from that perspective we’ve told our guys that and they understand Penn State is a much better basketball team than when we played in late January."
Buckeye Breakdown
After losing twice to Michigan State in its last three games, Ohio State is up against it heading into the Big Ten tournament. The Buckeyes likely need to advance at least until the championship game and even that may not be enough for an at-large bid into the NCAA tournament.
Matta has a history of deep conference tournament runs, but this is an entirely different challenge for the Ohio State coach. The Buckeyes are one of the most inexperienced teams in the country and outside of Marc Loving only two players who will suit up for Ohio State in Indianapolis have played in this event. Those two, Williams and Keita Bates-Diop, have played a combined 24 minutes.
"It’s going to be new for these guys," Matta said. "Hopefully what we’ve done is we’ve got a little bit of an establishment in terms of how we’re going to play.”
The Buckeyes will look to sure things up on the defensive end of the floor as they allowed 91 points their last time out in a loss to Michigan State. The Spartans are one of the country's best offensive teams, but Ohio State — specifically in the first half — didn't make things overly difficult.
The Buckeyes can't afford any of those types of lapses in Indianapolis or they will find themselves going home.
"Coach Matta preaches mind right game right," Lyle said. "That’s going to be a big thing with us throughout this Big Ten Tournament, just having our mind right so we can play well.”
How It Plays Out
The big concern here for Ohio State is the inexperienced players don't respond well to the Big Ten tournament setting. That's a real possibility and if it happens, the Buckeyes will find themselves in some trouble.
Penn State is by no means a guaranteed victory for Ohio State. The Nittany Lions are playing much better and have already proven they're capable of beating top-tier Big Ten teams with recent wins over Iowa and Indiana.
It's for that reason I think this game is relatively close throughout. In the end, however, the Buckeyes' superior talent will be enough to pull away a bit in the second half. Ohio State won't play perfect, but it will certainly be a good experience getting a game under its belt before matching up with Michigan State.
Tim's prediction: Ohio State 67, Penn State 60
