Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann is a unique situation heading into just his seventh game.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Butler (4-2) | Veterans Memorial Coliseum | 3:30 p.m. | ESPN2 |
Butler, the school Holtmann left Columbus for, is Ohio State's next opponent in the final round of the PK80 Invitational, something Holtmann said he isn't all that excited for after a win over Stanford on Friday night.
"You know, it's certainly not ideal. There'll be a lot of mixed emotions. I love that place. I love that community. It's meant so much to me," Holtmann told ESPN's Jeff Goodman. "We've got a game to play. This is really about the players and I certainly don't want to take anything away from both teams and both groups of players. We will be ready to compete and I know they will too."
Opponent Outlook
Much like Ohio State, the Bulldogs have split their first two games of the PK80 Invitational. Butler dropped a 61-48 contest to Texas in the opening round before rebounding with a close 71-69 win over Portland State in the second round game.
Statistically, the Bulldogs are led by senior forward Kelan Martin. The Louisville, Ky. native leads Butler in both scoring and rebounds, dropping in an average of 14.7 points and collecting seven boards per game.
Martin has a tendency to be a volume shooter for Butler, taking an average of 14.2 shots per game. Martin's volume shooting hasn't always been a positive for Butler, as the veteran forward is shooting just 37.6 percent from the floor, including just 22 percent (9-of-41) from behind the three-point line.
While Martin has struggled from long range, it has been balanced out in part thanks to the ability of redshirt sophomore guard Sean McDermott. McDermott is shooting 42.3 percent from behind the three-point arc so far this season, converting on 11-of-26 attempts this season. He averages 9.3 points per game.
Guards Aaron Thompson and Paul Jorgensen have split the majority of the point guard duties this season for the Bulldogs, each starting three games in place of the other. Thompson is averaging 5.8 more minutes per game though and leads the team in assists, averaging four per game.
Buckeye Breakdown
After a night in which Ohio State was thoroughly dominated by Gonzaga, the Buckeyes rebounded to come away with a 79-71 win over Stanford in their second game of the PK80 to put themselves back in the win column.
Keita Bates-Diop continues to be a double-double machine for Ohio State, as he has collected four such performances in the Buckeyes' first six games of the year. He is averaging 17.0 points and 10.2 boards per contest this season and is shooting 46.4 percent from behind the three-point line.
Ohio State center Micah Potter, who suffered a sprained ankle in a win over Northeastern Nov. 19, returned to the court against Stanford after sitting out the Thanksgiving night loss to Gonzaga but played just six minutes against the Cardinal. In his stead, Kaleb Wesson has started the last two games and played admirably.
Wesson has scored 10 points in each of Ohio State's two games in the PK80 Invitational, but has also fouled out in each appearance.
With the emergence of freshman Musa Jallow in the starting lineup, redshirt senior Kam Williams has seen his minutes decline significantly. In 12 minutes against Stanford, Williams was held scoreless on four shots from the floor, the first time he failed to score all season. Most of the production at the guard position has come from point guard C.J. Jackson, who dropped in a career-high 23 points in the win over Stanford.
How It Plays Out
Butler enters the game ranked 55th in Ken Pomeroy's advanced rating system, while Ohio State comes in ranked 69th.
The Buckeyes showed their ability to bounce back from a tough loss against Stanford. They still have issues putting together consistent strings of solid basketball. But if Potter is available at full strength and can spell Wesson in more significant stretches, Ohio State has a very good chance to come out of Portland with just one loss.
It should also be mentioned that Ohio State's entire coaching staff spent the last three years at Butler and knows the Bulldog roster well. That should play into Ohio State's hands, even though it will surely be an emotional day for both sides.
Prediction: Ohio State 73, Butler 70
