Justin Ahrens will enter Ohio State's starting five for the first time on Saturday.
After scoring four points in seven minutes against Northwestern on Wednesday, Chris Holtmann opted to shift Musa Jallow back to the bench and insert Ahrens into the starting lineup for the Buckeyes' game against Maryland.
With C.J. Jackson missing the game with a shoulder injury, Keyshawn Woods will start at guard. The starting five consists of Woods, Luther Muhammad, Ahrens, Andre Wesson and Kaleb Wesson.
After Wendesday's win against the Wildcats, Holtmann said he had considered starting Ahrens, but brought him off the bench then started him to begin the second half.
"I just felt like he was really engaged," Holtmann said on Wednesday. "And when you’re a coach and you see a guy who hasn’t played a whole lot and he’s engaged in the game, what he’s telling you is I’m fully invested in what we’re doing right now. When it’s February, you want dudes who are fully invested in what you’re doing. You want guys that are fully invested in the growth of the team.
Ahrens, a 6-foot-5 wing, averages 1.7 points and 1.1 rebounds in 6.4 minutes per game. The Versailles native has appeared in 17 games.
