As recently as just a couple days ago, Chris Holtmann had no idea he'd be without Kaleb Wesson – the team's starting center who averages a team-high 14.6 points and 6.7 rebounds – for any period of time.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. 14 Purdue (21-7, 14-3) | West Lafayette (Mackey Arena) | 2 p.m. | ESPN |
But in what Holtmann called a "very recent development," Ohio State will not have Wesson for an indefinite period of time. Wesson was suspended on Friday for a "violation of Ohio State Athletics Department policy." The program did not announce how long Wesson would be out, only noting that it expects him back at some point this season.
The Buckeyes will head to West Lafayette, Indiana, for a tough road matchup against No. 14 Purdue at 2 p.m. Tuesday in their first game sans Wesson.
"We will have to continue going, trying to keep this train running without him," Keyshawn Woods said on Friday.
Chris Holtmann, who called the decision to suspend Wesson a collective determination between the basketball program and the athletic department, did not give any specifics about why Wesson was suspended.
He said Wesson will still make the trip to Purdue with the team and remain involved in everything the team does, though he didn't know when the big man would return to the team.
"As much as we can, we’re trying to keep that a private matter," Holtmann said. "Obviously there are some expectations that we have that he needs to meet and that he needs to follow through on, and he’ll do that. I’m confident that he will do that and then we’ll take it from there."
Ohio State's coaching staff has the difficult task of figuring out how to replace him on both ends of the court against a Purdue team that doesn't lack length.
"You don’t have to have studied our team to know how important he’s been for our team," Holtmann said. "This group and our margin for error not being significant as it is, and he’s been a really important part of our success."
Without Wesson, Ohio State has just three players – Kyle Young, Andre Wesson and Jaedon LeDee – who stand taller than 6-foot-5. The Buckeyes only treat one of those players – LeDee – as a true center, and Holtmann said he expects the freshman who has not played more than five minutes in over a month to see an uptick in time on the court.
Young remains on a minutes restriction as he returns from a stress fracture, complicating matters. Andre Wesson only subbed out for six seconds in the Buckeyes' 90-70 victory against Iowa, and he's expected to see a similar amount of minutes versus the Boilermakers.
Opponent Preview
Everything begins with Carsen Edwards, the 6-foot-1 guard who averages 23.4 points per game, nearly twice as many as any other player on his team. The Big Ten player of the year candidate shoots 39.6 percent from the field and has made 34.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.
In the first meeting between Ohio State and Purdue, which the Boilermakers won 79-67, Edwards had a game-high 27 points. He shot just 6-for-16 from the field, yet made 11-of-13 free throws. Edwards also had seven of Purdue's 18 turnovers.
"I think they get unfairly judged like it’s Carsen Edwards and everybody else," Holtmann said. "But they have some really, really good players around those guys that I think command a lot of attention."
Ryan Cline, a 6-foot-6 wing, made three 3-pointers in Purdue's first game against Ohio State, and he hits 41.6 percent of his shots from beyond the arc. Putting up 11.9 points per game, Cline is the only player to average double digits this season besides Edwards.
One of the toughest matchups for Ohio State will come with whomever guards Matt Haarms, a 7-foot-3, 250-pound center who averages 8.8 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. He would usually be Wesson's responsibility.
Purdue has not lost at Mackey Arena this season. It is 14-0 at home and 5-5 on the road.
Ohio State Preview
Justin Ahrens gave Ohio State 29 points in its 20-point win against Iowa, and the Buckeyes surely hope he left some offensive production over from that explosion.
The freshman sharpshooter who had a career game on Tuesday found open looks by playing off of Wesson, but now he'll have to find space without the center in the paint drawing attention away from him, Duane Washington Jr., C.J. Jackson and others spotting up.
"It’s a great challenge anyway," Holtmann said. "Obviously it’s a great challenge when you don’t have a player like Kaleb, who has really had a tremendous season."
The Buckeyes will need more offensive contributions the usual from their guards, including Luther Muhammad who is engulfed in a six-game slump during which he has hit just 5-of-39 shots. They found some success in January against Purdue without Wesson on the court, but not they'll be tasked with doing so for 40 minutes.
"We are going to fight," Woods said. "We prefer to have Kaleb. We would much rather have our big fellow. But if we have to play small ball, that’s what we are going to do."
How It Plays Out
Everything changes without Kaleb Wesson. If the starting center didn't get suspended, the Buckeyes might have been able to keep it close with the Boilermakers, who haven't lost in West Lafayette this season.
But without Wesson, Ohio State has to both figure out how to score without its post presence and anchor defensively. That's a rough ask and a reason why it's a 12-point underdog.
Prediction: Purdue 77, Ohio State 65
