Three and a half weeks ago, Ohio State and Michigan State took the Schottenstein Center court together for what effectively turned into a snoozefest. The Buckeyes simply handled business, going up by 12 points at halftime and never allowing their lead to drop into single digits in the latter 20-minute half. They won, 79-62, without an ounce of drama. It was, for those who had watched them the entire season, just another example of these Spartans failing to put a competitive product onto the court.
Within the last week, though, a switch has seemingly slipped.
| Who | Where | When | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Michigan State (12-9, 6-9) | East Lansing, Michigan (Breslin Center) | 9 p.m. | ESPN |
Michigan State, which now sits at 12-9 overall and 6-9 in Big Ten play, went to Bloomington on Saturday and left with a 78-71 win. On Tuesday, No. 5 Illinois traveled to East Lansing and shockingly got upset, 81-72. Tom Izzo’s Spartans suddenly have life as they make a last-gasp push for an NCAA tournament bid.
To head coach Chris Holtmann whose No. 4 Buckeyes face Michigan State on the road at 9 p.m. Thursday night, this is “a team that's just different than the team we played here a few weeks ago.”
“They're playing like you kind of thought they would here coming into the season,” Holtmann said on Wednesday. “Obviously Tom's teams, we all know how good they get as the year goes on. It's a credit to him and his staff that they just keep getting better.”
Not too long ago, the Spartans were viewed as the team Ohio State might not have to worry too much about down the stretch, considering its last four games of the regular season consist of No. 3 Michigan, Michigan State, No. 9 Iowa, then No. 5 Illinois.
Now, based on the way Izzo has his group playing, the Buckeyes – coming off a loss to Michigan on Sunday – will take on a Spartans team determined not to be the first since 1997 not to play in March Madness.
“They're playing more physical,” Holtmann said. “They've got bigs, multiple bigs they cycle in where they're not really concerned about them getting in foul trouble. They're playing really physical, aggressive. And then they're just in a better rhythm offensively. Gabe Brown has helped them right now, but I think Aaron Henry has played like a first-team All-league guy. They're just playing in a better rhythm and more confidently. They won at Indiana and at home against Illinois. That's a pretty impressive week so far.”
Three Things To Watch
Ascent of Aaron Henry, Joshua Langford and Gabe Brown
In the time since the first Ohio State-Michigan State game of the season, this trio has turned it up a notch.
Henry had 10 points and seven boards on 2-of-8 shooting versus the Buckeyes on Jan. 31. In the seven games since then, he hasn't scored fewer than 13 points, cracking 20 points in four of them. He dropped 27 points against Indiana and followed it up with a 20-point, six-rebound, five-assist night versus the Illini. Henry, a 6-foot-6, 210-pound forward, came into the season as a potential first-round NBA draft pick and has turned it on as of late as he continues to make a case to scouts that he’s ready for the next level. The athletic defender also averages 1.3 blocks and 1.3 steals per game this season.
Joshua Langford, a fellow upperclassman whose injury history has made him a 24-year-old in his fifth season of college basketball, scored a team-high 14 points at Ohio State in January yet did so by hitting 4-of-15 shots. The 6-foot-5, 200-pound guard enters Thursday coming off two of his better games. He put up 13 points and 16 rebounds on 6-of-11 shooting versus Illinois, then 14 points, six boards and five assists on 5-of-6 shooting against Indiana.
“As a fan of college basketball and a fan of that young man watching him from a distance, you really do feel good and happy for him that Langford is healthy now and playing in a great rhythm,” Holtmann said. “Obviously, we hope he doesn't do that against us, and we've got to really be aware of him. But you're happy for that young man to get back to full health.”
Brown missed the first Ohio State-Michigan State game due to a positive COVID-19 test. The 6-foot-7, 210-pounder is a big part of what Izzo wants to do, though, scoring in double figures in two of the past four games.
It should also be noted that sophomore guard Rocket Watts dropped 15 points in the upset of Illinois two days ago. He had previously reached double-figures scoring just once since Dec. 6.
No Kyle Young Presents Challenges
There’s no Xavier Tillman on Michigan State’s roster. No Nick Ward. No Jaren Jackson. No Adreian Payne. No ultra-physical, talented big man who makes life exceptionally difficult for opposing frontcourts.
That’s a positive for the Buckeyes, who’ll have to figure out how to win on Thursday without Kyle Young who’s out with a concussion.
“You miss his activity in terms of pursuing rebounds and his ability to score in the low post and defend a (Joey) Hauser or defend a perimeter player and switch. His activity,” Holtmann said. “I didn't think Kyle in our last game was maybe the typical Kyle we've seen in this stretch, to be honest with you. His energy wasn't quite the same. It could've been a byproduct of he played a heavy load in the Penn State game prior. So I was anxious to see how he would kind of respond in this game. It was kind of a freak play there at the end.”
Not having Young means not having a starting forward whose 8.7 points and 5.7 rebounds in 26.5 minutes per game have been a key part of Ohio State’s rise. The Buckeyes will be without his energy, rebounding, toughness and efficiency around the rim against a team that ranks sixth in Big Ten play with a 29.5 percent offensive-rebounding rate.
Ohio State will need a big game from E.J. Liddell, whose game has taken off as a sophomore. It’ll also need big minutes from freshman Zed Key, who’s averaging 5.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 12.3 minutes per game. Outside of them, the Buckeyes don’t have any other options in the post – unless Ibrahima Diallo makes an unexpected return from his sprained MCL.
Rare Chance For A Sweep
The last time Ohio State beat Michigan State, some players you might've heard of named Greg Oden, Mike Conley, Ron Lewis and Daequan Cook were playing big minutes. The 2007 Buckeyes got the better of the Spartans first at home (66-64) then on the road a week later (63-54). In the 14 years since, Ohio State hasn’t been able to pull off a regular season sweep of Michigan State.
- Michigan State swept two games in regular season: 2009, 2016, 2019
- Ohio State swept two games in regular season: N/A
- Ohio State and Michigan State split two regular season games: 2008, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2017
- Michigan State won only game in regular season: 2015, 2020
- Ohio State won only game in regular season: 2010, 2011, 2018
A Buckeyes victory on Thursday night would give them the sweep for the first time since the players on this team were in grade school.
Prediction: Ohio State 76, Michigan State 70
