Three weeks and a day.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nebraska (6-7, 0-2 B1G) | Pinnacle Bank Arena | 8 p.m. | BTN |
That’s how long it’s been since the Buckeyes last took the court for a 2021-22 regular season contest due to ongoing COVID-19 issues in the program, but Ohio State returns to action Sunday night in Lincoln, Nebraska, for a meeting with Fred Hoiberg and the Cornhuskers.
When Ohio State last played on Dec. 11, it captured one of the most impressive wins of its season in a 73-55 rout of then-No. 22 Wisconsin, but the Buckeyes have not had a chance to add to their season-high four-game win streak since then.
“Really it’s kind of the great unknown how this is gonna affect us,” Buckeye head coach Chris Holtmann said Friday. “I do think there’s a conditioning element that you lose when you don’t have the chance to play games and you don’t have the time and the conditioning that comes with playing games. I think that’s natural. There will be some of that. … What that looks like collectively, I just don’t know yet. I’ll be anxious to see. But regardless, we have an opportunity to play, and that’s what we’re excited about and we need to be ready to play well.”
Nebraska hasn’t had nearly as successful a start to the season, going 6-7 in its first 13, including a stretch of five losses in its past six games entering Sunday. The Huskers are coming off a win, having defeated 5-8 Kennesaw State 88-74 on Dec. 22, but before that Nebraska dropped five games in a row. The Huskers averaged just 62 points per game during the final four of those five losses, which included matchups with two Big Ten opponents (Indiana and Michigan).
Hoiberg and company managed to rattle off four straight wins through the end of November to cap off a 5-2 start to the year, but a season-opening loss to Western Illinois foreshadowed the struggles Nebraska has faced since facing a step up in competition.
But while the 13th-ranked Buckeyes certainly have the edge on paper, Nebraska couldn’t be catching them at a better time after an extended pause in the program.
Three Things To Watch For
Unavailable Players, Changes to Usual Rotations
Ohio State’s availability report could be more interesting than usual on Sunday, as it’s possible that a couple of surprises could be included on it. Injured forwards Justice Sueing and Seth Towns will still be out, but Holtmann left the door open Friday for the possibility that a couple of players might still be unavailable due to COVID-19 circumstances.
Holtmann said he expects to have “a majority of our roster that will be healthy enough and ready to play,” but that doesn’t mean the Buckeyes will be at full strength. It’s also possible the timeline of several impact players’ return to full activity could mean some significant changes to regular rotations for Ohio State.
Signs of Rust for the Buckeyes
For the players that do take the court, it would probably be unreasonable to expect them to be at midseason form upon returning to the fold. Holtmann made it clear that much of the team was required to stay in isolation at some point over the past few weeks, and that it could take a toll on his players in a variety of ways.
“A lot of our guys have had to have a 10-day quarantine where they couldn’t do anything, or were unable to do anything physically,” Holtmann said. “So when you’re an elite athlete and now you’ve taken 10 full days off of any kind of activity, followed by another week or so of limited activity, there is some degree of atrophy that takes place, I think.”
Worst Scoring Defense in the Big Ten
No matter what form the Buckeyes are in on Sunday, they might not have much trouble putting up points on the Huskers, who possess the worst scoring defense in the Big Ten. Nebraska is giving up an average of 76.4 points per game, dead last in the conference and six points more than the next worst team. Two teams have scored at least 100 points on the Huskers this season and another scored 99, and each of those outings took place in the month of December.
The Huskers’ adjusted defensive efficiency rating actually ranks significantly higher than their offensive rating, per KenPom, but that doesn’t mean they’ve had an easy time slowing down opposing offenses.
Three Important Buckeyes
E.J. Liddell
The Buckeyes’ star forward turned in yet another show-stopping performance the last time Ohio State took the court, scoring 28 points on 11-of-16 shooting against the Badgers, and the Buckeyes might go as Liddell goes early on Sunday. Ohio State has proven it can get the job done on occasion when Liddell isn’t having a dominant night, but it will certainly be easier for the Buckeyes to get back on track straight away after their absence if Liddell plays at his usual form against the Huskers.
Zed Key
Now firmly established as Ohio State's second-leading scorer, Key is averaging 10.4 points per game for the Buckeyes, and he's putting up 12 a night in his past four outings. Nebraska's lack of significant size down low could mean even more of an advantage for Key, who rarely has issues scoring against bigger defenders.
Cedric Russell
Still something of an X-factor for the Buckeyes when he can make an impact, Holtmann mentioned Russell's name specifically when discussing players he wished didn't have to miss several weeks of time during the middle of the season. Russell was picking up steam before the layoff, and his ability to remain impactful could be important for Ohio State's backcourt depth.
Three Important Huskers
Alonzo Verge
| Player | Position | Height | Weight | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ALONZO VERGE | G | 6-3 | 164 | 16.4 PPG, 5.7 APG |
| KEISEI TOMINAGA | G | 6-2 | 178 | 8.5 PPG, 1.7 RPG |
| BRYCE MCGOWENS | G | 6-7 | 179 | 15.6 PPG, 5.9 RPG |
| DERRICK WALKER | F | 6-9 | 239 | 9 PPG, 6.2 RPG |
| LAT MAYEN | F | 6-9 | 217 | 4.6 PPG, 3.2 RPG |
In his first season with Nebraska after two highly productive years with Arizona State, 6-foot-3 guard Alonzo Verge has already become the leading scorer for the Huskers, putting up 16.4 points per game through the first 13. Verge is only shooting 28 percent from 3-point range, but he’s hitting on nearly 46 percent of his total field goal attempts with averages of 5.8 rebounds and 5.7 assists to boot. Verge already has four 20-point showings under his belt this season alone.
Bryce McGowens
The 29th-ranked prospect in the country in the class of 2021, freshman guard Bryce McGowens is already living up to the hype in Lincoln, averaging the second-most points on the team with 15.6. The 6-foot-7 wing is putting up 5.9 boards per game – also second-best on the roster – and just like Verge, McGowens has already scored 20 or more points on four occasions this season.
Derrick Walker
A 6-foot-9 forward and Tennessee transfer now in his third year with the Huskers, Derrick Walker is Nebraska’s third-leading scorer with an average of nine points per game, and his 6.2 rebounds are tops on the team. Walker’s shooting a staggering 78.7 percent from the floor, and all but one of his shot attempts have come inside the 3-point line.
How It Plays Out
The Buckeyes may have a hard time getting back into the groove of things, but I still expect them to pull out a win against a team that has struggled mightily against Power Five opponents this year.
Prediction: Ohio State 65, Nebraska 60
