Ohio State will have one important guard back on Thursday, but will be without one starting member of its backcourt for the first time all season.
Freshman guard Meechie Johnson will play his first game since Jan. 9 after missing three games with a facial fracture and concussion, but starting point guard Jamari Wheeler will sit out of the Minnesota matchup due to a foot injury, per the Buckeyes' availability report.
Back at it @OhioStateHoops Go Bucks pic.twitter.com/HDX6Kvjzmx
— Meechie Johnson (@MeechieJohnson0) January 27, 2022
The first mention of Wheeler's ailment came during a press conference Wednesday, when Chris Holtmann said the Penn State transfer had not been practicing with the team due to the aforementioned injury. Holtmann said Monday on 97.1 The Fan that former Buckeye guard Keyshawn Woods had been practicing with Ohio State due to the team's dwindling numbers.
Wheeler, who has 16 starts under his belt with Ohio State, averages 7.1 points per game for the Buckeyes and leads the team with an average of 3.8 assists. Johnson averages 6.6 points per game for Ohio State, and has come off the bench in all but one of his 13 appearances this year.
Injured forwards Justice Sueing and Seth Towns will both be out for the Buckeyes once again as well. Sueing has now missed each of the past 15 games with an abdominal injury, although Holtmann still expects him to return before the end of the year, while Towns has yet to play this season after undergoing a procedure on his back over the offseason.
The Buckeyes and Gophers tip off at 8 p.m. at Williams Arena.
