Postseason play begins tonight for Ohio State.
After stumbling through the end of the regular season, dropping three of their last four games with each of those coming in upset fashion, the Buckeyes should have a favorable matchup in their first Big Ten Tournament matchup Thursday. No. 6 seed Ohio State takes on No. 11 seed Penn State in a third meeting of the season in a series that the Buckeyes already lead 2-0.
| WHO | WHERE | WHEN | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Penn State (13-16, 8-13 B1G) | Gainbridge Fieldhouse | 9 p.m. | BTN |
Despite losing four of its final five games of the regular season, Penn State notched a nine-point win over No. 13 seed Minnesota Wednesday night to secure a second-round matchup with Ohio State on Thursday.
“This year it’s a little bit different having played a team that you’ve beaten a couple times, and who's also coming off of a win,” Ohio State head coach Chris Holtmann said Wednesday. “So I think it’s important that we stay aggressive and play really well and understand it’s gonna be a really challenging game. I think that’s a mindset as much as anything.”
Ohio State handed the Nittany Lions a 76-64 defeat in Happy Valley on Dec. 5, and the Buckeyes pulled out another win – this time a five-point margin – when Penn State came to Columbus on Jan. 16. Now with four straight wins over Penn State and six in the last seven meetings, Ohio State is favored to extend that streak Thursday at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
What to Watch For
Buckeye injury issues
Three Buckeyes were hobbled with injuries by the end of the regular season, and at least one of them will miss Ohio State’s first postseason game. Kyle Young will be out after missing nearly the past three full games due to concussion protocol, and Zed Key will be a game-time decision after missing two of the past three games with an ankle sprain. Meechie Johnson Jr. will be available for the Buckeyes despite turning his ankle at the end of the Michigan game, but Young’s absence alone could be troubling for Ohio State.
Similarities to last season
If you’re having doubts about the Buckeyes’ ability to make a deep run in the Big Ten Tournament, don’t forget that not many people expected Ohio State to do so last season either. In 2021, the Buckeyes dropped their final four games in a row before entering the Big Ten Tournament as a No. 5 seed, then proceeded to squeak out three straight wins by single-digit margins and eventually take No. 2 seed Illinois to overtime in the championship game. Like last year, Ohio State will once again have Purdue in its bracket, as the Boilermakers will be waiting for the Buckeyes in the quarterfinals should the scarlet and gray win their opening game. Ohio State got it done in overtime in that matchup a year ago, but that could be an even stiffer task this season.
Struggles from the Penn State offense
Ranked No. 135 in the country in KenPom’s adjusted offensive efficiency rating, the Penn State offense has not been particularly potent, and that is especially true of its past 11 performances. In that stretch, Penn State has scored 70 points just one time and fewer than 60 points on four occasions. The last time these two teams played, they combined for just 117 points, and I wouldn’t be too shocked to see another low-scoring affair between these two.
Three Important Buckeyes
E.J. Liddell
In the final four games of the regular season, Liddell’s scoring production dropped off a bit, as the first-team All-Big Ten forward averaged 18.3 points on just 40.8 percent shooting in that stretch compared to 19.4 points on 49.5 percent shooting for the season. He did up his rebounding numbers, averaging more than 10 per game in that stretch, but Liddell will be looking to make a stronger statement to open the Big Ten Tournament come Thursday night.
Malaki Branham
The Big Ten Freshman of the Year averaged 16.3 points per game against conference competition in the regular season, and in the final seven games before the postseason, Branham put up a whopping 21.3 points per night on 57.1 percent shooting. Branham isn’t immune to an occasional cold shooting night, but he’s been on more often than not down the stretch for the Buckeyes, who will hope that continues through their tournament run.
“I think we’ll rely on the older guys and the leadership to kind of tell (the young players) what it’s like, what those games are like,” Holtmann said. “They’re typically a little more physical, but it’s usually the team that's aggressive and obviously the ability to make shots is important as well.”
Joey Brunk
If both Young and Key are out on Thursday, expect to see a steady diet of Brunk on the court against Penn State. Th 6-foot-11 center has started each of the past two games for the Buckeyes, logging 25 or more minutes in both, and he’s just two games removed from an 18-point effort against Michigan State that quickly boosted him to fan favorite status among many Ohio State supporters. Brunk scored eight points and pulled down six boards against Michigan, and a similar night against Penn State would serve the Buckeye well as they open postseason play.
Three Important Nittany Lions
| Player | Position | Height | Weight | Stats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MYLES DREAD | G | 6-4 | 235 | 6.1 PPG, 2.7 RPG |
| JALEN PICKETT | G | 6-4 | 202 | 12.8 PPG, 4.3 APG |
| DALLION JOHNSON | G | 6-3 | 182 | 3.7 PPG, 1.2 RPG |
| SETH LUNDY | F | 6-6 | 217 | 12.4 PPG, 5.1 RPG |
| JOHN HARRAR | F | 6-9 | 240 | 10.5 PPG, 10.3 RPG |
Jalen Pickett
Penn State’s leading scorer averaged 12.8 points, 4.3 assists and 4.1 rebounds per game in 28 regular season starts, and the Buckeyes know all too well how much of a threat he is after scoring 34 combined points in two matchups with the scarlet and gray. Pickett scored at least 10 points in eight of the final nine games of the regular season, and the Buckeyes have been susceptible to opposing scoring guards at times this year. Pickett led all scorers with 22 points against Minnesota, and he’ll try to keep the rhythm going for a second straight night on Thursday.
Sam Sessoms
After beginning the year as a starter, Sessoms settled into a reserve role in the final 12 games of the season, averaging 10.9 points per game off the bench during that stretch as Penn State went 4-8 against Big Ten competition. Sessoms is also a 42.3 percent 3-point shooter and averages nearly three assists per game in the Nittany Lion backcourt. The 6-foot guard had 14 points off the bench against Minnesota on Wednesday, hitting five of his 12 attempts from the floor.
Seth Lundy
Lundy missed the second matchup of the season against the Buckeyes, but typically fares well against the scarlet and gray as a scoring threat on the perimeter. Lundy had 13 points in the first game against Ohio State and has averaged 12.4 on the season as Penn State’s second-leading scorer.
How It Plays Out
Line: Ohio State -5.5 O/U: 132.5
As up and down as the Buckeyes have been of late, they’ll be entering this matchup recharged and with the confidence of having already beaten their opponent twice in the regular season. Even if Ohio State isn’t poised to make a deep run in the conference tournament, it should at least be able to win its first game to get back on track after losing three of its final four in the past couple weeks. Young’s absence is not a positive development for Ohio State, but the Buckeyes should be able to overcome it nonetheless and open the Big Ten Tournament with a win.
Prediction: Ohio State 73, Penn State 63
